Major US chart news -- updated

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

[I posted part of this article before, but it disappeared into the
black hole that has been rec.music.gaffa for the last few weeks.
In any case, this article is now updated with new figures.  I hope
this gets through.]

It's been weeks since I posted the figures from Billboard magazine's
charts.  In fact, I hadn't been paying attention to them for about
a month.  When I started looking at them again, I was shocked to
discover that "Rubberband Girl" has actually made the Hot 100 Singles
chart!  I was perhaps even more shocked that nobody here reported
this amazing news.  After all, it's only her third single to chart in
the US, and her first since "Running Up That Hill" back in 1985.

In the December 25 issue of the magazine, Fred Bronson says, in his
"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,' went 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."

There was no issue of the magazine on Jan. 1, but some of the chart
figures for that week are available as "Last Week" in the Jan. 8 issue.

"Rubberband Girl" on the singles charts:

Dec. 18        No. 9 on the "Bubbling Under" Chart; No. 10 on the Modern
		    Rock Tracks Chart.
Dec. 25        No. 88 on the Hot 100; No. 8 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 1         No. 99 on the Hot 100; No. 10 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 8         No. 97 on the Hot 100; No. 10 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 15        No. 95 on the Hot 100; No. 12 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 22        No. 93 on the Hot 100; No. 18 on Modern Rock Tracks.
Jan. 29        No. 99 on the Hot 100; No. 24 on Modern Rock Tracks.

("Bubbling Under" lists the highest placing singles that have never
charted on the Hot 100 chart.)

_The Red Shoes_ on the album chart:

Dec. 18    No. 145.
Dec. 25    No. 159.
Jan. 1     No. 167.
Jan. 8     No. 161.
Jan. 15    No. 196.
Jan. 22    No. 180.
Jan. 29    No. 146.

After a long slide there has been a move back up the chart in recent
weeks.  Perhaps the "success" of the single has something to do with this.

Video charts:

Dec. 25   R.G. No. 45 on MTV's playlist.
Jan. 15   R.G. No. 48 on MTV's playlist.
Jan. 22   R.G. No. 33 on MTV's playlist; a program called JBTV on
	       television station WWOR reports playing R.G.
Jan. 29   R.G. No. 49 on MTV's playlist; JBTV reports playing "Eat the
	       Music."

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

Ed
ed@wente.llnl.gov