Right, then… I will get back to a regular schedule later this week, with Deadpool v Gambit finally getting that review, followed by Uncanny X-Men Annual and an Old Man Logan arc a bit later, and maybe a wrestling post (depending on whether I want to write about the show in question once I’ve, you know, actually seen it).  Meantime, let’s clear this one away: a moribund top half of the chart, but a few more surprises lower down.

1.  Clean Bandit – “Rockabye”

Second week.  It’s now number one in streaming as well as sales.

4.  Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane – “Black Beatles”

Blimey.  That’s a 28-place climb, which is quite something for a track that was propelled into the charts as a meme soundtrack (especially since it isn’t a novelty record).

23.  Nevada featuring Mark Morrison & Fetty Wap – “The Mack”

Yes, really, there’s nothing of any note whatsoever between numbers 4 and 23.  Just what the Radio 1 producers love.  Anyway, this is our highest new entry and it’s essentially a remake of Mark Morrison’s 1996 number 1 “Return of the Mack”.  Morrison was briefly the Next Big Thing, and had five top ten hits in 1996 and 1997 before flaring out; his last chart appearance was in 1999 when “Best Friend” managed a single week at number 23.  Fetty Wap gets his fifth hit.  Nevada is a Swedish DJ, and this is presumably his debut UK hit.  There was a track called “Dancin’ Tonight” credited to Stereopol featuring Nevada that reached number 36 in 2003, and Stereopol are definitely Swedish, but this Nevada says he’s 25, so unless he was having hits at the age of 12, it’s a different guy.

25.  Olly Murs – “Grow Up”

This has taken its time – it’s been hovering outside the top 40 for five weeks – but I gather they cut the price.  It’s the usual middle of the road stuff from Murs, but it’s served him well.  The video is cute enough, I guess.

28.  Nathan Sykes – “Famous”

Remember this guy?  He was in the Wanted.  He managed a week in the top ten last year with “Over and Over Again”.  The album is finally out this week (see below).  He was on X Factor to plug it, plus they’ve cut the price.  This is a very retro song which takes its sweet time to get going.  It’s not especially great, but it’s an interesting choice of single – partly because it’s so meandering, but also because of the oddity of giving a “will you still love me when I’m famous” song to this guy when there’s obviously a good chance his fame peaked several years ago.  Deliberate attempt to re-frame him as a rising star, or just strange?

33.  Robbie Williams – “Love My Life”

Well, I didn’t see that coming.  The first single from this album, “Party Like A Russian”, could only manage number 68.  But here’s Robbie, scraping back into the top 40 for the first time since 2013.  Again, there’s a price cut involved – this would be top ten in sales, but it’s absolutely nowhere to be seen on streams.  The song is a self-affirmation number – he’s powerful, he’s wonderful, you know the drill – which is perhaps more notable from coming from someone whose solo work has always had a distinct undertow of self-loathing.

37.  Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall – “Juju On That Beat”

Up three places.  The only other real climber this week (not counting a couple of small rebounds by records on their way out).

39.  The xx – “On Hold”

Really…?!?  The xx’s only previous appearance in the top 40 came in 2010 – the year they won the Mercury Prize – when “Islands” got to number 34.  This is the lead single from their third album, and while it does seem like a pretty radio-friendly number by their standard, it’s still a surprise to see them showing up in the UK singles chart in a year when the effects of streaming have largely screened out the more niche records.

39.  Sigma featuring Birdy – “Find Me”

The usual deal with Sigma – emotional ballad with stock drum and bass production.  The underlying song sounds like it really wants to be a Lana Del Rey track, but instead it’s got Sigma and Birdy, making her first appearance on the chart since “Wings” made the top 10 in 2013.  She released two other singles at the start year, neither of which could get above 57, so a guest appearance seems like a reasonable move.

On the album chart, set the dial for Middle Of The Road:

• “24 Hrs” by Olly Murs at number 1.  We’ve had the current single.  This is his fifth album and his fourth number one.  (The other one got to 2.)  He’s a fixture.
• “Long Live The Angels” by Emeli Sande at 2.  Slightly surprised that didn’t make number 1, but then the single “Hurts” couldn’t get above 22, and that was odd too.
• “Just… Fabulous Rock N’ Roll” by Cliff Richard at 4.  Cliff covers classic 50s rock, a definition which apparently includes his own 1958 debut “Move It”.  Cliff doesn’t make videos any more – let’s be blunt, his demographic is not on YouTube – but the album is on Spotify.
• “Unfinished Business” by Nathan Sykes at 11.  See above.  This is Sykes’ first album, even though his first solo single came out more than a year ago now.
• “Legacy” by David Bowie at 13.  It’s a singles compilation.  Let’s see, which one shall I go for… let’s have “Ashes to Ashes”.
• “57th and 9th” by Sting at 15.  That seems very low for a new Sting album, especially given how much the album chart favours the ageing legends.  This is billed as his first rock album in 13 years, which in practice means that it means it sounds a lot like the Police.  He’s released plenty of albums during that time, most of which admittedly could not sensibly be described as rock music.  Single: “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You”.
• “Acoustic” by Simple Minds at 16.  Speaks for itself.
• “The Early Years – 1965-72” by Pink Floyd at 19.  Another Pink Floyd compilation album.  Here’s their 1967 top ten hit “See Emily Play”, since it has a video.  I mean, a really terrible one, but it’s a video.
• “We Got It From Here – Thank U 4 Your Service” by A Tribe Called Quest at 24.  This is their highest placing album.  That sounds ridiculous, but there you go.  Single: “We The People”.
• “The Essential Leonard Cohen” re-enters at 26 following his death; just-released current album “You Want It Darker” rebounds to 7.  Let’s have “Everybody Knows”.
• “The Fall Of A Rebel Angel” by Enigma at 40.  Yes, the ones who did “Sadeness Part 1” in 1990.  Enigma haven’t troubled the UK album top 40 with a new release since “The Screen Behind the Mirror” in 2000, though they kept releasing records with moderate international success through to 2008.  Single: “Amen”.