International top tracks on last.fm: The xx rises following Mercury nod

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Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" continues to top the singles chart at Last.fm, the internet radio station that lets users in more than 200 countries listen to music in the site's library. The track boasts nearly 38,000 listeners for the week ending July 25, well ahead of the other top tracks, which are led by two more of Gaga's singles.

A notable change on the week's chart is the renewed popularity of two songs by London indie trio The xx. Already one of the hottest new acts since the release of its 2009 debut album, the group is gaining even more listeners thanks to a recent nomination for the Mercury Prize, a prestigious UK album-of-the-year award that often goes to cult favorites rather than major mainstream artists.

Eminem's new single "Not Afraid" continues to hold a spot in the top ten, as do chart mainstays Muse and MGMT, while Lady Gaga's track "Paparazzi" gradually moves down the ranks.

Last.fm's top tracks for July 18 to 25:

1. Lady Gaga - "Alejandro" (37,799 listeners)
2. Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance" (28,864 listeners)
3. Lady Gaga - "Telephone (feat. Beyoncé)" (26,376 listeners)
4. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face" (21,883 listeners)
5. The xx - "Crystalised" (21,460 listeners) (+1)
6. Eminem - "Not Afraid" (21,165 listeners) (-1)
7. Muse - "Uprising" (20,842 listeners) (+2)
8 MGMT - "Kids" (20,143 listeners)
9. The xx - "Islands" (19,835 listeners) (+4)
10. Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi" (19,711 listeners) (-3)


Last.fm claims more than 40 million active users based in more than 200 countries. Available in 12 languages, the site's radio service is free for users in the UK, the US, and Germany; elsewhere, a subscription costs €3.00 per month. Using a system called "scrobbling," Last.fm's charts measure everything its users listen to through the Last.fm website as well as hundreds of other music sites and services, including iTunes, Spotify, and The Hype Machine.

http://www.last.fm