Late in the week, I know, but at least I’m still in time to get this post done before the new chart on Sunday.

“Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO spends its second week at number one, and looks set for a third.  But even so, it’s a busy week, with ten new entries.  The turnover of hits has slowed down a lot in the last couple of years; swapping out a quarter of the chart used to be fairly routine, but we don’t see it as much in the digital era.

That’s the highest new entry – “Unorthodox” by Wretch 32 featuring Example, at number 2.  Does the video really need a definition of the word “unorthodox” in the first few seconds?  I have more faith in the viewers than that.  Anyway, this is the second hit for Wretch 32, who reached number 5 in January with “Traktor”.  It’s also the biggest hit for guest rapper Example, beating the number 3 peak of “Kickstarts” last year.

The sample is from “Fools Gold” by the Stone Roses, originally a number 8 hit in 1989, which was one of the defining songs of the Madchester movement, and one of the most influential singles of the time.  Being 22 years old, it’s fair game for sampling now.

But Wretch 32 isn’t the first to sample it – understandably, since it’s a great riff which can easily be polished up. It also crops up on two 1990 singles – Run DMC’s “What’s It All About” (which didn’t make the top 40 in Britain – understandably, since the Stone Roses sample is the best thing about it), and supposedly it’s somewhere on “Only Your Love” by Bananarama (a number 27 hit which is more obviously based on “Sympathy For The Devil”, and must have sent the purists into paroxysms – I don’t remember it at all, but it’s actually quite decent). After that, I suspect, “Fools Gold” kind of got canonised in Britain and had to wait for another generation to come along and rediscover it.

Number 4 is an unexpected re-entry for “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, which is the first talent show song we’ve had in a while.  Somebody did the song in the auditions for Britain’s Got Talent, and apparently caused a rush of sales, as ITV1 viewers remembered en masse that they rather liked “Fast Car” and didn’t own a copy.  It’s still in the top 10 on the midweek charts, so it’s more than just a blip.  This beats the number 5 peak of the original release from 1988, but she remains a one-hit wonder; follow-up single “Crossroads” somehow didn’t make the top 40, and they seem to have given up releasing her singles in the UK after that.

Bruno Mars gets his fifth hit with “The Lazy Song” at number 15; it’s climbing into the top 10 on Sunday, and beyond that I struggle to summon up the willpower to finish a sentence about it.  It’s harmless and passably catchy.  It’s a Bruno Mars single.

Also set to reach the top 10 tomorrow, “Run the World (Girls)” is the lead single from Beyonce‘s next album.  Wikipedia describes it as “female empowerment song”, though I can’t quite shake the feeling that the song’s socio-economic analysis is not in all respects in accordance with feminist theory.  Still, it’s an interesting choice of lead single; the central sample is not what you’d call radio friendly.  It’s based on “Pon De Floor” by Major Lazer, which does have a video, one that proves that you can achieve a NSFW warning without nudity, drugs or swearing, as long as your choreography is enthusiastic enough.

Number 23 is “Diamonds”, the comeback single for one Nathan Fagan-Gayle, who used to call himself “Nathan”, and notched up his only previous hit with “Come Into My Room” (number 37 in 2005).  Five years and a rebranding later, he is now Starboy Nathan, a name apparently chosen because at least now you’ll be able to find him on Google.  The song is middling R&B, but at least it’s got his career out of the doldrums.

Number 29 is another song set to climb on Sunday – “I Need a Dollar” by Aloe Blacc, a Californian singer who doesn’t seem to have made much impact in America.  This debut single has done quite well for him in Europe, though, reaching the top ten in four countries (and even reaching number one in the Flemish-speaking parts of Belgium, fact fans!).  I’ve heard more immediate singles, but there’s something here.

At 32, another likely climber, as Jessie J continues to work her way through stock lyrical themes with “Nobody’s Perfect”, in which she apologises to her boyfriend for an error of judgment.  As usual, it’s not so much that it’s badly done, more that there’s something a bit contrived and insincere about it.  With hindsight, I’ve had trouble taking her at all seriously since “Price Tag”, which solemnly invited us to believe that the most hyped new singer of the year was not about the money.  The video is certainly trying way too hard to convince us that she’s a kooky eccentric.

Number 33 is “Simply Unstoppable” by Tinie Tempah, which isn’t an official single as such.  It’s an album track which was remixed by Travis Barker of Blink 182 for use in a Lucozade advert (!), and it’s charting because the remix was released to iTunes.

At 35, yet another song set to climb on Sunday – “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer. He really does have a lot of friends.  Today, he is enjoying life and celebrating with his lady.  Pitbull’s ninth hit, Ne-Yo’s twelfth, Afrojack’s second, and Nayer’s first.

And bringing up the rear this week, “In The Air” by Chipmunk featuring Keri Hilson, which entered at number 37 and doesn’t look to be going any further.  Drippy chorus, but the verses aren’t bad.

All these new entries mean there are fewer climbers this week.  “Beautiful People” by Chris Brown & Benny Benassi is up to 5 and looks to be going further.  “Judas” by Lady Gaga climbs to 9 and doesn’t seem to be going any further, but sometimes her singles take a few weeks to catch on – the video still isn’t out, after all.  And surprisingly, “Skinny Love” by Birdy, which has been hovering in the lower reaches of the top 30 for weeks, is still slowly climbing, reaching a new peak of 21.