Will Young tops U.K. charts despite sales bungle

Out pop heartthrob Will Young topped Britain's singles charts on Sunday, having overcome a midweek sales blunder, while scandal-plagued Michael Jackson outperformed his miserable ranking in U.S. charts. Midweek sales of Young's "Leave Right Now" had been lagging the nearest competition, "I'm Your Man" by Shane Richie, by about 12,000 units after some stores left fans empty-handed by running out. But figures on Sunday from the Official U.K. Charts Company showed that the spiky-haired crooner, who revealed his homosexuality shortly after winning Britain's Pop Idol competition, had managed to make up the lost ground to take the number 1 spot. Richie's "I'm Your Man," which was recorded for the Children in Need charity and was also in its debut week, took the second spot. Jackson, whose Number Ones album failed to make the top 10 in the U.S. this week, had more success in the U.K. singles charts, where his "One More Chance" reached number 5 in its debut week. Jackson surrendered to Santa Barbara County sheriffs in California last week to face child sexual molestation charges and was released on $3 million bail. He has told his fans on a Web site that the charges against him are based on a big lie. Last week's number 1, "Mandy" by Irish boy band Westlife, fell to number 3 this week. The ballad was the band's 12th U.K. number 1 and was originally a hit for crooner Barry Manilow in the 1970s. Made-for-TV band Girls Aloud, whose Cheryl Tweedy was found guilty last month of attacking a female nightclub attendant, fell from number 2 to 4 with "Jump."