Official Hit Factory Chart: Kylie and Jason go head-to-head with Steps

UPDATE: Hit Factory Live has been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions

With just 24 hours to go until Kylie & Jason reunite for a very special one-off performance of Especially For You at Wednesday’s Pete Waterman presents Hit Factory Live, Hyde Park, the event’s official online media partners OfficialCharts.com can today reveal the Top 40 biggest selling Hit Factory tracks of all time, as compiled by the Official Charts Company.

2012 is shaping up to be a real celebration of the hit single – this year marks the 60th anniversary of the UK’s Official Singles Chart (November) and this month in particular celebrates 25 years of PWL - the record label of pop mogul Pete Waterman, and arguably one of the most important labels in UK chart history. 

PWL and the era-defining songwriting/production team that was Stock Aitken Waterman, launched the music career of Kylie Minogue andworked with successful pop acts including Steps, Jason Donovan, Donna Summer, Bananarama, Dead Or Alive, Rick Astley. 
Official Hit Factory Chart Facts:

• The Top 10 were all Number 1 singles in the UK, selling more than 7 million copies.
• Steps’ chart-topping double A side of Heartbeat/Tragedy was also Steps’ first Number 1 and broke the hallowed million sales barrier - selling a cool 1.18m copies to date.
• Especially For You is the biggest selling single penned by the Stock Aitken Waterman creative partnership. Kylie & Jason’s reunion at this week’s Hit Factory Live will be their first performance of the track in 23 years.
• Especially For You actually appears twice in the Top 40 countdown – the original version at Number 2, and the 1998 cover version by Denise & Johnny (Denise Van Outen and Johnny Vaughan) for Children In Need at Number 38.
• The Top 40 sold in excess of 17 million singles in the UK and features 15 Number 1 singles.

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot comments: "For the Official Charts, 2012 is all about celebrating 60 glittering years of the Official Singles Chart - and who can possibly ignore the impact of PWL and the era-defining Stock Aitken Waterman sound as part of that history. The Official Charts Company and OfficialCharts.com offer our heartfelt congratulations to Pete and the Hit Factory family for 25 poptastic years of one of the most important pop labels in UK chart history. Bring on Hit Factory Live!"

Commenting on the chart, Pete Waterman said “Looking at the Official Hit Factory Chart serves as a reminder of all the great artists and singles we’ve had the pleasure of working on throughout 25 years of PWL – and in the year that the Official Singles Chart itself turns 60, we’re proud to have played our own role in its wonderful history. On behalf of the artists featured, we look forward to reuniting this week at Hit Factory Live to celebrate!"

The full Official Hit Factory Top 40 is as follows:

© 2012 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.