UK Number 40s: Luke Friend - Hole in my Heart (2015)

 

There were just two Top 40 hits to come out of the 2013 series of The X Factor. Winner Sam Bailey reached number one with her only Top 40 hit "Skyscraper" and then 3rd placed Luke Friend reached number 40 with this, his only Top 40 hit.

Although most X Factor contestants have no longevity in their chart career they do often get off to a solid start before fading away. This wasn't to be the case with Luke Friend. The fact the 2014 series had also been and gone by the time this was released may have also been a factor.

One of the songwriters on this record is Roy Stride from Scouting For Girls. Their Top 40 career was finished by the point, but Roy Stride would be back with further Top 40 hits as a songwriter.

UK Number 40s: Maroon 5 - It Was Always You (2014)

 

The first question I ask when I look at each of these number 40s is can the number 40 position be considered a success or failure? There are a number of reasons why it could be considered a success but this is the first time I've come across it being considered a success for this reason: it was a promotional single.

First of all I should explain what a promotional single is. It's where a single is given to radio stations, magazines etc. to promote a single prior to it's release. Historically this wouldn't have counted towards the charts because nobody actually bought it. However in 2014 streams started to count towards the chart so the times this would have been streamed helped get it into the Top 40. There was no actual single of this to be released afterwards and their next actual single "Maps" made number 2.