Hot Spot 04-05-13

Passenger holds firm at the Top a third week with Let Her Go. Following the 9 weeks run of Scream & Shout we have a similar situation at the top like last summer when Reckoning Song / One Day by Asaf Avidan / Wankelmut followed with a 6 weeks run at the Top to Lykke Li’s I Follow Rivers that spent five weeks at number 1.

P!NK launches her sixth consecutive Top 10 single in Germany with Just Give Me A Reason. The one who managed that last was French DJ David Guetta in 2011/12.

Propelled by the release of the album Native the current OneRepublic single If I Lose Myself returns to the Top 10. It lands at number 6 reaching a new peak while the album stops at number 4 which is a new peak of the whole album career of the band.

Also with freshly released album band Silly founded 1978 sees its single Deine Stärken enter the Top 20. It is the first time that a song of the band can reach that region. Additionally they performed the song at the ECHO award ceremony on March 21st.

The ceremony aired on TV turned out to be a big sales promoter. Big winner became unsurprisingly a band that celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. Die Toten Hosen got four awards including the one as best band national, for best hit and best album. At the show they performed with Hannes Wader. As an effect new single Draussen Vor Der Tür enters at number 20 and their known hitsAltes Fieber and even Tage wie diese return to the Top 50.

Other effects can be witnessed as following: SEEEd reaches the list with Deine Zeit at number 70 after their performance. The song is released as full single also. New single release of Peter Plate–singer of Rosenstolz–named Wir beide sind Musik (We two are music) got support by the performance at the show. It is the second comeback of the singer after taking a break for health reasons but the first time he appears as a solo artist. / Santiano performed its song Es gibt nur Wasser (There is only water)–the track not released as a proper single enters the charts as an album cut. / Finally rapper CRO's first hit Easy dips into the list again at number 97.



Another big TV event is seasonal issue of Deutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS). It now approaches the more intense phase. In the second live show participant Ricardo Bielecki turned out to be the most impressive singer. His version of Impossible (originally recorded by Shontelle) caused a run on the latest version by British X Factor winner James Arthur which made that recording shoot to number 8 in Germany. He is only the third European act inside the Top 10–a situation not witnessed for a several years.

The big show act of the DSDS issue on March 23rd was the winner pair of 2011Sarah & Pietro. In comparison to the upcoming stars the old ones failed completely. Their new single Dream Team only can rise to number 41.For both the worst appearance of a single released by them ever.

Further performances causing a boost in sales of older singles: the youngest of the candidates Erwin Kintop performed Won’t Let You Go–the original by James Morrison returns to number 51. In January the song already had a two weeks run after Tim David performed the song in the same show.

Beatrice Egli sang ich will immer wieder … dieses fieber spür’n which brings the original by Helene Fischer after three and a half year back to the list. By peaking at number 30 it is Helene Fischer’s most successful hit.



The release of some new remixes of Play Hard by Albert Neve, Maurizio Gubellini & Spencer & Hill brings David Guetta feat. NE-YO & Akon back to the list. They re-enter number 35–the highest position since the track first appeared in the survey in past September.

The third week inside the list Nelly’s Hey Porsche enters the Top 50. How far will it finally go?

After 18 years of absence from the charts Roland Kaiser returns with the title track to a Tatort aired on March 24th. Egoist is the 24th chart track of the artist. His career now spawns about more than 36 years.

After it is released on the new BRAVO black hits compilation Lost by Frank Ocean can enter the list for the very first time. It is the very first chart entry for the US rapper in Germany.

In Britain Clown is the latest official single from Emeli Sandé’s album Our Version Of Events–it is the sixth official single. Now also in Germany the demand on this track starts. It enters the list as an album cut at number 93. Additionaly Emeli Sandé could be soon become the artist with most appearances in the charts in 2013–she by now collected 35 chart entries in 2013 alone. Only German rapper CRO has four entries more.

38-12

It is the sixth week on Top for Asaf Avidan and DJ Wankelmut. Slowly the Israeli singer approaches the big success of Ofra Haza–the one and only Israeli act to top the German charts before– in 1988. She had an eight weeks stand at Number 1.

Almost that impressive is the result of German DJ Wankelmut. He is the first German act since early summer 2010 that can occupy the Top in its home country for six weeks. Back than it was Eurovision star Lena who had the honour of fascinating the country for that long period. In fact she only had five consecutive weeks at number 1 when she was chosen for representing Germany. Two months later after her success at the contest itself she returned to the Top. The last German act having at least six consecutive weeks at the Top was indeed Schnuffel the cuddly singing toy that led the charts with its Schnuffel Song back in early 2008.

A week before her new album is on sale P!nk can attract a huge bunch of people with her single Blow Me (one last kiss). The track jumps 28–10 in its 10th chart week. Was it the breath taking performance at the MTV awards ceremony or the announcement for her performance on German TV that made the song that attractive? In fact it is P!nks fourth consecutive Top 10 hit. Only the two superstars of the year Flo Rida and Taio Cruz perform better at the moment.

A certain gainer of the MTV awards is One Direction. They won three awards and performed on the show. Their latest single What Makes You Beautiful takes a leap back to number 52 after the show–coming from 98.

Italian band Frei.Wild becomes mainstream in Germany. The last single Feinde deiner Feinde went straight to number 19 in August. So does the new offering Mach dich auf (Get Up). Both are lifted off the upcoming album Feinde deiner Feinde (Enemies of your enemies) scheduled for October. The new song is about the need of getting active. More or less this one could be recorded by Die Toten Hosen as well. Probably the success of the latter one this year supported the band. There is only a slight problem with longevity of sales. Die Toten Hosen still are noted in the list meanwhile almost all singles of Frei.Wild left the charts after a single week.



A bunch of reentries can be watched at the downer quarter of the charts. The Killers see their single Runaways turning back to chart life a week before their album Battle Born is released.

Back to chart life for unknown reasons is Puruit Of Happiness by KiD CuDi Feat. MGMT & Ratatat. The song can achieve number 75which is a new peak after his late first appearance in June this year.

33-12: New Nr. 1 – coming from Israel

It was a question of time. After two weeks at runners up position Asaf Avidan can achieve the Number 1 spot with the help of DJ Wankelmut who had remixed his Reckoning Song new named to One Day. Everywhere one goes the song is playing around. It is the real summer tune of 2012. Also in Austria the song starts catching fire. This recent week it enters number 3 there.

One Day is the ninth Number 1 in 2012. It is the sevent consecutive Number 1 for an European production. Since late April we only had such songs reaching number 1. Asaf Avidan is only the second Israeli artist who can reach Number 1 in Germany. So far only Ofra Haza topped the charts in 1988 with Im’nin’alu. As an Israel-German collaboration it is also the second German production topping the list in 2012. In 2011 we only had one of this kind.


Highest new entry comes from a German duo. Max Herre feat. Philipp Poisel offer Wolke 7 (Cloud 7) which enters the list at number 6.

Also the second highest new entry comes from a German project. Y-Titty is a comic duo that releases songs on youtube. Der letzte Sommer (The last summer) is their second single. It starts chart life at number 15. Having six German songs inside the current Top 20 productions coming from here are popular as last seen in late April this year.

31-12: Mallorca Sound And TV Made Hits

Here is another very calm week as we see an almost static Top 20. Nothing new at the Top. It is the fourth week for LYKKE LI that she spends at the Top with I Follow Rivers. It is the fourth single in 2012 that can do so at least a full month. Last female artist having four weeks at number 1 was Rihanna back in autumn 2011 when her We Found Love heavily supported by Calvin Harris was the most sold single in Germany. The last female solo artist spending more then 4 weeks at the Top was summer queen 2011 Alexandra Stan who had her Mr. Saxobeat seven consecutive weeks leading the survey. So one can truly call I Follow Rivers a real summer hit.

Strong competition arrives at number 2 where Asaf Avidan stops with the Wankelmut Remix of his Reckoning Song which is much better known under the name One Day. The Israeli singer songwriter now is in Germany the most successful act from his country since Ofra Haza topped the charts in summer 1988 with Im Nin’Alu. In between only Yael Naim made it into the Top 5 in Germany. You all for sure remember her 2008 hit New Song which was heavily supported by an advertisement of Apple. A last word ‘bout Asaf Avidan: He is only the third Israeli act that can reach Top 3 status in Germany. Before Ofra Haza only Esther & Abi Ofarim had a number 2 hit in 1968 with Morning Of My Life.

Worth noting the rise of Triggerfinger that can bring its cover of I Follow Rivers to Top 10 status. It is more than a year ago that Milow as the last Belgian artist hit the German Top 10.

Another Belgian artist is entering the list for the first time further down. DJ Netsky is a hot thing adored in the underground for about a year. Now TV channel Pro7 used his track Come Alive for its summer self ads and brings the track into the charts. Number 75 might be a start that will lead to more stardom soon.




Highly anticipated in the yellow press Bobby Brown can turn gossip into real attention making his single Don’t Wake Me Up rising into the Top 20 which now is the highest rank for him since last year’s Yeah 3x climbed to number 7.

The more impressive mover is Taio Cruz. His World In Our Hands–still one week before the official CD single release–takes a 40 places leap to number 30. Seems that in next weeks time that song becomes his fifth Top 10 hit in a row. Right now it is heavily supported as one of the signature songs for the official broadcasting of the Olympics.


There are some new German productions entering the list. Most of them fit perfectly to holiday feeling–in words: Mallorca sound. The so called Schlager or Discofox is very popular on the island as well as in Bulgaria and similar sea holiday paradises.

Highest new German production is Nur noch Schuhe an! (Only Wearing Shoes) by Mickie Krause. Once again it is a covered hit coming from the Netherlands and originally performed by Gebroeders Ko. Alleen maar schoenen aan was last year number 6 in the Dutch singles Top 100. Mickie Krause–always looking for new material to record in same sounding style–took the party song and transfered it into German. The result ... is senseless as always. Probably the original had some power and som straightness–the cover is only for drunken idiots. Germans love that–the single is entering at number 32. It is the 17th chart hit for Mickie Krause. By never reaching the Top 10 he is one of the most active medium hit producers.


Mickie Krause Snippet and the original by Gebroeders Ko

Also Michael Wendler brings a new single into shelves. Was wäre wenn (What If) is his eighth chart single. It starts at number 40 which is more or less a weak entry.



Anna-Maria Zimmermann duets with Olaf Henning who hardly tries having a new hit after his Cowboy & Indianer hit in 2008. Both together recorded Freundschaftsring which can enter the list after its release on CD at number 73. Whether this will be the big success… ? The last singles of Anna-Maria Zimmermann only spent one week each inside the charts.



Most awkward Mallorca singer Ina Colada is back too with another cover version. This time she took Seven Tears originally an international hit for the Goombay dance Band and released in a German version in 1981 by Severine. The English recording made it in Germany only to number 13, in Britain it got a three weeks number 1 and was the biggest hit for the Goombay Dance Band outside Germany. The new version takes the tune and the lyrics, speeds up the whole thing and turns the romantic story into a senseless singalong cover. That is bold enough for entering at number 81.




The version of the Goombay Dance Band & Severine

Der Checker is sort of a B-class star. In 2010 he was one of the candidates of the Superstar casting show. He released a rap single three months after which became popular achieving number 18. Now he is turning his style into party Atzen sound and releases Unf***ingfassbar!. Don’t know what is more awkward: he himself or seeing Harald Glööckler appearing in the video. This is pop for really poor people.



Groove Coverage lifts Riot On The Dancefloor as the fourth single from the same titled album. And lands with number 91 the worst chart position ever reached with a single release (except the two very first singles).


The one and only serious German new entry comes from Tim Bendzko who releases a fourth single from his album Wenn Worte meine Sprache wären (If Words Would Be My Language). Sag einfach JA (Just Say YES) was chosen as the background sound for the Sat.1 trailer announcing the movie programme on Tuesday evening in July. So the newcomer of 2011 had strong support and sees his new single landing at number 42 in its first week on sale. Sound and lyrics are directly connected to his three hits before. It will get much more interesting seeing him continuing in releasing new material.




Party music is the thing searched the most these days. So Swiss project Remady & MANU-L Feat. J-Son benefits from that mood. Single Ladies already released three months ago really catches fire and jumps right in the upper half of the German list. It sits now pretty at number 41in its eighth chart week and marks the highest position Remady so far achieved in Germany. The number 1 success it had in Switzerland is yet a long way to go.

A week before the official releasing British boy group The Wanted still rising. Chasing The Sun enters position 50 and is on the way of becoming the biggest success for the band. Supported by RTL Nitro also project b. Feat. Kelly Rowland can get raising attention. Summer Dreaming 2012 slowly rises after it is used for self ads of the TV channel.

And finally just another TV campaign : Pro7 features its comedy programme on Tuesday with a spot backgrounded by Rayos de sol from Jose de Rico & Henry Mendez. The track should have been a summer hit by itself. It is available since end of May and can enter the list now after its use on TV.

07-27-12: A Lazy Summer Week

Lykke Li spends a third week at the Top of the German list and becomes the most successful female artist since Lana del Rey who occupied the Top spot for three weeks last at the end of 2011. It is quite interesting seeing I Follow Rivers fascinating whole Germany but almost failing in Austria and Switzerland where the charts usually are almost identical. Even in her hometown Sweden the song only made it to Number 44. So Lykke Li is a successful single act only in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France.

Also one of the biggest gainer at the upper end is a hit only in Germany at the moment. The remix of Reckoning Song / One day by DJ Wankelmut enters the Top 10 and makes Asaf Avidan one of the few Israeli artists who made it to bigger fame in Germany. In Austria and Switzerland the remix is released too, but only can made it to a position lower than 40.



Back to female stars. After her performance in Germany at the festival MELT and the breaking news that Lana del Rey will be the new face of the upcoming H&M campaign her single Summertime Madness takes a leap up to number 8. It is her second hit reaching the Top 10 in Germany. Her first big hit Video Games also re-enters at the end of the list after a six weeks abstinence.


It is a quiet and lazy summer week this issue. We do have only three new entries and six songs reentering the list which gives upcoming hits of the future the chance of getting more attention. Still available as an album cut only Move In The Right Direction by gossip will become big for sure as it climbs almost 20 places to number 35. The release of the CD single is announced for August 17th. Will the song reach Top 10 status before?

Still not released but highly featured in the movie Ice Age 4 The Wanted see their single Chasing The Sun rising 90–61. The release of the CD is scheduled for right now (27th July). Also rising although not on CD is the upcoming single by Taio Cruz World In Your Hands. The song goes 93–70.


German yellow press tried to convince us for a long time that boy group One Direction is a star act in Germany. But honestly–nobody really cares about the boys. The very first appearance on the singles list ended after a week in April this year . The album even didn’t chart. Then the label started to promote the song What Makes You Beautiful heavily as the soundtrack of the RTL campaign for their Movie Summer 2012. Having a daily TV presence last weeks the song finally starts rising and reaches the upper half of the list for the first time this week. Number 40 can count as a medium hit–a 12 weeks run to get there is more than annoying for the so called hottest boy group act of the season.



Summer time is the time of open airs and concerts. So let's watch the effect of live appearances in Germany by seeing Santigold pimping her chart career a little. Her single Disparate Youth rises 11 places again. Also on tour is TheBossHoss. On July 14th they released a new single Live It Up. Instead having a chart entry with this well known hit Don’t Gimme That rises 83–74.

On tour through the clubs everywhere in Europe included party island Mallorca Remady & MANU-L can give their song Single Ladies a second chart life. So far the track reached number 50 which is the best performance ever for the Swiss DJ. Now the track bounces back to number 64. In Poland the track was nominated for being the track of the year. Wow! (But had no chance against national power. The winner was Enej with Skrzydlate rece.



And finally let's have a look at new released tracks. Out on CD Sunshine (Fly So High) by Mike Candys Ft. Sandra Wild makes it in the Top 50. It lands at number 49 and is so far the worst performing single of the Swiss DJ.

The highest new entry this week comes in at number 66. It is one of the lowest best new entries ever. In 2012 only Natasha Bedingfield had a worse start as best entering artist with Shake Up Christmas 2011 on 6th January. If we exclude the first days of the year when almost no one releases new tracks and that’s why there is no new material–if one only watches the whole rest of the year one has to realise that July is indeed a time with weak releases. In 2011 it was Pures Gold by Norman Langen who started as the lowest best new entry of the year 2011 at number 69 on 15th July. In 2009 it was Sean Kingston who saw his Fire Burning starting at number 56 on 24th of July. Me myself–I don’t know why labels does not release strong songs in summer time. Well, people are on holiday–but isn’t it a good time for buying hits and discovering new music. I’m not an A&R manager, so I can’t answer it.

The best new entry this week is not only one of the lowest of all time. It is also the first Nigerian artist who can enter the German list. Of course it is not completely true as we had a few artists invading the charts that were born in Nigeria. Most famous there are Sade and Dr. Alban. In younger times there was Nneka who lives in Germany right now but identifies herself as a Nigerian and sings in her mother tongue. D’ Banj now is the first artist who actually lives in Nigeria and can launch a hit in Germany. His Oliver Twist mixes afro with electronic beats and became a big hit in his home country and a lot of other African countries last year. In May 2012 it reached the list in Britain and now finds the way to central Europe too. Germany might be a start for a bigger success.



In 1991 German speaking countries had a big summer hit provided by a commercial campaign. It was BACARDI that launched a catchy tune for its TV advertisements and later released it as a proper single named Bacardi Feeling (Summer Dreamin'). Singer of the song was Kate Yanai. 20 years later BACARDI is celebrating the anniversary of that success by releasing a cover version. Singer today is Kelly Rowland supported by a no name production team appearing under project b.. The single was released at the beginning of July but needs a little more promotion. Two weeks after being in shelves the single can reach the Top 100. Rank 79 is far and away from the success the song had back in 1991.




Let's have a short look into the album list which is much more vivant than the singles survey. Highest new album is Kopf im Sturm (Head In The Storm) by German BAKKUSHAN. It starts at number 14 and also lifts the single Nur die Nacht (Only the Night) back in the list–at number 98.


And finally some news from the survey of hits staying the most consecutive weeks in the charts. Adele’s Rolling In The Deep adds this issue a 81st week to its account matching the result of 1996 song Die längste Single der Welt by Wolfgang Petry. Both are now the third longest consecutive runner. Only Geboren um zu leben by UNHEILIG and Heavy Cross by gossip have had a longer run so far. Let’s check that in about three months again and we will see whether Adele can touch these records too.