Brit Sweep: December 4, 2016...


Let's cross the Atlantic one more time to check out the notable songs and albums making the charts in the UK this week....

On the official singles chart in Britain neo-house act Clean Bandit spend a fourth week at #1 with "Rockabye" featuring Anne-Marie and Sean Paul, matching their stint at the top for their breakthrough hit "Rather Be"...

Canadian alt-soul artist The Weeknd is back with his new album Starboy, which I'll get to later on; in the meantime he enters the singles chart with fourteen tracks from the set to join four already on the chart/re-entering the list. Here's a promo movie he's done which spotlights five of the songs from the album, including the #9 single "I Feel It Coming" with Daft Punk, and one of the two songs debuting in the top-40, "Sidewalks" (#30)...


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A trio of dance music acts from around the world come together on the single at #56 as German remixer Robin Schulz, French EDM star David Guetta, and Los Angeles combo Cheat Codes team up on "Shed A Light"...


Calum Scott, the "out" singer who became famous on Britain's Got Talent and belatedly scored a #2 hit here with his cover of Robyn's "Dancing On My Own", returns with an original song, "Rhythm Inside", at #90...


The last of the three non-Weeknd entries on the singles chart is from JP Cooper, who appeared on Jonas Blue's former #2 hit "Perfect Strangers". He's a couple months late with "September Song" at #99...


Meanwhile, on the albums chart in the UK, Little Mix remain at #1 for a second week, ending a streak of eight albums spending just a week at the top (Bastille's Wild World was on top for two in September)...

Modern experimental rock queen Kate Bush is back with her first official live album Before The Dawn at #4. In her career Kate has gone to #1 three times, with two studio albums (Never For Ever in 1980 and Hounds Of Love in 1985) as well as her 1986 hits set The Whole Story...


The Weeknd's Starboy comes on to the albums chart at #5. He spent a week on top with Beauty Behind The Madness in September of 2015...


Dutch classical artist André Rieu enters at #7 with Falling In Love with the Johann Strauss Orchestra. It's his eighth album to reach the top ten in the UK; he's been to #2 twice with Forever Vienna in 2010 and Magic Of The Movies in 2012...


British actor/presenter/athlete and sometimes singer Bradley Walsh, from Hertfordshire, sees his first chart appearance at #10 with Chasing Dreams...


Pop rock band Busted had a pair of #2 albums in 2002 and 2003 before disintegrating. They reunite at #13 with Night Driver...


A few weeks ago, the house music/classical music hybrid Hacienda Classic had made the charts; now Pete Tong's similar Classic House arrives at #16. It combines dancefloor hits with orchestra flourishes...


Viral video sensation from years ago Susan Boyle returns at #22 with her seventh studio album A Wonderful World. Her first three records topped the British charts, with I Dreamed A Dream and The Gift also doing that in America. And yes, this one has covers of Madonna and Robbie Williams...


One of my favorite contemporary singers, Rumer, finally sees the release of a record dedicated to the songcraft of writers Burt Bacharach and Hal David in This Girl's In Love With You which is in at #28. Her first two albums, Seasons Of My Soul and Boys Don't Cry, each peaked at #3 in the UK...


Welsh classical crossover singer and TV presenter Aled Jones went to #3 earlier this year with the album One Voice; now One Voice At Christmas arrives at #30...






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