While La Roux snag the top single on the U.K. chart this weekend with "Bulletproof"—thereby besting the #2 peak of previous release "In For The Kill"—it's really Michael Jackson who dominates this week, both in news and in chart feats.His 2003 collection Number Ones grabs the top spot on the Brit album chart, while 43 of his past singles have entered the Top 200 singles chart—20 of which are in the Top 75—following a resurgence of interest in Jacko's back catalog following his death on Thursday. The highest entry from him is "Man In The Mirror," in at #11. That one's also been the top download on U.S. iTunes since Friday.
Ironically, I remember picking up that Number Ones CD after a trip to London in late 2003, where it was on display everywhere you went.
The impressive part is that there were only two days left once Jackson died before the U.K. chart was tallied up, and yet over 300,000 of his singles and albums were snatched up in that time period.
Here's an article from Friday about Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble here in the U.S. selling out of all things MJ within 24 hours.
I also liked the ending of this other article, which sums up the legacy Michael Jackson will end up leaving behind, and puts it in terms of where he currently was as far as his relevancy was concerned when he died:
The U.K. Top 10:"A comeback seemed to be most unlikely. His reputation was considered irreparably damaged, his image mocked and his name an automatic punchline. But when he announced he'd be doing a series of comeback concerts at London's famed O2 Arena, not only did the initial dates sell out immediately, the demand was so insatiable he was signed on for an unprecedented 50 shows. He was expected to embark on a worldwide tour sometime after the concert series was completed in March.
"Of course, there will be no comeback now, no Jackson 5 reunion, no new music to share with millions of fans. But the legacy he leaves behind is so rich, so deep, that no scandal can torpedo it. The 'Thriller' may be gone, but the thrill will always remain."
1. "Bulletproof" - La Roux *1 week*
2. "When Love Takes Over'" - David Guetta/Kelly Rowland
3. "Boom Boom Pow" - Black Eyed Peas
4. "Paparazzi" - Lady Gaga
5. "Knock You Down" - Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo
6. "Release Me" - Agnes
7. "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" - Pixie Lott
8. "Red" - Daniel Merriweather
9. "Bonkers" - Dizzee Rascal
10. "Untouched" - The Veronicas