Pharrell tops Official Streaming Chart with Happy

Pharrell Williams claims the first Official Streaming Chart Number 1 of the new year!

Pharrell Williams’ Happy was the most listened to track in the UK last week, earning the US singer and producer the first Number 1 of 2014 on the Official Streaming Chart.

The Official Streaming Chart was launched in May 2012, and is the only chart which ranks audio streams from both ad-funded and subscription streaming services in the UK.

Taken from the soundtrack to Despicable Me 2, Happy also reached Number 1 on the sales-based Official Singles Chart. However, it lost its Number 1 placing yesterday to Timber by Pitbull FT Ke$ha after just one week on top.

Avicii’s Hey Brother climbs five places to Number 2 on this week’s Official Streaming Chart, while Eminem and Rihanna’s 2013 chart-topper, The Monster, climbs one place to Number 3 today.

This week’s Top 5 is completed by Jason Derulo’s Trumpets (up four places to Number 4) and Lorde’s Royals (up seven places to Number 5).

New Entries And High Climbers

Pitbull and Ke$ha score this week’s highest new entry with Timber (Number 14). The US duo debuted at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart with the track yesterday.

Beyonce’s XO, which is taken from her new self-titled album, enters at Number 50 today. The track hit the headlines last week after the media took umbrage to the US singer’s use of an audio sample from the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.

In an official statement, Beyonce said the song was recorded "with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you.

"The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten," she added.

Little Mix’s Little Me is new in at Number 70, while Sub Focus’ Turn Back Time makes its Official Streaming Chart debut at 99 today.

You can see the Official Streaming Chart Top 100 in full, here.