Robbie Williams Ties The Beatles for Most U.K. No. 1 Albums Ever
Written by djfrosty on January 24, 2025
Robbie Williams has secured a huge milestone on the U.K. Album Charts. Better Man, the soundtrack to his recent biopic of the same name, has given the British pop icon his 15th No. 1 album, and sees him pull ahead of The Rolling Stones (14) in the all-time rankings. He is now tied with with The Beatles at 15 for the most ever.
The Better Man compilation collects the new versions that appear in the biopic, including “Rock DJ,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Feel” and “She’s the One.” It is the fourth compilation of Williams’ to grab the top spot following Greatest Hits (2004), In and Out of Consciousness (2010) and XXV (2022).
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In the film, Williams is portrayed by a CGI monkey, with actor Jonno Davies providing the voice and motion capture. Better Man follows Williams’ upbringing, his career in boyband Take That and hugely successful solo career. The release has met mixed reviews and box office figures, particularly outside of the U.K. Box Office Mojo reports that the total global returns for the film has reached $15.6 million, far below the estimated budget of $110 million. Later this summer, he’ll play a string of stadium dates across the U.K. and Europe.
The Beatles’ most recent chart-topper was in 2000 with their collection 1, which compiled all their No. 1 singles. All but one of their 12 studio albums (1967’s Magical Mystery Tour) hit the top spot, alongside numerous live albums and compilations after their split in 1970.
Following the end of her reign at the top of Official Singles Charts with “That’s So True,” Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us re-enters the top 10 at No. 3. Her sophomore album initially hit No. 1 back in June. Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet (No. 2), SZA’s SOS (No. 3) and The Weeknd’s The Highlights (No. 5) complete the remainder of the top five.
Mac Miller’s posthumous album Balloonerism lands the late rapper his second top 40 in the U.K., finishing the week at No. 16. The collection was first recorded in 2014 and is released five years on from his first posthumous album, Faces (2020), which charted at No. 8. The completed version of Balloonerism features guest spots from SZA and a production credit for longtime collaborator and friend Thundercat.