You’d think more people would see the lack of competition in January as an opportunity. But no.

I mean, seriously, brace yourself for anticlimax after the fold.

1. Dave & Tems – “Raindance” 

We do have a new number one, although it’s hardly a new record. This track entered at number 5 alongside the release of the parent album back at the start of November, and has never dropped out of the top 30, even during the Christmas deluge. It’s now being promoted as an actual single, hence the video above, but it’s basically the same record that’s been hanging around the top 10 for the better part of three months. Dave’s romantic ballads never do much for me, honestly, and this strikes me as Just Fine.

It also carries the same asterisk that I’ve repeated for the last few weeks: if it wasn’t being downweighted under the ACR rules, Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” would be number one. Admittedly, it’s quite impressive that “Raindance” has been out for thirteen weeks without getting hit by ACR.

The eminently searchable Dave gets his fourth number 1, following “Funky Friday” (2018), “Starlight” (2022) and “Sprinter” (2023). Tems gets her first UK number 1; her previous best was number 8 guesting on Future’s “Wait For U” in 2022. Technically she’s given equal billing here rather than being a featured artists, but it’s a track from Dave’s album at the end of the day. She’s had a couple of minor hits on her own, but neither got above number 34.

39. The Cure – “Boys Don’t Cry”

Yes, seriously. I mean, there’s also a re-entry for “WGFT” by Gunna & Burna Boy, but aside from that, this is it.

• “Boys Don’t Cry” has attracted some attention by becoming their first track to pass a billion streams on Spotify, plus an upcoming physical re-issue. It failed to chart on release in 1979 – the Cure didn’t have their first hit single until “A Forest” reached number 31 in 1980 – but got a re-release in 1986, when it reached number 22. Obviously, it’s a much better known track than that chart record would suggest.

The video above comes from the 1986 re-release, but the adult band seen in silhouette behind the curtain are the actual 1979 line-up.

This week’s climbers:

• “I Just Might” by Bruno Mars climbs 6-5. His two back catalogue tracks also climb, with “Die With a Smile” (with Lady Gaga) climbing 28-23, and “Locked Out of Heaven” climbing 36-28.
• “Lush Life” by Zara Larsson climbs 9-7, still a way short of its original peak of number 3. Her not-exactly-current-but-at-least-quite-recent single “Midnight Sun” climbs 39-29.
• “Stateside” by PinkPantheress – also being driven heavily by the Zara Larsson mix – climbs 23-12. That’s PinkPantheress’s biggest hit since “Boy’s A Liar” reached number 2in 2022.
• “Think About Us” by Sonny Fodera, D.o.D. & Poppy Baskcomb climbs 22-18.

The two tracks leaving the top 40 are:

• “Upside Down” by Diana Ross, with two weeks and a peak of 26.
• “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany, with three weeks and a peak of 27.

As you might have picked up, in the absence of any real competition, the Stranger Things back catalogue material is still clogging up the top 40: Djo’s “End of Beginning” is 2, “Purple Rain” is 15, “Every Breath You Take” is 19, “Running Up That Hill” is 22, and “Landslide” at 34. On top of that, we’ve got a decade-old Zara Larsson track in the top 10, two Bruno Mars archive tracks, and the Cure.

On the album chart, things are busier.

1. Robbie Williams – “Britpop” 

This is Robbie Williams’ 16th number 1 album, which means that he now holds the record for the most number 1 albums by one artist – breaking his tie with the Beatles. If that seems absurd, then bear in mind that we’re talk about the most number 1 albums. The Beatles were a going concern on the charts for less than a decade, in which time they only released twelve studio albums – Robbie Williams has been releasing solo albums for nearly 30 years now, and all but two of them went to number 1.

The video above is a remarkably accurate re-creation of The Word.

3. Madison Beer – “Locket” 

Her third album, and a huge step up – her two previous albums, released in 2021 and 2023, only reached number 28. Her songs seem pretty radio friendly, but her only singles hit in the UK remains a guest vocal on a Jax Jones track, “All Day and Night”, that reached number 10 in 2019. According to her Wikipedia discography, she seems to be weirdly popular in New Zealand, where she has regular top 10 hits.

4. Nathan Evans & The Saint Phnx Band – “Angel’s Share” 

Yes, this is the same Nathan Evans who had a novelty number 1 with a dance mix of the sea shanty “Wellerman” in 2021. A solo album in 2024 reached number 26. This is a collaboration with St Phnx, a folk duo whose album “Happy Place” reached number 39 in 2022. Since it’s basically a folk-rock album, I’ve generously opted for one of the sensible singles above, and passed up their cover of “Cotton Eye Joe”.

6. Sleaford Mods – “The Demise of Planet X”

Their fifth top 10 album – slightly lower than the last two but not by much. They’re as minimal as ever. The single above is worth a listen if only for Gwendoline Christie’s verse.

8. A$AP Rocky – “Don’t Be Dumb”

His fourth album. The single above marginally missed the top 40, but as it is, he hasn’t had a hit single since 2018. In album terms, though, all of his albums have placed between 7 and 11. He certainly makes a good video.

14. Elles Bailey – “Can’t Take My Story Away”

English blues rock. Her seventh album, the third to chart. The last one got to 12, so no real change here.