Major US chart news!

[ed@wente.llnl.gov (Ed Suranyi)]

I haven't been as diligent in checking out the Billboard charts
for the last few weeks as I usually am, so there is now a backlog
of five weeks of data to post.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered
that "Rubberband Girl" entered Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart in
the December 25 issue, and no one here mentioned it!

Here is the complete chart news for the last several weeks.  Although
no issue was published on January 1, some chart positions for that
week are available as "last week" in the January 8 issue.

"Rubberband Girl" single:

Dec. 18:    No. 9 on the Bubbling Under chart; 10 on Modern Rock Tracks.
            [Bubbling Under are the highest charting singles never to
            have actually made it onto the the Hot 100 chart.]
Dec. 25:    No. 88 on Hot 100; 8 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 1:     No. 99 on Hot 100; 10 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 8:     No. 97 on Hot 100; 10 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 15:    No. 95 on Hot 100; 12 on Modern Rock Tracks.

"Rubberband Girl" video:

Dec. 25:  No. 45 on MTV's chart.
Jan. 15:  No. 48 on MTV's chart.

There was no video chart in the Jan. 8 issue.

"The Red Shoes" album:

Dec. 18:  No. 145
Dec. 25:  No. 159
Jan. 1:   No. 167
Jan. 8:   No. 161
Jan. 15:  No. 196

Looks like it's going to drop off soon, unless R.G. really takes off.

Here's what Fred Bronson said in his Dec. 25 "Chart Beat" column:

"STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION:  So you thought the Spinners had the last
word in songs about elasticity when 'Rubberband Man' spent three weeks
at No. 2 in 1976?  Wrong.  Kate Bush makes a rare appearance on the Hot
100 as 'Rubberband Girl' enters at No. 88.  It's only her third solo
single to chart in a 15-year career.  Her debut release, 'Wuthering
Heights,' wentxxhet to No. 1 in the U.K. but failed to chart here.  The
follow-up, 'The Man With The Child In His Eyes,' stopped at No. 85 here.
Her biggest single was 'Running Up That Hill,' No. 30 in 1985.  A duet
with Peter Gabriel, 'Don't Give Up,' peaked at No. 72 in 1987."

Ed
ed@wente.llnl.gov