That was 2010

As media control announces on 4th of January the most sold single track in Germany 2010 was Israel IZ Kamakawiwo’ole’s Somewhere Over The Rainbow. This is really a surprise cause the latest no.1 in a year never was the no.1 of the whole year sales also. In only 17 weeks the Haitian musician sold more copies than runners up Shakira (33 weeks) and German eurovision star Lena (36 weeks). Even the race between that two was exciting. At 25th of October Satellite by Lena was still in leading position. Finally the last few weeks of the year brought the counting sales and a surprising weak Lena. The German fairytale ends up in a grounded girl star who right now starts her second attempt to the European crown. Keep your fingers crossed for not forcing a desaster.

Kind of solace: In 1982 German Eurovision winner Nicole only spent four weeks at the top of the German singles charts overtaken at year’s end by three German tracks and a British synth athem. Lena without any doubt had the most successfull German single track of 2010 – although Satellite is sung originally in English. There was a German version charting this year too. A bunch of soccer loving students made a youtube-video-version of Satellite called Schland O Schland (a slang shortening for „Germany Oh Germany”) which became very popular and made the act Uwu Lena pressed on CD reaching no.4 in July. A third version by national eurovision contestant Jennifer Braun also had a two weeks chart run: I guess Satellite is far and away the most popular composition of 2010.

The most sold track sung in German comes from UNHEILIG – probably the commercially most successfull German act in 2010 as its album Große Freiheit (Big Freedom) stands as the best selling album of the year plus leading single Geboren um zu leben (Born For Living) is no.4 at the singles ranking.

The act with the most impressive presence at the singles charts in 2010 was french DJ David Guetta. He was named as an artist on ten tracks charted at least one week in 2010. The total is an record writing 187 chart weeks. As a producer he has a further three charting singles under his belt: Kelis’ Acapella as well as I Gotta Feeling and Rock That Body by The Black Eyed Peas.
In comparison The Beatles collected 163 chart weeks with 14 singles in 1964. The Fab Four would have had much more if the monthly charts in that year would have listed more than 50 places. If we only count the top 50 listings of David Guetta we will get 114 – well the Liverpool boys are still far and away. Nonetheless David Guetta is the most invading chart artist of the last years and decades. Even Michael Jackson had in 2009 – the year of his dead – „only“ 133 chart weeks counting under same conditions as David Guetta.

Talking about presence: 2010 was a year with very slow chart movements. Only two tracks shot directly to no.1. Both were promoted heavily by famous TV shows. First Lena did so with her Satellite in March. A month later DSDS (German Idols) winner Mehrzad Marashi entered the top with Don’t Believe. In 2009 there were 8 tracks entering the charts at the top spot.
Slowing down the hysteria for new tracks was combined in 2010 with longer chart runs. The big hits spent months within the upper regions of the list. Heavy Cross by Gossip already no.8 at the year chart of 2009 was listed the whole year 2010 collecting impressive 80 consecutive chart weeks in Germany most of them. The record lies at 81 weeks held by German singer Wolfgang Petry between 1996 and 1998. This one is going to be broken!
In 2010 another 12 tracks spent more than 40 weeks in the charts 8 of them without any break. So there is no wonder 8 of the ten longest running tracks of all times charted at least one week in 2010. You see chart history completely new written that last year.

Most ruling acts in terms of spent chart weeks were (besides David Guetta) Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas and German band Culcha Candela. Most popular acts in terms of hits were Rihanna with 5 top 10 singles and Katy Perry having 4 hits. Both had four top hits in a row – Rihanna missed a complete 6 hit strike by getting Te Amo only up to no.11. As a solace the girl from the Bahamas is the act who spent most weeks within the German top 10 in 2010. A whole 32 weeks count for her followed by German UNHEILIG which spent 29 weeks at the top, 23 weeks of them with Geboren um zu leben.

These are the acts of the day. What about the classics?

The act with the longest during chart history in 2010 is Bing Crosby. Thanks to his seasonal classic White Christmas he now is for almost 54 years present in people’s minds and in the different kinds of chart listings. But White Christmas is not at all the track which stays in the charts for the longest time. Actually music companies really missed releasing the popular track as a single over all the years. White Christmas was available in a German version in 1955 sung by Gerhard Wendland ranking as high as no.26 in January 1956 – that’s all. For the first time the original recording charted in 2007 when digital downloads were counted for the official charts. So the two songs charted over the longest period are Imagine and Happy Xmas (War Is Over) both recorded by John Lennon and finding friends and purchasers for 38 years.

A German speaking singer stretched his carreer to more than 52 years in 2010 without any seasonal help is Austrian Udo Jürgens. Thanks to his collaboration with Sportfreunde Stiller he now is known to a completely new generation of music lovers.

The most solid act in recent times is Jon Bon Jovi. He is to find within the charts for 25 consecutive years either as a solo artist or with his band Bon Jovi. Now he gots the ultimate chance to overtake Madonna who for the first time since 1984 has no chart entry at all over the whole year. Most solid German act is since long time Scooter. They finish now a 17th year with at least one hit.

The act with the longest absence are Belgian Vaya Con Dios. Their hit Nah Neh Nah from 1990 had a comeback in mainstream conciousness due to different club remixes. The most popular made by German DJ duo Milk&Sugar charted a few days before Christmas bringing the group founded by Dani Klein a comeback after more than 17 years.

The real comeback of the last year is probably done by EMINEM. Well he had in a way his comeback in 2009 with his album Relapse and the single We Made You. But in 2010 he went back as a superstar rising his Love The Way You Lie (with Rihanna) back to no.1. It took him 8 years since he was last seen at the top spot – now his span of no.1 hits stretches over a time of nine and a half year. He is one of the superstars of the still young 21st century.

Some funny statistics at the end?
There are three acts who had six different tracks in the list at the same time. German band brings did so at carnival season and french DJ David Guetta was as popular end of August beginning September. Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am did so in July with two tracks as a solo artist and four with his group.

If we talk about success we could talk about fails as well. Also in 2010 German singer Westernhagen did not have the chance of having his first real mainstream hit. His 23rd chart hit Wir haben die Schnauze voll rose up to no.67 in March leaving him without a top 10 hit since 1982 when he charted for the first time.

The very least successful chart act 2010 was Chris Campell. At March 12th the DJ entered the German list with his take on HIM’s Join Me which now is called Tonight. A fortnight later the track was not seen anymore.

That it was – see you the next days here with more recent stories.


Links
The full Top 100 of 2010 (promoted by VIVA)