You really give Simon Cowell too much credit. He can't affect the music industry as much as some people think. He can't force radio stations to playlist a song or force people to buy/download his artist's singles.

He can.

The music industry is like any other people with power pull strings and influence. Leona's song for example is receiving far more airplay than Take That's it's saturating radio stations. That isn't because every radio station loves the song its people behind the scenes with power using their influence.

No he can't make anyone buy a song but publicity sells. One easy and obvious example is Take That's last two singles compare Rule The World's sales with I'd Wait For Life's which received practically no promotion / airplay / publicity.

If Cowell is so omnipotent how is it he could not make the likes of Mcmanus or Brookstein so very successful? He is only a God in his own mind.

Because Leona is more markettable and frankly better. He can't create a star out of nothing but he can help people to reach above their natural potential.

Had Leona's career been born from a "normal" route her single would probably have sold in the region of 50 - 60,000 this week, with the X Factor / Cowell influence she'll sell more than double that.

My Guess Is

1. Leona Lewis
2. Take That
3. Mcfly
4. Britney
5. Sugababes

Shortoaks.

Take That are actually higher on the radio airplay chart than Leona.

Like I said, I think some people think Simon can do what he likes in the industry but he can't. He's had his own set of flops in the past and it annoys me when people imply that Leona is only successful because of him, like it's nothing to do with loads of people loving her song or her talent.

I don't know anything about that chart but I don't know how Take That can possibly be higher in the last week when Leona's song has been played almost half hourly on some stations.

Its not Leona's ability that is questionable but her LEVEL of success. She is not twice as popular as any other pop act in Britain that the sales of this song indicate. By this years standards those figures would normally be impossible for anything other than a charity record / X-Factor winner in Christmas week.

Next year there's no way she'll sell the sort of amounts that she has this week regardless of the quality of the song (s) she releases.

Official :


1 Leona
2 Take That
3 McFly
4 Sugababes
5 Mark Ronson / Amy Winehouse


Anyone got any sales figures for the top 5?

BBC News says Leona was 218,000. She outsold the rest of the top five put together.

Take That did very well, still less than half of Leona but their total of 98,000 (not confirmed) would have been good for #1 most weeks of the year. Looks like a mistake to release this week.

Unbelievable sales if thats true (in todays market).

Its nice to see such figures. Ten / Twelve years ago you'd have the likes of Take That, Oasis, Spice Girls entering the charts with sales of 300,000 in the opening week. Those days are gone but Leona's figures might raise the bar aghain and breathe some new life into the singles chart.

Would appreciate the figures for all of the top five if anyone has access to them.

Well the Hit 40 UK presenter had alot of egg on his face by proclaiming it was a battle of the man bands this week (without mentioning Leona!!!). Backstreet boys were in the mid 30's (Chart wise not their age). Not sure how they are doing now in the states but surely a split is on the cards with them after that flop.

Where was Elvis in the charts - cannot remember it being played on Hit 40 UK.

Heres the whole of the chart:

1. Leona - Bleeding Love
2. Take That - Rule The World
3. Mcfly - Heart Never Lies
4. Sugababes - About You Know
5. Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse - Valerie
6. Britney Spears - Gimmie More
7. Timbaland/One Republic - Apologize
8. Freemasons - Uninvited
9. The Hoosiers - Goodbye Mr.A
10. Oasis - Lord don't slow me down.
11. Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah
12. Scouting For Girls - She's so lovely
13. Fedde Le Grand - Let me Think About it
14. Mika - Happy Ending
15. 50 Cent - Ayo Technology
16. Fergie - Big Girls Dont Cry
17. Shayne Ward - No you Hang Up/Thats ok with you
18. James Blunt - 1973
19. Orson - Aint no Party
20. Timbaland - The way i are
21. Rhianna - Shut up and drive
22. Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
23. Elvis - If i can Dream
24. Sean Kingston - Bootiful Girls
25. The Hooisers - Worried About Ray
26. Kanye West - Stronger
27. Robyn - With every heartbeat
28. Jennifer Lopez - Do it well
29. Fiest - 1234
30. Akon - Blame it on me
31. Kate Nash - Foundations
32. Samin - Heater
33. Kanye West ft T-Pain - Goodlife
34. The Wombats - Lets dance to joy division
35. Nicole Scherzinger - Baby Love
36. Stereophonics - It mean's nothing
37. Backstreet Boys - Incosoloable
38. Enrique Iglesias - Tired of being sorry
39. Enrique Iglesias - Do You Know
40. Rhianna - Hate that i love you

I just realised i should've posted the link....

I personally think you are being a bit too kind to Leona there. Do you think the song (all 6 notes of it) is good enough to be a number 1 if it wasn't sung by Leona Lewis X factor winner. 50-60 K would have got a number 1 in most weeks.

Think it would have been in the lower reaches of the top ten at best.

I do honestly think if it weren't for all the hype and promo, then performing on the x-factor, Leona would have been more likely to have had sales of about 60k. Sales from talent show winners are always seriously inflated in the first year, it's only when an act releases well away from these shows that a true reflection of sales is seen.

I clearly doubt that, it was the suspense of a promising artist and someone people have clearly warmed to over the months.. the pre-sales were huge before her performance on x factor.

Getty is right its happened with Will Young, Gareth Gates, Leona etc. Leona will find her level next year when the X Factor influence has worn off and we have a new winner.

Stujones - Personally I think Leona's song is a reasonable number one there have certainly been worse so I don't begrudge her being top of the charts. However I think you are right in a way because had it been anyone else singing it other than the X Factor winner it wouldn't have beaten Take That to the top of the charts.

Being an X Factor winner hasn't helped much in the past once acts get past their first single. Michelle McManus (PI, not XF) flopped at number 14, a single which was released just a few months after winning. Steve Brookstein's album bombed. Shayne Ward couldn't get #1 with "No Promises" and sold 151,000 less than Leona and his third single only made #14 (despite an appearance on XF to promote it).

Yes, it helped her, but not as much as some people say. By the same point, "Rule The World" would never have sold 98k if it wasn't released by Take That and if "Headlines" were to be released by anyone other than the Spice Girls, it would never be #1.