Thursday 27 April 2017

Top of the Pops, 27th April 2017

TOTP has a decidedly urban feel this week, as J Hus, Future and this week's chart dominator Kendrick Lamar all roll up. Plus of course Ed Sheeran returns to number 1 with the more urban-flavoured of his two hits; have we all forgotten poor Castle on the Hill now?

The rest of the show is female-dominated. Larsson, Gaga, Lovato and Michaels are as good a pop star line-up as you'll find anywhere, I'd say. And who thought that Cheat Codes would be back? It's nice, too, that half the show is made up of fresh material.

Debuts: Future

Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson - Symphony

Up 2 to number 2

Kendrick Lamar - Humble / DNA / Element

High Climber - Up 25 to number 6 / Highest New Entry - In at number 18 / In at number 33

Lady Gaga - The Cure

In at number 23

Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato - No Promises

Up 3 to number 48

Julia Michaels - Issues

Up 1 to number 10

Future - Mask Off

Up 2 to number 24

J Hus - Did You See

Up 7 to number 34

Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You

Up 1, fourteenth week at number 1

PRESENTER: Kimberley Walsh

Thursday 20 April 2017

Top of the Pops, 20th April 2017

BOOM! Harry Styles crashes in at the top. Of course from here there's only "one direction" he can go, but it may be a few weeks before he gets shifted. The other big newies are the infectious On My Mind from Disciples and Jason Derulo's star-studded rudey collaboration, and those are backed up by a phunky phalanx of British and overseas hits. New Zealand, Scandinavia (sorry don't know which country), the good old US and the imaginary hoary city of Soulsville are all represented.

Debuts: Harry Styles (as solo).

Disciples - On My Mind

Highest New Entry - In at number 34

Anne-Marie - Ciao Adios

Up 1 to number 12

Lorde - Green Light

Up 7 to number 20

Rag 'n' Bone Man - Skin

Up 5 to number 18

Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign - Swalla

High Climber - Up 10 to number 24

Martin Jensen ft. Anne-Marie - Solo Dance

Up 1 to number 7

Little Mix - No More Sad Songs

Up 1 to number 16

Harry Styles - Sign Of The Times

Straight in at number 1

PRESENTERS: Abz Breen and Richie Neville

Thursday 13 April 2017

Top of the Pops, 13th April 2017

We are favoured with a few special performances this week. Friends of the show Coldplay are here for a heartfelt, Chainsmokerless rendition of Something Just Like This. Skip Marley turns up without Katy Perry to turn Chained To The Rhythm into a raggamuffin riot. And Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson do a two-song medley, with Mr Marley popping up again to fill in for Sean Paul.

We've also got a run-down of the biggest hits of the day from Jax Jones, Alessia Cara and Julia Michaels, and a rare sighting of international megastar Kendrick Lamar. Captain Ed is still number 1.

Debuts: None.

Julia Michaels - Issues

Up 3 to number 10

Skip Marley - Chained To The Rhythm

Up 6 to number 11

Kendrick Lamar - Humble

Highest New Entry - In at number 21

Alessia Cara - Stay

Up 2 to number 9

Coldplay - Something Just Like This

Up 1 to number 5

Jax Jones ft. RAYE - You Don't Know Me

Up 3 to number 15

Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson and Skip Marley - Symphony / Rockabye

Up 1 to number 3 / Up 8 to number 45

Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You

Thirteenth week at number 1

PRESENTER: Kimberley Walsh

Thursday 6 April 2017

Top of the Pops, 6th April 2017

Captain Ed Sheeran is still number 1. Frustrated at not being allowed to play Galway Girl, he brings us a bodhran-and-fiddle version of Shape Of You instead, and we have to be grateful.

However, his and Drake's gluts of hits are slipping a bit so there are many climbers from other artistes. Lorde reaches a new peak with Green Light, while Dua Lipa, Rag 'n' Bone Man and friends of the show Little Mix all have two tunes climbing the chart, making the line-up medley-heavy and none the worse for it. Stormzy, international megastar Selena Gomez, and the new one from ZAYN and his all-caps buddies are also present.

Debuts: None.

Lorde - Green Light

Up 14 to number 26

ZAYN ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR - Still Got Time

Highest New Entry - In at number 24

Dua Lipa - Scared To Be Lonely / Be The One

Up 10 to number 20 / Up 8 to number 36

Stormzy - Big For Your Boots

Up 2 to number 31

Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me

Up 12 to number 7

Rag 'n' Bone Man - Human / Skin

Up 4 to number 16 / Up 30 to number 30

Little Mix - Touch / No More Sad Songs

Up 3 to number 38 / Back in at number 51

Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You

Twelfth week at number 1

PRESENTER: JB Gill