East London Talent Rules The Charts * First no. 1 Single For Roll Deep * Plan B Album Back At The Top *

02/05/2010

Artists from East London have claimed the number one spot in both the Official Singles and Official Album Charts this week, the Official Charts Company confirms today.

In the Official Singles Chart it’s a first number one for long-standing grime collective Roll Deep with new single Good Times featuring guest vocalist Jodie Connor leaping straight to the top spot. 

Good Times had been fighting neck and neck with former number one single Usher’s OMG, featuring Will.I.Am, to hold on to the number one slot since last Wednesday’s Official Chart Update when less than 2% sales separated the contenders.  By the end of the week, that figure had increased marginally to just over 2% sales separating the eventual number one and number two.

Roll Deep became one of the figureheads of the nascent grime scene in 2005 when they released their debut album In At The Deep End as well as two singles, The Avenue which peaked at number eleven in July 2005 and Shake A Leg which peaked at number twenty four later that year. 

Roll Deep’s alumni include number one artists Dizzee Rascale and Tinchy Stryder.  The current line-up includes founder members Wiley, Breeze, Scratchy, Flow Dan and Danny Weed, as well as crew veterans Brazen, Manga, J2K and Target.

The only other new entry in the Official Singles Chart Top 10 is Taio Cruz’s Dirty Picture featuring Kesha at number ten, up two places from last week’s number twelve.

In the Official Albums Chart, Usher is denied again as Plan B – aka East London native Ben Drew – is back at number one (up from last week’s number three) with second album The Defamation Of Strickland Banks.

The Defamation Of Strickland Banks debuted at number one two weeks ago before briefly relinquishing the top spot to AC/DC’s soundtrack to feature film Iron Man 2 last week.

Usher’s new album Raymond V Raymond, which had been selling 20% more than Strickland Banks earlier in the week and was number one on Wednesday’s Official Chart Update has to settle for entering at number two in the final countdown, the sales gap between the two albums having reduced to less than 1% in Strickland B’s favour.

There are three other new entries in this week’s Official Albums Chart Top 10: TV’s Glee cast’s Glee Cast, The Music, The Power Of Madonna straight in at number four, Welsh rock/metal band Bullet For My Valentine’s Fever straight in at number five and Cornish sea shanty group, Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends’ album of the same name is straight in at number nine.

Notes to Editors:

1.   Chart information quoted from this release must be credited to The Official Charts Company

2.  The Official Charts Company (OCC) is a joint venture between record labels’ body the BPI and ERA, the Entertainment Retailers Association.   The OCC is responsible for the commissioning, marketing, distribution and management of the UK’s industry standard music and video charts and is endorsed by the BVA (British Video Association).

3. The Official Charts Company compiles its charts from sales information gathered across all key distribution (or entertainment) channels including all major high street retail chains, independent stores, supermarkets, mail order internet retailers and digital music service providers. This market research sample equates to 99% of the total UK Singles market; 98% of the total UK Albums market and 90% of the total UK DVD market.

For further information contact:
Amy Howard, Official Charts Company.
T: 01480 860 530  M. 07768 891 264
E: amy@theofficialcharts.com
W: www.theofficialcharts.com

 

The Official Chart Update with Greg James, 3.30pm-4pm, BBC Radio 1
The Chart Show with Reggie Yates, Sunday 4pm-7pm, BBC Radio 1.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/

Ends.                   

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