Singles Start The New Year With A Bang

10/01/2010

Twenty-two-year-old IYAZ debuts at number one in the first Official Singles Chart of 2010 as his single Replay surpasses an impressive 106,000 copies, the Official Charts Company confirms today.
It wasn’t until the twenty first week of last year that a single recorded more sales when Dizzee Rascal’s Bonkers sold over 114,000 in May 2009.

Replay is one of the defining tracks behind the fast-rising Island Pop sound; a genre which blends rap, reggae and pop. Iyaz was raised in the British Virgin Islands.   The single was number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart in the US.
Meanwhile Iyaz’s nearest rival Sidney Samson feat. US rappers Wizard Sleeve notches up over 97,000 sales for the number two single Riverside (Let’s Go), a figure which would have given the twenty-seven-year-old Dutch House DJ and producer the number one slot in almost any other week in the last year.
The achievements of Iyaz and Sidney Samson come in a bumper week for the singles market overall.  Well over 3 million singles were sold last week, a total which would have made it one of the top 10 biggest weeks for singles in 2009 - which was itself the biggest year for singles sales in the history of the UK music business.

Martin Talbot, Managing Director, Official Charts Company said:
“You might expect a sales lull at this time of year, but Iyaz and Sidney Sampson clearly defy expectations. To have two singles selling such significant numbers in the first chart of the year is fantastic. ”

There are no other new entries in this week’s Official Singles Top 10 Chart.
In the week’s Official Albums Chart Paolo Nutini’s Sunny Side Up stays at number one for a second consecutive week having first entered the charts at number one in June 2009.
There are no new entries in this week’s Official Albums Top 10 Chart.

 

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.
: 01480 860 530  M. 07768 891 264
E: amy@theofficialcharts.com
www.theofficialcharts.com

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