This article gives details of the official charts from 2004. The year was special for many successful artists, including Eminem, Britney Spears, Scissor Sisters, Usher, Natasha Bedingfield, Jamelia, Franz Ferdinand, Green Day and The Streets.
Summary of UK chart activity The year started with the 2003 Christmas number one single topping the first chart of the year. This was followed by Michelle McManus, the winner of the second British series of Pop Idol with her first single release it topped the charts for 3 weeks. Second and third place contestants Mark Rhodes and Sam Nixon formed a duo, whose debut single was a cover of the Beatles song, "With a Little Help from My Friends", which also reached the No.1 spot.
On 9 March Westlife became a four piece after Brian McFadden decided to leave the band. His final single with the band was "Obvious" which peaked at No.3 in February; the remaining members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne, and Kian Egan, went on to further success without McFadden.
In April, Eamon achieved the number one spot with a song with more profanities than any other hit single; it stayed at number one for 4 weeks. In another first the answer song by Frankee replaced the original single at the top of the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks despite selling less than half as many copies as Eamon. Both artists released follow-up songs but neither performed well, relegating the pair to one-hit wonder status.
A new version of "Alltogethernow" by The Farm was released to mark the Euro 2004 football tournament – it reached number five on 13 June with Come On England, a remake of Come On Eileen (Dexys Midnight Runners) by 4-4-2, reaching number two.
The UK Official Download Chart began at the start of September, the first number 1 being Flying Without Wings by Westlife. U2 released their single Vertigo on music download services weeks before it came out on CD. It stayed at number one for 8 non-consecutive weeks on the download chart. While illegal sharing of music over the Internet had been popular for a number of years the music industry started creating new, pay-per-download services, which were very well received. Charting companies soon took notice and various download charts appeared on radio and television. The use and increased popularity of iPods also helped to promote download services, and Apple's online iTunes Music Store launched in the UK in June, selling over 450,000 songs in the first week. Downloads began to be introduced into the main singles chart in 2005, although not fully until the beginning of 2007.
Albums by Dido, Katie Melua and Norah Jones dominated the first three months of the year. In May and June, Keane twice returned to the top of the charts with their album Hopes and Fears. The Scissor Sisters, The Streets and Maroon 5 also enjoyed great success with their albums. Numerous acts released greatest hits albums with Robbie Williams' being most successful, selling over one million copies in eight weeks.
Popular artists from the 1980s made successful returns with Duran Duran, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Morrissey releasing top ten singles. After appearing in the reality television show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, Peter Andre re-released his 1996 hit single Mysterious Girl, this time getting to the top spot.
In September and October Eric Prydz "Call on me" stayed at number one for five non-consecutive weeks and staying in the chart for a further 14 weeks.
In October the music industry mourned the loss of John Peel, the Radio 1 DJ famous for championing new bands and musical styles.
20 years after the original, the Band Aid single Do They Know It's Christmas? was re-recorded and became a massive success, easily selling the most singles of the year, and holding the Christmas number 1 spot. The second week of release saw the song sell almost as many as the first, pushing it to half a million in less than 14 days. This was all additional to the number of legal downloads as the song topped that chart as well. The song had sold over a million copies in a month.
Artists who narrowly missed out on number ones were Kelis whose "Milkshake" peaked at number two for 4 weeks in January and February and "Trick Me" in June. Other acts were Anastacia with "Left Outside Alone" who peaked at number three but was the seventh best selling of the year staying on the chart for 18 weeks. Also the long-awaited return of Destiny's Child came in November when they peaked at number two for 4 weeks with "Lose My Breath", the first single released of their album Destiny Fulfilled.
On the issue date of 7 November, the top five consisted of all American performers/acts. #1. Eminem – "Just Lose It" #2. Destiny's Child – "Lose My Breath" #3. Britney Spears – "My Prerogative" #4. Christina Aguilera & Missy Elliott – "Car Wash" #5. Usher & Alicia Keys – "My Boo"
This broke a record in UK chart history. The No. 6 was also held by an American act, Ja Rule featuring Ashanti & R. Kelly with "Wonderful".
The most successful acts of 2004 were McFly whose first two debut singles entered at number one and they had two other top five hits later in the year. Natasha Bedingfield topped the singles, album and download charts. Britney Spears and Usher returned to the charts and had two number ones each ("Toxic" and "Yeah!" respectively) and another top five hits each. Girls Aloud also had big hits with songs including "The Show", "Love Machine" which both peaked at No. 2, and the 2004 Children in Need No. 1 single "I'll Stand by You". Former S Club star Rachel Stevens continued on with her solo career in this year too, reaching the top 3 once again with Sport Relief track "Some Girls" and a cover of Andrea True Connection's "More, More, More".
Charts
Number-one singles Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Sales "Mad World" Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules167,000 45,761 "All This Time"Michelle McManus117,927 60,570 35,040 "Take Me to the Clouds Above"LMC vs. U268,768 49,339 "With a Little Help from My Friends"Sam & Mark42,776 "Who's David?"Busted30,072 "Mysterious Girl"Peter Andre107,870 "Toxic"Britney Spears102,576 "Cha Cha Slide"DJ Casper57,280 "Yeah!"Usher featuring Ludacris and Lil' Jon87,354 49,616 "Five Colours In Her Hair"McFly49,511 37,120 "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)"Eamon153,287 99,783 79,293 55,732 "F.U.R.B. (F U Right Back)"Frankee79,563 49,462 36,440 "I Don't Wanna Know"Mario Winans featuring P. Diddy and Enya61,303 47,770 "Everytime"Britney Spears54,022 "Obviously"McFly42,400 "Burn"Usher49,334 31,411 "Lola's Theme"Shapeshifters51,967 "Dry Your Eyes"The Streets54,539 "Thunderbirds / 3AM"Busted70,665 36,288 "Baby Cakes"3 of a Kind55,067 "These Words"Natasha Bedingfield68,745 40,978 "My Place / Flap Your Wings"Nelly54,729 "Real to Me"Brian McFadden34,435 "Call on Me"Eric Prydz68,138 46,370 34,432 "Radio" Robbie Williams 41,734 "Call On Me"Eric Prydz23,519 21,749 "Wonderful" Ja Rule featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti 23,706 "Just Lose It" Eminem 63,312 "Vertigo" U2 51,917 "I'll Stand by You" Girls Aloud 57,957 29,992 "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid 20 292,594 287,849 231,492
Number-one downloads Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Flying Without Wings Westlife These Words Natasha Bedingfield Vertigo U2 Dogz Don't Kill People Wabbits Do Mouldie Lookin Stain (Chris Moyles) Vertigo U2 Do They Know It's Christmas? Band Aid 20
Number-one albums Chart date(week ending) Album Artist Sales Life for RentDido 233,629 Friday's ChildWill Young54,442 Life for Rent Dido 30,711 30,638 Call Off the SearchKatie Melua35,680 55,504 71,084 Feels Like HomeNorah Jones235,890 84,941 Call Off the SearchKatie Melua70,413 70,027 58,917 PatienceGeorge Michael274,816 ConfessionsUsher98,872 AnastaciaAnastacia87,398 78,432 Greatest HitsGuns N' Roses51,869 48,901 D12 WorldD1286,666 Greatest HitsGuns N' Roses39,166 Hopes and Fears Keane155,432 79,576 Under My SkinAvril Lavigne 87,496 Hopes and FearsKeane58,732 No Roots Faithless47,000 Hopes and FearsKeane46,900 A Grand Don't Come for FreeThe Streets34,000 Scissor SistersScissor Sisters57,994 Room on the 3rd FloorMcFly61,589 Scissor SistersScissor Sisters45,000 A Grand Don't Come for FreeThe Streets48,000 Live in Hyde ParkRed Hot Chili Peppers63,330 42,259 AnastaciaAnastacia35,445 Songs About JaneMaroon 549,998 Always Outnumbered, Never OutgunnedThe Prodigy64,300 The LibertinesThe Libertines72,189 UnwrittenNatasha Bedingfield83,954 Out of NothingEmbrace55,613 American IdiotGreen Day89,385 Mind Body & SoulJoss Stone75,100 Around the Sun R.E.M. 69,700 10 Years Of HitsRonan Keating101,135 Greatest HitsRobbie Williams320,081 148,748 Il Divo Il Divo132,829 Encore Eminem 212,459 168,249 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb U2 200,863 127,982 178,539 Greatest Hits Robbie Williams 183,871
Number-one compilation albums Chart date(week ending) Album Now 56 Clubbers Guide: 2004 Kiss Smooth R&B Clubmix 2004 Beautiful BRIT Awards 2004 Clubmix 2004 Hit 40 UK Floorfillers The Best of New Woman Ultimate Diary Dancing Now 57 Hits 58 Power Ballads II Essential R&B - The Very Best of R&B Clubland 5 Now 58 Sad Songs Big Tunes - Living for the Weekend Now Years Big Tunes - Living for the Weekend Pop Party 2 Now 59
Year-end charts Between 28 December 2003 and 1 January 2005.
Best-selling singles
Title Artist Peakposition Sales 1 "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid 20 1 1,065,749 2 "F**k It (I Don't Want You Back)" Eamon 1 552,628 3 "Cha Cha Slide" DJ Casper 1 352,367 4 "Call on Me" 1 316,869 5 "Yeah!" Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris 1 300,740 6 "All This Time" 1 291,427 7 "Left Outside Alone" Anastacia 3 275,296 8 "Mysterious Girl" 1 259,691 9 "Toxic" 1 258,604 10 "Fuck You Right Back" Frankee 1 245,964 11 "I Don't Wanna Know" 1 12 "Baby Cakes" 3 of a Kind 1 13 "Take Me to the Clouds Above" LMC vs U2 1 14 "Milkshake" Kelis 2 15 "Lose My Breath" Destiny's Child 2 16 "My Band" D12 2 17 "These Words" 1 18 "Everytime" 1 19 "Thunderbirds"/"3am" Busted 1 20 "Dry Your Eyes" 1 21 "Lola's Theme" Shapeshifters 1 22 "In the Shadows" 3 23 "Just Lose It" Eminem 1 24 "Thank You" Jamelia 2 25 "Hey Ya!" Outkast 3 26 "My Place"/"Flap Your Wings" Nelly 1 27 "Burn" Usher 1 28 "Dragostea din tei" O-Zone 3 29 "Mad World" featuring Gary Jules 1 30 "Against All Odds" 2 153,770 31 "Somebody to Love" Boogie Pimps 3 32 "5 Colours in Her Hair" McFly 1 150,072 33 "Trick Me" Kelis 2 34 "I'll Stand by You" Girls Aloud 1 35 "Changes" and Kelly Osbourne 2 36 "Leave (Get Out)" JoJo 2 37 "Dip It Low" 2 38 "Hotel" Cassidy 3 39 "This Love" Maroon 5 3 40 "Some Girls" 2 41 "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)" Khia 4 42 "Obviously" McFly 1 43 "If There's Any Justice" Lemar 3 44 "Vertigo" U2 1 45 "Amazing" 4 46 "Breathe Easy" Blue 4 47 "Slow Jamz" Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx 3 48 "Car Wash" featuring Missy Elliott 4 49 "Love Machine" Girls Aloud 2 50 "I'm Still in Love with You" featuring Sasha 6
Best-selling albums