Helping Haiti’s Everybody Hurts – Number 1 with Biggest 1st Week Sales For Any Charity Single This Century

14/02/2010

Everybody Hurts, the charity single organized by Simon Cowell, in aid of victims of the Haitian earthquake, leaps straight to number one in the Official Singles Chart this week and notches up over 453,000 sales to give it the biggest first week sales of any charity single released this century, the Official Charts Company confirms today.

Earlier in the week, Everybody Hurts was confirmed as the fastest-selling charity single of the century, notching up over 200,000 copies in just two days.

Martin Talbot, Managing Director, Official Charts Company said:

“The public have clearly taken the plight of the Haitian people to heart – this record is huge.”

Everybody Hurts was originally written and recorded by American rock band REM.  The track was re-recorded for Haiti with a star-studded line-up including Alexandra Burke, Cheryl Cole, James Morrison, JLS, Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Michael Buble, Mika, Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart, Susan Boyle and Take That.

A full list of the Top 5 biggest first week selling charity singles follows below.

 There are two other new entries in the Official Singles Chart Top 10 this week: Glee Cast’s Halo/Walking On Sunshine is straight in at number nine and Rihanna’s Rude Boy is at number ten (up from twenty). 

 Glee Cast are also at number five with Don’t Stop Believin’.

 In the Official Albums Chart, Alicia Keys stays at number one for a second week with The Element Of Freedom.

There are four new entries in the Official Albums Chart Top 10: Sade’s Soldier Of Love is straight in at number four, Massive Attack’s Heligoland is straight in at number six, Michael Buble’s Crazy Love, a former number one, re-enters at number eight (up from fifteen) and Black Eyes Peas’ The End, which previously peaked at number three, is at number ten (up from thirteen).

Charity Singles since 2000 – The Biggest 1st Week Sellers.

Pos.     Title                        Artist                         Charity

1.      Everybody Hurts       Helping Haiti             DEC (Disasters Emergency  Committee)

                                                                             The Sun’s Helping Haiti Appeal

2.      Hero                           X Factor Finalists       Help For Heroes

3.      Uptown Girl               Westlife                     Comic Relief

4.      Do They Know It’s     Band Aid 20                Darfur

         Christmas      

5.      Spirit In The Sky        Gareth Gates feat.   Comic Relief

                                           The Kumars

 

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 Chart Show with Reggie Yates, Sunday 4pm-7pm, BBC Radio 1.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/

 Ends

 

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