Fatboy Slim in chart battle with One Direction for this week's number one

Just 4,000 copies separate numbers one and two in the midweek chart

Kashmira Gander
Wednesday 30 October 2013 19:12 GMT
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Fatboy Slim (real name Norman Cook), seen here performing at the London 2012 closing ceremony, is in the running to be number one in the singles chart this week
Fatboy Slim (real name Norman Cook), seen here performing at the London 2012 closing ceremony, is in the running to be number one in the singles chart this week (Getty Images)

Despite having hordes of devoted teenage fans, One Direction are engaged in a tight battle with Fatboy Slim for this week's number one, according to the Official Charts Company.

In the current midweek chart, only 4,000 copies stand between the Calvin Harris remix of 50-year-old DJ's "Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat" and One Direction's "Story of My Life", the latter of which currently has a narrow lead.

Fatboy Slim's (real name Norman Cook) track, which features Italian-born producer Riva Starr and beat-boxer Beardyman, could become his first top 10 hit since 2001 double A-side "Star 69/Weapon of Choice".

Meanwhile, fans of Lady Gaga have questioned why her singles "Do What U Want" and "Venus" are failing to appear in the official chart despite selling well.

The Official Charts Company confirmed that the singles are absent because of instant grat promotion rules. Instant grats, or tracks that are made available as part of albums rather than as stand-alone singles, allow fans to download the remainder of an artist's album on release at a discounted price.

The organisation only allows for one such track per album, to ensure that the list reflects demand for the single, rather than the album it appears on. As Gaga released "Applause", her first single from ARTPOP, in this way, fans must wait until 11 November for the songs to officially chart.

The death of The Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed has sparked a new surge in the singer's popularity, with solo efforts "Perfect Day" and "Walk on the Wild Side" both entering the Top 40. The latter was Reed's first ever UK hit and originally peaked at Number 10 in 1973. Should it maintain its current momentum, this Sunday could be the first time the original version of "Perfect Day" has appeared in the Top 40. A re-recorded version, released in aid of the BBC's Children In Need that featured Lou Reed sharing vocal duties with David Bowie and others, topped the charts in 1997.

Other songs to make the midweek charts include Eminem and Rihanna's latest collaboration "The Monster", which has shot to number nine after being on sale for only 24 hours. The last time the pair worked together on a single was on 2010's "Love The Way You Lie", which went on to become one of the biggest selling singles of all-time, having sold over a million copies in the UK alone.

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