Pitbull rules German charts

Let’s start with a story about creativity in Germany. As elsewhere in the world music industry here is completely alienated. The difference is that the big companies so far did not try new ways in selling and marketing music. Most time they spend with catching digital pirates, fighting with youtube and writing accusals to internet users … The end so far is a very boring official music business and a vivant independent scene besides. That developement now found a musical counterpart: AlexTV. It’s a guy living somewhere in northern Germany and translating international hits into German plus recording and distributing them via facebook, youtube and co. One of his recent „hits“ is Price Tag well known in the version of Jessie.J feat. B.o.B. So far the German version had appr. 275.000 clicks. Of course that use of pop is very common in other regions of this world – in Germany so far it was not that usual cause of discrimination. Probably also AlexTV will get mails from major companies … Right now he brings a lot of fun and understanding to German pop lovers. I guess most of them did not get the lyrics before listening to AlexTV. – By the way: the original of Jessie.J rises up this week to number 5 – it’s highest placing since it started three weeks before.



Let’s go back to the commercial mainstream. Most successfull act of the days is Cuban-American Pitbull. Having five tracks in the recent list he ranks in 2011 so far as the male act with most appearances in the charts. Only Rihanna collected more in the past five months. Two of Pitbull’s recordings actually rising: Give Me Everything alongside NE-YO, Afrojack & Nayer is reaching position 6. Bon Bon – the well known We No Speak Americano added with some Spanish raps by Pitbull – is jumping 92 – 39.

The rise of Give Me Everything marks a historical point additionally. With credited Afrojack a second Dutch artist besides Caro Emerald is joining the Top 10. The Netherlands as a neighbour of Germany should have been much more present in the charts – but they do not. Having two dutch inside the Top 10 is a rare feat at all.

New in the Top 10 also is Adele and her Set Fire To The Rain. It is still a digital cut that can sell enough copies to rank at number 8 now. It is the second top hit for the British singer dethroning Rihanna as the female artist with most Top 10 weeks in 2011 so far. Still there is no official CD release scheduled by her company XL recordings.


The internal German list still sees Pietro Lombardi as the most sold German artist followed by Jupiter Jones their Still steadily gains increased sales ranking at position 13 this week. The third best German track is Nur in meinem Kopf (Only In My Head) by newcomer Andreas Bourani.

Further down the list the most successfull German act of the past 20 years has its 46th chart track entering. It is SCOOTER that only a month after its Friends Turbo again invades the chart. The Only One refers heavily to 1990’s The Only One I Know by The Charlatans. It was one of the first hits of the British act connected directly with so called Rave movement. Having four Top 10 hits in their home country in the ninetees The Charlatans never made it to fame outside the United Kingdom. Facing that SCOOTER’s decision reworking a track of them is quite odd. As a result The Only One only can climb to number 45 – the lowest placing ever even underselling predecessor Friends Turbo which could reach number 43.


The new Scooter track and the „basic source“ from The Charlatans 1990

Jay Khan – famous through his appearance in the boy band US5 and this year’s Dschungel-Camp – starts his own career as a solo performer. Nackt (Naked) is the very first single under his own name looking for awareness for equality and humanity. Number 59 is far away from being a real star – seems the German mainstream does not care about a strong message.




Back to European acts:
A real future hit is for sure Mr. Saxobeat brought to us by Alexandra Stan. It rises 33–20 and delivers the first Romanian hit since Edward Maya went Top 10 with Stereo Love last summer. In the UK and in Switzerland the track is already number 5.

Talking about the past as Ell/Nikki arrive in the charts. The Eurovision winning Running Scared can manage a new entry at 33 in the week of its release as a CD. Very probably the song will tumble down very fast cause no radio station really plays it. Ell/Nikki are the third Azerbaidjanian act that can gain an appearance in the German charts. Best act so far is last years Eurovision participant Safura who reached a surprising number 26 a year ago.



Number 3 of the Contest Eric Saade arrives at number 48 this week by downloads only. Popular gains the highest position of a bronze song in the contest since Tozzi & Raff rose to number 39 with Gente Di Mare in 1987. For Sweden the number 3 at the contest is the best place since Charlotte Nilsson won in 1999.


Propelled by the use as background for an TV advert Australian Bag Raiders can gain a hit . Way Back Home enters the list at 38 after its release on CD.


The advert and the full song


Very last entry at 90: Danish electro pop project Electric Lady Lab. Their You & Me heavily uses the hook line of Rhythm Is A Dancer by German euro dance act Snap!. It is the first time that Snap! gave permission to use the track ... probably we will see Electric Lady Lab rising next weeks. In their home country Denmark they reached number 2 so far.