The top eight albums on the UK's iTunes yesterday were all Michael Jackson or The Jacksons, with a similar situation in most countries that have iTunes, so it's no surprise that his 'Number Ones' album has rocketed from #121 to #1 in the official UK chart today. The compilation originally topped the chart on release in November 2003, so this makes it the third biggest gap for the same album topping the UK chart, behind two longer gaps for ABBA's Gold album.

In the singles chart, Michael Jackson has smashed The Jam's record of having thirteen singles in the top 75. He has twenty in total; 16 solo, 3 by The Jackson 5 and one more by their later incarnation, The Jacksons. Six of them have made the top 40, leaving him just short of the record of seven consecutive top 40 hits, held by Elvis Presley. It was close though, and who's to say it won't change next week? Today's chart covers seven days of sales, with only the last 48 hours being post-Jackson's death, so the impact could continue next week.

La Roux claim the UK's 1,099th number one today, with Bulletproof. The 1,000th number one was an Elvis Presley re-release. Could it be that Michael Jackson will continue the posthumous trend and get the 1,100 milestone next week?

These are the six Michael Jackson tracks in today's top 40:

11 (RE) Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson. (The only Jacko track to reach a new peak in the Top 40 today, surpassing its #21 peak from Feb 1988. Also made #55 in Nov 2008, after Diana Vickers performed it on The X Factor.)

23 (193) Thriller – Michael Jackson (#10 in Nov 1983. #35 in Nov 2008. Always lurking around the bottom of the top 200 anyway, this now becomes the biggest ever climber to #23.)

25 (RE) Billie Jean – Michael Jackson (#1 in Feb 1983 for 1 week. #11 in Mar 2006.)

28 (RE) Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson (#8 in Nov 1988. #19 in Apr 2006.)

30 (RE) Beat It – Michael Jackson (#3 in Apr 1983. #15 in Mar 2006)

38 (RE) Earth Song – Michael Jackson (Jacko's biggest-selling UK single. His only million seller. Entered at #1 in Dec 1995. #1 for 6 weeks. Also #34 in Jun 2006.)

Here are his other tracks in the top 75:

44 You Are Not Alone
45 Black Or White
47 The Way You Make Me Feel
48 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
50 Dirty Diana
55 I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
57 Bad
58 Ben
65 ABC - The Jackson 5
67 They Don't Care About Us
71 I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
72 Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
73 Rock With You
75 Blame It On The Boogie - The Jacksons

And the rest of the top 200:

78 Heal The World
85 Off The Wall
86 Can You Feel It? - The Jacksons
92 I Just Can't Stop Loving You
95 She's Out Of My Life
96 Ain't No Sunshine
97 You Rock My World
99 One Day In Your Life

106 Scream - Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson
109 Human Nature
111 Rockin' Robin
112 Who's Lovin' You? - The Jackson 5(?)
115 Remember The Time
117 Give In To Me
118 Liberian Girl
119 Leave Me Alone
120 Will You Be There?
125 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
135 Stranger In Moscow
149 ???
172 The Girl Is Mine (Not sure if this is the 1982 version with Paul McCartney or the one with Will.I.Am from last year.)
177 Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) - The Jacksons
190 Blood On The Dancefloor

Labels: charts, Michael Jackson

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Selections from the UK's iTunes top 100, as of around 13:00 today.

13 Man In the Mirror - Michael Jackson
30 Thriller (Single Version) - Michael Jackson
32 Billie Jean (Single Version) - Michael Jackson
40 Beat It (Single Version) - Michael Jackson
48 I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
49 Ben - Michael Jackson
51 Earth Song (Radio Edit) - Michael Jackson
53 You Are Not Alone (Single Version) - Michael Jackson
56 Black or White - Michael Jackson
57 Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
59 The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
62 Smooth Criminal (Radio Edit) - Michael Jackson
64 Dirty Diana - Michael Jackson
65 Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
69 Off the Wall (Single Version) - Michael Jackson
75 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (Edited Single) - Michael Jackson
76 Man In the Mirror - Michael Jackson
78 Bad - Michael Jackson
88 Liberian Girl - Michael Jackson
89 Ain't No Sunshine - Michael Jackson
91 They Don't Care About Us (Edit) - Michael Jackson
92 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (Single Version) - Michael Jackson
96 I'll Be There - The Jackson 5

Labels: charts, iTunes, Michael Jackson

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Jacko's tour title turns out to be prophetic, a bit sooner than intended. Gone at 50.

.

I feel sorry for La Roux. 'Bulletproof' was heading for number one this Sunday, but will Jacko now do a Lennon/Presley?

Labels: Michael Jackson

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Here are the first two:

Labels: Big Brother 10, Charlie Drummond

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Quote of the night on election day and the Big Brother launch, from Davina:

"And remember, people died for your right to chat shit about Big Brother."

And with that, on with the show.

1. Freddie, 23
Privileged, Tory voter and anarchist. Family employs two gardeners.
“It’s time to be a young playboy.”
Wearing mad fur hat.
Talking out loud when in house alone, showing off.
From “Staffordshire and Shropshire, like,” he tells Cairon later.
Bisexual, with a preference for women but, "after a few tequilas, all bets are off".
Gemini.

2. Lisa, 41, unemployed. The third legitimate housemate, simply because she answered the phone.
Lesbian converter of straight women, she says.
Red mohican.
Sounds Brummy. I must know people who know her.

3. Sophie, 20, model.
Did nude stuff for Playboy.
“I’m clever.”
Had implants six weeks ago. Wobbly when climbing steps!
Single. Has two chihuahuas.

4. Kris, 24, Visual merchandiser. The fourth legitimate housemate, chosen by Lisa.
For All Saints in Manchester.
Originally from Shrewsbury. Went to Manchester, fashion studies, dropped out, modelled in New Zealand. Went to Ibiza and got the All Saints job.
Big hair.

5. Noirin, 25. The second legitimate housemate, chosen by Rodrigo to have her eyebrows shaved off.
Irish, from Dublin. Religious, tries to follow the ten commandments.
Exhibitionist. Displayed her fangita in a club.
Former athlete; sprinter. Has done a reality TV show before.
Straight and "really unlucky with boys".

6. Cairon, 18, student.
Born in UK, moved to America when aged one.
“I feel weird just wiping my own ass, you know what I’m sayin’?” (When asked if he is gay.)
Attracted to big women.
Fave word = shorty.
Studying music at college. Youngest in house - birthday 5 July.

7. Angel, 35, professional boxer and artist
Russian.
Tough and fit. Was a 'rockstar' - in1992 won award for most promising artist.
Dressed with top hat, skirt suit and cane.
LATER: Boy oh boy, is she bossy! She's leading them in a military-style exercise session in the garden and they're all scared stiff of her!

8. Carly
Another blonde. Scottish. Dated a Scottish 3rd division footballer.
Dropped out of uni after 3 weeks.
Taking two breast fillers into the house.

9. Marcus, 35, window fitter
Wolverine. Nutter.
Arse and soles of feet are “out of bounds”
“I think I’m cool as fuck.”
Fave word = quagmire

10. Beinazir, 28, receptionist
Muslim. Hasn’t been to mosque for years.
Named after Benazir Bhuto.
Taking 149 pieces of jewellery into the house.
"Dippy" and "clumsy".

11. Sophia
“Portable pleasure” at 4’11”.
In banking. Has lupus.
“Fun-loving, fierce, feisty…”
Screamer.
Passionate Eurosceptic.

12. Rodrigo, 23, Brazilian. Became the first legitimate housemate, by answering a call to the diary room.
From Sao Paolo.
Omnisexual. “Britain is turning me gay.”
More BelAmi than euroboy.

13. Charlie Drummond, 22, customer services adviser.
Mr Gay Newcastle 2007.
Two of my friends have apparently slept with him.
Geordie chav.
Looks buff, but intro VT implied he may be a bit of a twat.
More euroboy than BelAmi.
"I'm Charlie, like the drug", he tells Angel.

14. Saffia, dental nurse
Baby of 7 months, child of 6.
Would consider lesbianism.

15. Sree, 25, SU president (Hertfordshire Uni)
Hindu from India
Cute. Loving his accent.
Wearing Union flag shirt, waving Indian flag.
My favourite.

16. Siavash, 23, events organiser
Eccentric. Hairy. Born in Iran. Father was politician, so family had to leave. Moved to Sweden, then UK.
“Uniquely good-looking. Everybody fancies me.”
Full of himself.
Lots of booing.

Labels: Big Brother 10

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Chig has now voted in the Euro election, despite not having bothered to check his poll card first, which would have saved visiting the two usual polling stations and having to come back home to see that it's in a completely different school today. Doh! Turnout extremely low in Balsall Heath, apparently. The nice man said it's normally 43-44% in our ward. It looked more like 10% today, on the pages I saw his colleague flick through. On some pages there were just a handful of names crossed out (as having voted), with three columns per page of voters.

Now bring on Big Brother!

Labels: Big Brother 10, elections

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Will we be seeing this proper Charlie later with Davina?

LATER: Yes, we are!

Labels: Big Brother 10

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If you're not sure which party best represents your views in the European elections today, why not go to VoteMatch and answer thirty quick questions? It will then give you your score for all the main candidates in your Euro constituency. (Top Tip: I recommend you leave all parties highlighted at the end, rather than choosing who you might vote for, as it then gives you a whole set of results.)

My results contained some shocks. No surprise that the Greens come out on top, given that I'll be voting Green, as I always have done in Euro elections, and I've voted for them since they were the Ecology Party. But the Lib Dems would be my only second choice, but they're fifth here, reflecting the fact that they're just a bit too Euro-enthusiastic in some aspects for my liking. I would never vote for any of the others, so seeing Libertas(!) in joint second with the new Jury Team and the Tories in fourth is a bit of a shock. Still, it's not domestic policies, but my score for Labour just sums up how detached I am from them these days.

Green Party 51/62

Geoffrey Coady (Jury Team) 39/62
Libertas 39/62

Conservative Party 34/62

Liberal Democrats 33/62

UK Independence Party 31/62

Labour Party 21/62

I just hope people don't vote for the three homophobic parties; the English Democrats, the BNP and the Christian coalition. Nasty, nasty parties, all three of them, for a variety of reasons. But I fear Sunday night is going to contain some hard-to-swallow results for the country, not just for Gordon Brown before he resigns on Monday.

But first, we probably have to watch the Tories take control of all four of Labour's county councils tonight. For once, I won't be staying up for it. It's too depressing. (And I'm on early shift at work on Friday.)

Labels: elections, Europe, Green Party

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