Unstoppable Pharrell scores chart record hat-trick as Happy smashes a million

Pharrell has joined The Beatles to become one of only two acts in Official Chart history to score a staggering three million-sellers in just 12 months. Plus, Happy becomes the first track in 57 years to hit Number 1 three times over.

He may be back at Number 1 this week with Happy, but THREE is the magic number for Mr Cool himself, Pharrell Williams, on this week’s Official Singles Chart. He’s scoring chart records and passing huge milestones all over the place!

Following Pharrell’s show-closing performance of Happy at the 2014 BRIT Awards, the track has climbed once more to reclaim the top spot for an astounding third time this year, beginning a fourth non-consecutive week at the top.  Chart fact - this impressive run means Pharrell is only the third act in history to hit Number 1 on three separate occasions with the same song – and the first act in 57 years to achieve this feat. The other two acts to return to Number 1 three times were Frankie Laine with I Believe in 1953 and Guy Mitchell with Singing The Blues in 1957.

Pharrell tells OfficialCharts.com: “I am beyond grateful for the amount of love and support I've received in response to Happy – it is overwhelming. I've always respected the great taste of the UK, and I'm honoured to have my music embraced in such a positive way. I am so thankful.”

As if that weren’t enough, Happy has passed the milestone all singles aim for – the hallowed 1,000,000. Chart fact - on passing the marker this week, Pharrell becomes the only other act alongside the Beatles to score three million sellers within a year. His collaboration with Daft Punk, Get Lucky, passed the million mark in June 2013 and his chart-topper with Robin Thicke and T.I., Blurred Lines hit the big one the following month. But that’s not all…
Continuing his triple-whammy of Official Singles Chart landmark achievements, Pharrell is actually only the third act ever to notch up three million-selling singles in the UK. The Beatles have six altogether – She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Can’t Buy Me Love, I Feel Fine, We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper and Hey Jude, and Rihanna has bagged three: We Found Love (FT Calvin Harris), Eminem’s Love The Way You Lie (as a featured artist) and Only Girl (In The World).

Martin Talbot, Chief Executive of the Official Charts Company comments, “This past year has been a stellar one for Pharrell, breaking Official Chart records left, right and centre with that seemingly Midas touch of his. Now with three UK million sellers under his belt, and a new solo record to look forward to in the coming months too, it looks like his chart domination will continue in 2014.”

Moving on from Pharrell’s record-breaking return to Number 1 with Happy, last week’s chart-topper from Sam Smith, Money On My Mind, slips to Number 2. Clean Bandit’s Rather Be FT Jess Glynne, another former Number 1 is a non-mover at Number 3. Katy Perry’s Dark Horse climbs two places to Number 4 and A Great Big World FT Christina Aguilera fall one place with Say Something to complete our Top 5.

New Entries and High Climbers

This week’s highest new entry comes courtesy of Dutch DJ/producer Tiësto who snatches a personal best - Red Lights enters at Number 6 and becomes his highest charting UK hit to date.

Foxes scores her very first Top 10 hit with latest single Let Go For Tonight, new in at Number 7, beating her previous best of Number 12 with 2013’s Youth.

Paloma Faith gets her second Top 10 on the Official Singles Chart – her Pharrell Williams-produced Can’t Rely On You is new at Number 10 while John Legend leaps 20 places to Number 9 with love song All Of Me. Also zooming 20 places are American Authors with Best Day of My Life (17).

BRITs 2014 Best British Female winner Ellie Goulding gets her eighth Top 20 single as a lead artist, as Goodness Gracious climbs ten places to Number 16.

A huge climber this week is classic track We Built This City, from Starship. Its appearance in an advert for Three Mobile has catapulted the track 158 places to re-enter the Top 40 at Number 26. It was originally a Number 12 hit for the US group in November 1985.

And finally, returning to the Top 40 is Show Me, from Kid Ink FT Chris Brown, which climbs 40 places to Number 35 this week.

The Official Singles Chart Top 10 is as follows. Click here to see the Official Singles Chart Top 100 in full after 7pm.

© 2014 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Pharrell Williams - Happy (from Despicable Me 2) on MUZU.TV.