Post by shayne on Apr 18, 2008 21:45:48 GMT 8
Saturday (19th) will mark the ninth anniversary of the release of Swear It Again, the first single by Westlife.
The Irish group – five-strong until Bryan McFadden’s departure in 2004, since when they have operated as a quartet – hit the ground running, with Swear It Again entering the chart at number one, with first week sales of 102,325.
Their next six single also entered the chart at number one, making them the first act ever to secure seven straight number one debuts.
Although eighth single, What Makes A Man, peaked at number two, they have since returned to the number one slot a further seven times, and racked 22 consecutive Top 5 singles at the start of a career – a record.
Some would say that their run was spoilt in December 2007, when I’m Already There – a cover of a track first recorded by American country group Lonestar – briefly entered the Top 75, peaking at number 62 after the group performed it in their ITV special The Westlife Show.
As it was not serviced to radio, released physically, or accessible on iTunes any other way than as a track on their Back Home album, purists would argue that wasn’t a single at all, and that Westlife’s run of Top 5 singles was, at that stage, unbroken.
But it would be impossible to argue the same for their latest release, Us Against the World, which, with a promo video, full radio servicing, physical release and stand-alone download availability, was a bona-fide single, and peaked at number eight in March.
But if I’m Already There is disregarded, the band’s run of consecutive Top 10 hits from the start of their career now stands at 23 – another total without precedent.
I’m Already There has avoided becoming their smallest seller, easing marginally ahead of 2006’s number four hit, Amazing, but has contributed little to Westlife’s very impressive career singles sales tally, which currently stands at 5,797,898 – more than any other act in the period since they made their maiden chart appearance in 1999, in a Top 5 where supporting roles were played by Fatboy Slim’s Right Here Right Now, Martine McCutcheon’s Perfect Moment, In Our Lifetime by Texas, and Basement Jaxx’s Red Alert.
The biggest-selling single of Westlife’s career came in 2001, when their version of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl, released as a charity single with proceeds going to Comic Relief, sold more than 750,000 copies.
Here, exclusively, is our countdown of all their hits, ranked in ascending order.
POSITION title YEAR HST.POS WEEKS ON CHART SALES FROM ALBUM
23 AMAZING 2006 4 6 43882 FACE TO FACE
22 US AGAINST THE WORLD 2008 8 7 45865 BACK HOME
21 OBVIOUS 2004 3 8 76518 TURNAROUND
20 HEY WHATEVER 2003 4 7 79981 TURNAROUND
19 TONIGHT/MISS YOU NIGHTS 2003 3 10 100562 UNBREAKABLE - GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1
18 BOP BOP BABY 2002 5 10 111716 WORLD OF OUR OWN
17 WHEN YOU TELL ME 2005 2 8 114212 FACE TO FACE
THAT YOU LOVE ME
16 THE ROSE 2006 1 7 124503 THE LOVE ALBUM
15 HOME 2007 3 12 166506 BACK HOME
14 MANDY 2003 1 9 184310 TURNAROUND
13 UNBREAKABLE 2002 1 16 200402 UNBREAKABLE - GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1
12 WORLD OF OUR OWN 2002 1 13 200475 WORLD OF OUR OWN
11 FOOL AGAIN 2000 1 12 204773 WESTLIFE
10 MY LOVE 2000 1 10 290783 COAST TO COAST
9 IF I LET YOU GO 1999 1 11 300273 WESTLIFE
8 QUEEN OF MY HEART 2001 1 15 327908 WORLD OF OUR OWN
7 FLYING WITHOUT WINGS 1999 1 13 349830 WESTLIFE
6 AGAINST ALL ODDS 2000 1 12 354815 COAST TO COAST
5 SWEAR IT AGAIN 1999 1 13 356278 WESTLIFE
4 YOU RAISE ME UP 2005 1 17 387267 FACE TO FACE
3 WHAT MAKES A MAN 2000 2 13 390407 COAST TO COAST
2 I HAVE A DREAM/ 1999 1 17 630417 WESTLIFE 1999
SEASONS IN THE SUN
1 UPTOWN GIRL 2001 1 16 756215 COAST TO COAST
NOTE: When You Tell Me That You Love Me is by Westlife with Diana Ross, Against All Odds is by Mariah Carey & Westlife; all other singles credit only Westlife.
Source: Music Week
The Irish group – five-strong until Bryan McFadden’s departure in 2004, since when they have operated as a quartet – hit the ground running, with Swear It Again entering the chart at number one, with first week sales of 102,325.
Their next six single also entered the chart at number one, making them the first act ever to secure seven straight number one debuts.
Although eighth single, What Makes A Man, peaked at number two, they have since returned to the number one slot a further seven times, and racked 22 consecutive Top 5 singles at the start of a career – a record.
Some would say that their run was spoilt in December 2007, when I’m Already There – a cover of a track first recorded by American country group Lonestar – briefly entered the Top 75, peaking at number 62 after the group performed it in their ITV special The Westlife Show.
As it was not serviced to radio, released physically, or accessible on iTunes any other way than as a track on their Back Home album, purists would argue that wasn’t a single at all, and that Westlife’s run of Top 5 singles was, at that stage, unbroken.
But it would be impossible to argue the same for their latest release, Us Against the World, which, with a promo video, full radio servicing, physical release and stand-alone download availability, was a bona-fide single, and peaked at number eight in March.
But if I’m Already There is disregarded, the band’s run of consecutive Top 10 hits from the start of their career now stands at 23 – another total without precedent.
I’m Already There has avoided becoming their smallest seller, easing marginally ahead of 2006’s number four hit, Amazing, but has contributed little to Westlife’s very impressive career singles sales tally, which currently stands at 5,797,898 – more than any other act in the period since they made their maiden chart appearance in 1999, in a Top 5 where supporting roles were played by Fatboy Slim’s Right Here Right Now, Martine McCutcheon’s Perfect Moment, In Our Lifetime by Texas, and Basement Jaxx’s Red Alert.
The biggest-selling single of Westlife’s career came in 2001, when their version of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl, released as a charity single with proceeds going to Comic Relief, sold more than 750,000 copies.
Here, exclusively, is our countdown of all their hits, ranked in ascending order.
POSITION title YEAR HST.POS WEEKS ON CHART SALES FROM ALBUM
23 AMAZING 2006 4 6 43882 FACE TO FACE
22 US AGAINST THE WORLD 2008 8 7 45865 BACK HOME
21 OBVIOUS 2004 3 8 76518 TURNAROUND
20 HEY WHATEVER 2003 4 7 79981 TURNAROUND
19 TONIGHT/MISS YOU NIGHTS 2003 3 10 100562 UNBREAKABLE - GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1
18 BOP BOP BABY 2002 5 10 111716 WORLD OF OUR OWN
17 WHEN YOU TELL ME 2005 2 8 114212 FACE TO FACE
THAT YOU LOVE ME
16 THE ROSE 2006 1 7 124503 THE LOVE ALBUM
15 HOME 2007 3 12 166506 BACK HOME
14 MANDY 2003 1 9 184310 TURNAROUND
13 UNBREAKABLE 2002 1 16 200402 UNBREAKABLE - GREATEST HITS VOLUME 1
12 WORLD OF OUR OWN 2002 1 13 200475 WORLD OF OUR OWN
11 FOOL AGAIN 2000 1 12 204773 WESTLIFE
10 MY LOVE 2000 1 10 290783 COAST TO COAST
9 IF I LET YOU GO 1999 1 11 300273 WESTLIFE
8 QUEEN OF MY HEART 2001 1 15 327908 WORLD OF OUR OWN
7 FLYING WITHOUT WINGS 1999 1 13 349830 WESTLIFE
6 AGAINST ALL ODDS 2000 1 12 354815 COAST TO COAST
5 SWEAR IT AGAIN 1999 1 13 356278 WESTLIFE
4 YOU RAISE ME UP 2005 1 17 387267 FACE TO FACE
3 WHAT MAKES A MAN 2000 2 13 390407 COAST TO COAST
2 I HAVE A DREAM/ 1999 1 17 630417 WESTLIFE 1999
SEASONS IN THE SUN
1 UPTOWN GIRL 2001 1 16 756215 COAST TO COAST
NOTE: When You Tell Me That You Love Me is by Westlife with Diana Ross, Against All Odds is by Mariah Carey & Westlife; all other singles credit only Westlife.
Source: Music Week