Snow Patrol crash their car at number nine

The 2007 chart year officially began in the UK on Sunday and with it a batch of returning songs. As previously noted, the Official UK chart changed its rules allowing any song, regardless if it was a preconceived single or album track, new or a golden oldie, to chart as long as the sales sufficed.

Returning to the top ten in style is a song that has been around for nearly all of 2006; none other than “Chasing Cars” by the Snow Patrol. If there was a success story of 2006, Snow Patrol were definitely it. After nurturing Indy status on a couple of well received but undersold records, Snow Patrol broke the mainstream in 2004 with the haunting track “Run”.

This spring they returned with a new album and a new single but “You’re all I have”, though mildly successful, hardly managed to confirm their status as a force to be reckoned with. All that changed when monster track “Chasing Cars” was released this summer, driving into the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic. But for all its success, it was deleted early this fall when third single “Set the fire to the third bar” was released. But now with old rules no longer in play, the top ten welcomes “Chasing Cars” back at number nine.

Besides that the Top Ten remained less volatile than previously expected. Eric Prydz vs Floyd danced into the number 2 slot with “Proper Education” a song that heavily samples Pink Floyd mainstay “Another brick in the wall (part II)”. A great dance record filled with enough bells and whistles to keep it fresh but not overbearing and remains true to the original. By far a better single than Prydz’s previous number one from September of 2004 “Call on me” which sampled non other than Steve Winwood in a loop that was enough to drive even the most hardcore fan from the floor screaming. And screaming is what hardcore Pink Floyd fans must be doing these days what with the campy remake of “Comfortably Numb” by the Scissor Sisters and now the dance remake of ‘the wall’.

U2 popped into the Top Ten at number 4 with “Window in the sky”, the second of two token new tracks to push their otherwise bland Christmas cash cow greatest hits collection.

But outside the Top Ten things started to heat up. Two former summer number ones crashed back into the chart thanks to the new rules, “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado and “Crazy” by Gnarles Barkley both still selling enough to keep them in the top 40. Automatic returned with ‘Monster’ at 33.

The biggest surprise this week, however, was the lack of older tunes returning into the chart. The picture may have been a little different had the rules been in effect just after Christmas when thousands of people were filling up their new iPods. But as it is the only golden oldie returning for a second run is “Mad World” by Gary Jules in at 58, possibly because of its use in the Xbox commercials. Regardless, it was a Christmas number one in 2003 and is therefore the oldest track returning to the charts since the new rules have come into effect.

The chances that it remains the only golden oldie are slim as rumour has it the entire Beatles catalogue is set to debut on popular download sites this year leading to the possibility that the band that won’t go away could break even their own records and become the first band to fill the entire top ten with their songs. That remains to be seen. For now it has been an exciting week of change and it can only get better from here.