Week of October 10

Three debuts this week, capped by the chart return of the late John Lennon. The slain singer-songwriter would have turned 70 this year, and to mark his birthday, his solo catalog is being re-released in remastered and reworked versions. From the "stripped down" version of his 1980 CD "Double Fantasy" comes the 2010 remix of "Watching the Wheels" at No. 34. The studio single version hit No. 8 in 1981. Lennon's last solo appearance was in 1984 when "Nobody Told Me" also hit No. 8; with The Beatles, he most recently appeared in 2007 when three of the group's compositions -- "Drive My Car," "The Word" and "What You're Doing" -- were remixed into a medley for the Cirque du Soleil show "Love." That medley hit No. 13.

At No. 37 with "Shame" are two former members of another successful British export, though not nearly as popular as the Fab Four. Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow both got their start in Take That, a vocal group that only had one U.S. hit -- "Back for Good," which hit No. 2 in 1995-96. Since then, neither artist has had massive success in the U.S., although both have done well in the U.K. Barlow made minor waves with "So Help Me Girl" in 1997; Williams has been more successful with dance and pop fans, with his biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit being the 2000 ballad "Angels." On my charts, he's done considerably better; "Angels" is but one of three No. 1 songs. The most recent came earlier this year -- "The Last Days of Disco."

Another collaboration produces the debut at No. 40. "Picture Window (Pop Version)" is from singer-songwriter and pianist Ben Folds, working with author and screenwriter Nick Hornby ("High Fidelity"). Hornby wrote the lyrics and Folds wrote the music for 11 tracks on the new collection "Lonely Avenue." "Picture Window" marks Folds' first time in the top 40 since his team-up with Regina Spektor on "You Don't Know Me" hit No. 6 in early 2009.

Elsewhere: MercyMe hits No. 1 with "Back to You," the group's first official charttopper (the breakthrough hit "I Can Only Imagine" was released in 2003 during my chart's hiatus). ... David Gray is trying for his seventh No. 1 as "A Moment Changes Everything" moves 6-2 ... One-third of the top 15 songs this week are country crossovers, with Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum joining the former No. 1 hit from the Zac Brown Band featuring Alan Jackson.