On The British Charts

George Michael of Wham! never really went away in the UK. He's remained a big star and his greatest hits collection a few eyars ago was a massive seller. Still, he takes so much time off between albums that every new one FEELS like a comeback. And the first single from his latest has fizzled, debuting at #13 and dropping in week two to #26. On the fairly static album charts, it's a happy day for new band Guillemots. Their CD debuts at #17 AND makes the short list of the acclaimed Mercury Prize. (More on that later.)