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17/12/2004
Band Aid 20 on course to be Christmas Number One
With well over 600,000 sales since its release, the charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas' by Band Aid 20 looks set to be 2004's Official UK Charts Christmas Number One.
The closest rivals are Ronan Keating's cover of 'Father and Son', featuring Cat Stevens, which is currently in second spot and neck and neck with Kylie Minogue's 'I Believe in You'.
The Band Aid 20 single is currently outselling these two songs by a combined margin of five to one, and is selling as much as the rest of the Top 20 put together.
Do They Know it's Christmas? Is predicted to sell as many as 300,000 copies in the final week leading up to Christmas, which would put it well on course to be the first million selling single since the success of the Pop Idol stars Will Young ('Evergreen' - 1.78m copies, February) and Gareth Gates ('Unchained Melody' - 1.34m copies, March) in 2002.
Do they Know it's Christmas? is now the UK's biggest and fastest selling single of 2004, having overtaken Eamon's 'Don't Want You Back', which has sold a total of 552,407 copies since its release in April.
Gennaro Castaldo of HMV said: "Band Aid 20 is fulfilling our initial expectations that it would be a million-seller, and then some. The only realistic challenge to an extended run of weeks at the top will come from X-Factor's Steve Brookstein, which is out next Monday, but even that is looking unlikely. Whatever people think about this recording of the song, the Band Aid project has been a success."
(GB/SP)
The closest rivals are Ronan Keating's cover of 'Father and Son', featuring Cat Stevens, which is currently in second spot and neck and neck with Kylie Minogue's 'I Believe in You'.
The Band Aid 20 single is currently outselling these two songs by a combined margin of five to one, and is selling as much as the rest of the Top 20 put together.
Do They Know it's Christmas? Is predicted to sell as many as 300,000 copies in the final week leading up to Christmas, which would put it well on course to be the first million selling single since the success of the Pop Idol stars Will Young ('Evergreen' - 1.78m copies, February) and Gareth Gates ('Unchained Melody' - 1.34m copies, March) in 2002.
Do they Know it's Christmas? is now the UK's biggest and fastest selling single of 2004, having overtaken Eamon's 'Don't Want You Back', which has sold a total of 552,407 copies since its release in April.
Gennaro Castaldo of HMV said: "Band Aid 20 is fulfilling our initial expectations that it would be a million-seller, and then some. The only realistic challenge to an extended run of weeks at the top will come from X-Factor's Steve Brookstein, which is out next Monday, but even that is looking unlikely. Whatever people think about this recording of the song, the Band Aid project has been a success."
(GB/SP)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A showery start with outbreaks most frequent north of Lough Neagh and through the morning, before dwindling during the afternoon as the northwest breezes ease and brighter spells of weak sunshine prosper. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
