The Weeknd Scores First UK No. 1 Single With ‘Blinding Lights’
The synth-pop track has been on the chart since the second week of December.
The Weeknd has scored his first UK No. 1 single with ‘Blinding Lights,’ which climbs from No. 2 in its tenth week on the Official Charts Company survey.
The synth-pop track has been on the chart since the second week of December, when it debuted at No. 12 before falling to No. 17. In a highly unusual history for a single that eventually makes No. 1, it then dropped again to No. 20 and was out of the top 40 in the countdown published just after Christmas.
‘Blinding Lights’ then rebounded dramatically to No. 11 before hitting the top ten for the first time five weeks ago, at No. 10. It then climbed 8-4-2 before its arrival at the summit today, with combined units reported by the OCC at 63,000. That was 8,000 ahead of its nearest rival, Roddy Ricch’s ‘The Box.’
The Weeknd’s previous highest-charting single in the UK was 2016’s ‘Starboy,’ featuring Daft Punk, which peaked at No. 2 in October 2016. It was held off No. 1 by James Arthur’s ‘Say You Won’t Let Go.’ He first made the British bestsellers in July 2012 as a guest on Drake’s No. 37 entry ‘Crew Love,’ and as a headline artist with early 2015’s No. 4 success ‘Earned It.’
The Canadian singer, writer, producer and actor has amassed an impressive singles chart record in the UK, including a total of eight top ten appearances, for an aggregate of 47 weeks. He’s visited the top 40 on 18 occasions and the top 75 on 34 occasions. His tracks have achieved an aggregate of 176 weeks in the top 40, and 277 in the top 75.
‘Blinding Lights,’ which is also the soundtrack to a Mercedes Benz commercial, swiftly followed his other new song ‘Heartless’ when both were released in November. The Weeknd co-wrote ‘Lights’ with Ahmad Balshe, Jason Quenneville, Max Martin and Oscar Holter, and produced it with Martin and Holter.
Listen to the Best of The Weeknd on Apple Music and Spotify.
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