Throughout the year I have been commenting on the increased sucess of Westlife on my charts over perennial favorite Backstreet Boys. The year end pop charts give evidence to that fact as the boys from Ireland beat out the boys from Orlando for Top Pop Group of the Year and Top Pop Artists of the Year. Westlife charted with six songs on the Top 30 Pop Songs chart in 2001 including a duet with Mariah Carey. All six of their songs found their way into the top ten with one, My Love, going to number one
for three weeks. They were on the Top 30 Pop Songs every week in 2001 except for one week in July. If I Let You Go, their second hit ever led the streak peaking at #8. It was followed by My Love and Against All Odds, the duet with Mariah Carey, which peaked at #5. Another cover, Uptown Girl, followed next peaking at #4. I Lay My Love On You then followed which only peaked at #7 but charted for 16 weeks. The year finished up with When You're Looking Like That in the #2 position the last week of 2001, poised to be the first new #1 of 2002 on the Top 30 Pop Songs. The last five songs can all be found on Westlife's sophmore album, Coast To Coast, which shamefully found no release in the US. However, that did not stop Westlife from achieving 2001's Top Pop Group and Pop Artists of the Year.
Not to be outdone though the boys from Orlando, Brian, AJ, Kevin, Nick, and Howie, the Backstreet Boys, nab Top Pop Album of the year for Black And White. This album produced the top ten hits Shape Of My Heart, The Call (#3 for the year) and More Than That (#15 for the year) on the Top 30 Pop Songs. To make it clear that they are still a force to be dealt with on these charts they also place the #4 album of the year, a collection of their greatest hits that was just released in the last three months of the year and featured the #1 Drowning (#23 for the year and still charting).
