Elvis set to claim Uk's 1,000th No.1

The singles chart is to celebrate its 1,000th number one in the New Year – and Elvis Presley could land the top spot.

Mon, 27 Dec, 2004 - 09:21

The singles chart is to celebrate its 1,000th number one in the New Year – and Elvis Presley could land the top spot.

Record company SonyBMG is re-releasing all of Elvis’s 18 number ones to mark the 70th anniversary of his birth.

And it means Jailhouse Rock could score the coveted 1,000th number one place 47 years after its first release.

Band Aid 20 scored the 997th number one with Do They Know It’s Christmas? And have held on to the top spot for four weeks.

Industry experts reckon X Factor winner Steve Brookstein could bag the 998th with his single Against All Odds.

The Phil Collins cover is currently at number two and Band Aid is outselling it by 2:1.

But Brookstein has sold a healthy 40,000 copies and could well make the number one spot if Band Aid sales drop off after Christmas, as predicted.

The Elvis hits are being re-released over 17 consecutive weeks from January 3 to April 25, starting with All Shook Up and ending with A Little Less Conversation.

Because All Shook Up will be released in a collectors’ box, it will not be eligible for the number one spot under strict chart rules.

So in a bid to top the chart, SonyBMG is also releasing Jailhouse Rock on the same day.

The label is calling it “the most ambitious singles release campaign in the history of the UK record industry”.

And if Elvis devotees flock to buy the singles, the chances of the King bagging the 1000th musical milestone are high.

HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said: “With Band Aid 20 currently occupying the top spot, it’s difficult to predict precisely when the 1,000th number one will occur.

“However, there’s a possibility that it could fall to Elvis, which would be a fantastic and truly fitting way to celebrate the landmark.

“Sales of singles around this time of year, following the Christmas rush, tend to be at their lowest.

“So if Elvis fans are out in force to buy his re-issued number ones, there’s every chance this could happen.”

The 1,000th number one will be one of the last to be based on sales of singles bought in the shops alone.

In the next few months, the chart will be changed to incorporate internet downloads.

Chart Trivia:

:: First Number One – Here In My Heart by Al Martino (1952)

:: 100th Number One – Do You Mind by Anthony Newley (1960)

:: 200th Number One – Help! by The Beatles (1965)

:: 300th Number One – Knock Three Times by Dawn (1971)

:: 400th Number One – Don’t Cry For Me Argentina by Julie Covington (1977)

:: 500th Number One – A Little Peace by Nicole (1982)