Ariana Grande claims first UK number one to include streaming data with 'Problem'

The US singer and Australian rapper's 'Problem' has toppled Ella Henderson

Jess Denham
Tuesday 08 July 2014 09:12 BST
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Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea perform on stage at the Billboard Music Awards 2014
Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea perform on stage at the Billboard Music Awards 2014

Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea have made British chart history by scoring the UK’s first number one based on sales and audio streams combined.

The duo hit the top spot with their single “Problem” in the first chart to take plays from the likes of Spotify and Deezer into account.

US singer-songwriter Grande, 21, celebrated her debut UK chart topper as “Problem” achieved a combined figure of 113,000.

This number compromises 106,000 sales and a 6 per cent streaming contribution, based on 712,000 audio streams, according to Official Chart Company data.

For the purpose of the chart, 100 streams, which must be played for at least 30 seconds each, are equivalent to one single purchase.

“I’m so happy,” said 24-year-old Australian rapper Azalea, who features on “Problem”.

Grande’s manager Scooter Braun, who also steers the careers of Justin Bieber and Psy, praised his artist’s “incredible achievement” while also thanking the “loyal UK fans”.

On average, streaming contributed to 20 per cent of this week’s Top 40 singles.

Ella Henderson’s “Ghost” dropped to number two while George Ezra climbed two places to number three with “Budapest” following his popular performance at Glastonbury Festival last weekend.

Ed Sheeran’s “Sing” and Oliver Heldens and Becky Hill’s “Gecko (Overdrive)” completed the top five, with Sheeran claiming the most streams at 1.32 million.

Sheeran held onto number one in the Official Albums Chart with X, while also making history by becoming the first artist to see all of his album’s tracks in the Official Singles Chart Top 100 at once.

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Pronounced as ‘multiply’, X became the UK’s fastest-selling album of 2014 so far last week after selling 182,000 copies in its first week of sale.

Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea have made British chart history

Its total now stands at 275,000 to fall behind Coldplay’s Ghost Stories, Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love and Ellie Goulding’s Halycon as the fourth biggest-selling album of the year to date.

Australian boy band 5 Seconds of Summer claimed the highest new entry on the albums chart with their self-titled debut, while Dolly Parton’s new record Blue Smoke reached number four – her highest-charting UK album to date.

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