Cartoon Character Topples Eminem On U.k. Chart

Animated children's favorite Bob The Builder vanquished Eminem from the top of the U.K. singles chart yesterday (Dec. 17), as "Can We Fix It?," BBC Music's tie-in single from the television series, sold 214,963 copies in its second week to climb to No. 1. In so doing, it became the first single to ascend to the top since Cliff Richard's "The Millennium Prayer" did it on the Dec. 4 chart last year. Every previous 2000 chart-topper had entered at No. 1.

Bested by Bob The Builder, Eminem's Interscope/Polydor release "Stan" landed at No. 2, while Robbie Williams' "Supreme" (Chrysalis) entered at No. 4, earning him a ninth straight U.K. top-five hit. His partner on the eighth of those, Kylie Minogue (who duetted with Williams on "Kids"), just managed another top-10 entry from her Parlophone album "Light Years," as "Please Stay" arrived at No. 10.

Craig Phillips was less fortunate with "At This Time Of Year," which entered at No. 14. Known simply on disc as Craig, Phillips was the winner of the U.K. version of the "Big Brother" television phenomenon who was subsequently signed to a record contract by WEA.

While Bob The Builder looks set for a head-to-head with Westlife's "What Makes A Man" / "My Girl" for the Christmas No. 1 on next Sunday's chart, the Beatles are now strong favorites to have the U.K.'s Yuletide No. 1 album. The Fab Four's "1" (Apple/Parlophone) spent its fifth straight week at the top, advancing to six-times platinum (1.8 million copies). Westlife's "Coast To Coast" held at No. 2, while Robbie Williams' "Sing When You're Winning" (Chrysalis) rose one spot to No. 3, and jumped to another certification level, advancing to quintuple platinum.

"Stan" may have been upstaged in the U.K., but Eminem's single is now Europe's choice, as it climbed from No. 28 to the top of Music & Media's Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Elsewhere, "1" topped the European Top 100 Albums tally for a fourth straight week. The highest new entry on that chart was by French star Mylene Farmer, whose "Mylenium Tour" set (Polydor) bowed at No. 20.