Four UK Top 40 #1’s with Westlife
Following the huge success of Britney Spears’ debut album, Cheiron Studios would become one of the most coveted in the world. Everyone in the music industry wanted to work with its songwriters and producers.
One of them was Simon Cowell, an A&R executive at BMG Music Publishing who wished material for a new Irish band called “Westside”, which he recently had signed. It was discovered though that the name already had been taken and was rapidly changed to “Westlife”.
Three of the songs which appeared on the band’s self-titled debut album, released on November 1, 1999, were co-written by Jörgen. Two of them, “If I Let You Go” and “Fool Again” became UK #1’s.
This was the beginning of a long lasting collaboration between Westlife and Jörgen.
Facts on Jörgen and Westlife on the UK Top 40
14 accumulated Westlife #1 singles to date (the third-highest in UK history)
Four #1’s co-written by Jörgen
Three songs co-written on Westlife’s self-titled debut album
Two went to #1 (“If I Let You Go” and “Fool Again”)
Albums’ peak position: #2
Five songs co-written on the second album “Coast to Coast”
One went to #1 (“My Love”)
Album’s peak position: #1
Within 14 months, three of Jörgen’s songs hit #1 on the Top 40
Three songs co-written on the third album “World of Our Own”
Album’s peak position: #1
Six songs co-written on the fourth album “Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits Vol 1”
One went to #1 (“Unbreakable”, a new song)
One went to #3 (“Tonight”, also a new song)
Album’s peak position: #1
From #196 to #1 is the greatest album leap for one week in UK Chart history
Cheiron closes up shop
In the fall of 2000, at the peak of their careers, Cheiron’s songwriters and producers decided to go their separate ways. It was announced with this short message on their website:
“Cheiron was created with the intention of having fun, making a few hits and not getting too serious about it. We feel the ’hype’ of Cheiron has become bigger than the studio itself and it’s time to quit while we’re ahead.”
(Max Martin, on September 13, 2000)
Jörgen returned to his own studio. He would soon find himself in the Guinness Book of World Records.