This week offers a new low for uneventfulness in the streaming-era top 40: a chart with sixteen non-movers (including everything from number 4 down to number 14) and no new entries.  Staggeringly dull would be a kind way to describe it.  It’s the sort of chart that delivers on the top 40’s official function of providing a historical record, while utterly failing on its underlying mission to provide a promotional storyline for the music industry.  But there is at least one thing of note:

1.  The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – “Closer”

“Cold Water” lasted five weeks at the top.  It’s the third time this year that a number one has managed five weeks or more – the others being “One Dance” (obviously) and Lukas Graham’s “7 Years”.  That’s not especially unusual, though.  It happened in 2008, and again in 2007 (which included “Umbrella”‘s 10 weeks at the top).

“Closer” spent the same five weeks climbing the chart – it moved 33-12-4-3-1, to be exact – which by today’s standards is a relatively brisk jaunt to the top.  It’s the Chainsmokers’ fourth hit, and their first number one.  Two of the others came this year – “Roses” (number 16), “Don’t Let Me Down” (number 2).  They’re along fairly similar lines.  Then there’s the 2014 single “Selfie”, which got to number 11 and now looks like a bizarre outlier on their chart record – a novelty dance hit that hung around the middle of the chart for a couple of months.

This doesn’t sound like the same people at all.  But the Chainsmokers are hardly the only people who’ve made the transition from straight dance records to mid-tempo pop songs with a vaguely harsh instrumental hook as a vestige of more abrasive times.  Diplo seems to have done much the same thing.  The Chainsmokers are now pretty clearly a pop act, with Andrew Taggart singing on this track – and he’s fine on record, when the vocals can be produced.  Live, well.  “Closer” has also been number 1 in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

15.  Tieks featuring Dan Harkna – “Sunshine”

Outside the top 14 logjam, there are at least a few climbers.  This is the one with the dogs in the video, climbing another eight places.

16.  Anne-Marie – “Alarm”

Edging up another three places, in week six.

17.  Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha – “In The Name of Love”

Up another 7 places, and gathering pace.

20.  Bob Marley featuring Lvndscape and Bolier – “Is This Love (Remix)”

Up nineteen, after scraping into the chart last week.  This is obviously going somewhere.

And that’s it.  On the album chart:

• “Encore – Movie Partners Sing Broadway” by Barbra Streisand at 1.  Fairly self-explanatory.  This is her ___ number 1 album, after “Greatest Hits vol 2” (1979), “Guilty” (1980), “Love Songs” (1982), “The Essential” (2002) and “Love is the Answer” (2009).  Single: “At the Ballet”.
• “Glory” by Britney Spears at 2.  My god, we’ve reached the point where Britney Spears is purely an albums artist.  The lead single from this album stiffed at number 42, but here she is with her fifth number 2 album anyway.  (She’s never had a number 1 album.)  Aforementioned stiff: “Make Me…”
• “100” by The Hunna at 13.  They’re an English indie band who don’t have a Wikipedia entry.  Underground!  Single: “Bonfire”.
• “And the Anonymous Nobody” by De La Soul at 16.  Kickstarter-funded comeback album.  Number 16 is their highest album chart position since “De La Soul Is Dead” reached the top 10 in 1991.  Single: “Trainwreck”.
• “How to Be A Human Being” by Glass Animals at 23.  More indie.  It’s their second album, and the first to chart.  Single: “Life Itself”.
• “Winter” by New Model Army at 25.  They re-formed in 2013.  This is their highest chart position since 1993.  Single: “Winter”