Umbrella Ties Crazy for Longest Number 1

Rihanna officially ties the record for the longest number one reign this decade as ‘Umbrella’ sits nicely atop the UK singles chart for a ninth week. That makes it only the second single to do so since Gnarls Barkley did it last year with ‘Crazy’. To find a chart single that spend that many weeks atop the chart you have to go back 13 years when Wet Wet Wet crowned the chart for nine weeks with ‘Love Is All Around’ in 1994.

Climbing six places to take over the number two spot from Kate Nash whose ‘Foundations’ slips to number three, Fergie inches even closer to the number one spot with ‘Big Girls don’t cry’. That means that Avril Lavigne must wait yet again for a UK number one. Current single ‘When You're Gone’ slides 3-6.

Timbaland brings ‘The way I are’, bad grammar and all, to the number four slot and The Arctic Monkeys break into the top ten at 5 with ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’.

In a relatively slow week for strong single debuts, the highest new entry comes in at 13. Kings Of Leon lead the way with ‘Fans’ followed three slots down by Groove Armada with new dance single ‘Song 4 Mutya (out of control)’. This track features lead vocal from none other than Mutya Buena (thus the name) while her own single ‘Real Girl’ slips to number 30.

Travis try to prove their relevance with new single ‘Selfish Jean’. However, a number 30 debut does nothing to solidify their grip on a fickle audience.

After missing the singles charts back in 1962 upon initial release, the remix of ‘Beggin'’ by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons lands in the top forty this week at 32. There seems no logical reason for this remix, as it is neither a great dance track nor a special remix for a compilation album. Curious choice for a summer single as the song hasn’t aged well, the remix adds nothing original and the singing sounds dated.

Bouncing in at 33, Mika delivers his latest ‘Big Girl (you are beautiful)’. Not an obvious choice for a single, given the other more radio-friendly cuts on his first album, but a fun, breezy ode to the larger ladies out there nonetheless.

The last debut in the chart this week comes from none other than the Foo Fighters whose two-year-old single ‘Best Of You’ returns to the chart after the group's headlining performance at Live Earth.

Here’s hoping that things shake up next week or summer 2007 could go down as the dullest, chart-wise, in a while.