Chart Review 7th March 2005 with DJ Chris Plant (3/3)

(1/3), (2/3). (3/3).

Just below them at Number 18 is the returning Moby with his first chart single in two and a half years. His forthcoming new album apparently features an eclectic mix of styles and Lift Me Up is certainly different, neatly riding the current electro pop fad to sound like the best record Depeche Mode never made. In a way it is a huge shame it hasn't turned out to be one of his bigger hits, although it does at least return him to the Top 20 for the first time since We Are All Made Of Stars hit Number 11 back in 2002.

With an illustrious chart career that dates right the way back to 1991 it is always a welcome sight to see Moby back on the chart, with even the potential millstone of 1999s smash hit Play album appearing not to weigh too heavily on his shoulders - although avoiding the temptation to try to catch lightning in a bottle twice went a long way towards helping that.

The singles chart actually has an oddly retro feel to it this week with a whole slew of new singles arriving at the very bottom end. Of course whereas once most of these would go on a slow climb to the upper reaches, in this day and age it represents the almost certain peak of their achievements (and we await with interest the arrival of download sales to see what effect that has on the way songs behave in the charts). The first of these is at Number 22 as MC Kano makes his chart debut.

Kano comes from the clumsily titled Grime Scene from which the likes of Dizzee Rascal also emerged. A product of East London, the genre mixes elements of rap and drum n' bass with the (anyone can do it) ethos of punk. Kano was easily one of the standout talents of the underground scene and it was only a matter of time before he was picked up by a label and propelled into the charts. A Number 22 entry is a solid start and you can expect bigger things from him as time wears on.

The bottom end of the Top 40 this week also contains new entries from acts more accustomed to better things. Take REM for example who suffer the indignity of one of their smaller hits of recent years with Electron Blue landing at a mere Number 26, a poor showing given that their last single Leaving New York was a Top 10 hit at the back end of last year. Having said that, the single is actually following a strange trend with REM's last three albums, all spawning two singles - one a Top 10 smash followed by another that struggles to make the Top 30.

Electron Blue may be a disappointment in relative terms but given that All The Way To Reno and Animal had similar chart performances in 2001 and 2004 respectively; this Number 26 entry was actually oddly predictable.

Still spare a thought for Shania Twain who called her latest single Don't only to find that people didn't, the single landing at a poor Number 30 to become her smallest hit single ever in this country, only her second ever to miss the Top 20. Bjork too finds herself swimming at the bottom of the pool at Number 31 with Triumph Of A Heart although this is just another in a long line of low charting singles, Iceland's finest export having last made the Top 20 way back in 1996.

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