James Masterton's Chart Watch UK

Week Ending December 13th 2018

Ariana Grande marches boldly on at the top of the charts, but she is now having to face down the challenge from Christmas songs, the biggest of which are sticking two fingers up at chart rules designed to hold them back and swamping everything else anyway. The newest X Factor champion becomes the latest not to get anywhere near the top of the charts, and these boys you see here and just pulled off a chart hat-trick last done by the Arctic Monkeys a decade ago. Find out what it is inside.

Week Ending December 6th 2018

Nobody of any note released any singles this week, so the past seven days belonged to Take That. A "reimagined" Greatest Hits collection saw them clock up the biggest one-week sale of the year and prove to the world that age ain't nothing but a number. Especially when you are singing the songs your mum grew up loving.

Week Ending November 29th 2018

Let's hear it for the girls (and well, OK, one token boy) as they dominate the whole top end of the singles chart. Plus, what happens when you re-imagine the biggest selling album of the year? Dream a million dreams and find out inside.

Week Ending November 22nd 2018

It is one of those records. Ariana Grande's hit runs away with the chart race, eclipsing practically the whole of the rest of the market. That was possibly bad news if you were a former girl group star about to relaunch your career after four years away. Timing is everything in this business after all.