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And just like that, The Last Dinner Party is converting critical praise into commercial success with Prelude to Ecstasy (via Island), the British newcomers’ debut LP.
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Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Prelude to Ecstasy leads the way in the U.K. chart race.
Prelude to Ecstasy makes a fast start and is predicted to take the title when the national chart is published later this week.
Based in London, the indie rock-pop quintet — Abigail Morris (vocals), Georgia Davies (bass), Lizzie Mayland (guitar), Aurora Nishevci (keys) and Emily Roberts (lead guitar) — captured the buzz on both sides of the Atlantic last year, thanks in part to “Nothing Matters,” their breakthrough debut single.
With “Nothing Matters” in their pocket, the group snagged this year’s BRITs Rising Star Award and the BBC Sound Of 2024 poll, a double that assures The Last Dinner Party status as the next big thing in music.
Prelude to Ecstasy features “Nothing Matters,” which the band performed on The Late Show last month for their U.S. late night TV debut, and which last week cracked the U.K. top 40 for the first time, vaulting 41-22.
Also new to the Official Chart Update is Jamie Webster’s 10 For The People (Modern Sky), at No. 2. If it holds its course, 10 For The People would give Webster a career best, outdoing 2022’s Moments, which peaked at No. 3.
Completing the podium on the chart blast is Paul McCartney & Wings’ third LP Band on the Run (Capitol), which is set for a return to the top 10 following the release of a special 50th anniversary edition. After release back in 1973, Band on the Run led the albums tally for seven consecutive weeks.
Britpop era psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker is eyeing a first top 10 album in 25 years with Natural Magick (Strange Folk), new at No. 5. Kula Shaker previously cracked the U.K. top 10 with 1996’s leader K and 1999’s Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts (No. 9).
Finally, Scottish singer and songwriter Dylan John Thomas is targeting a top 10 entry with his self-titled debut album. Dylan John Thomas (via Ignition) is set to enter the chart at No. 8.
All when will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Feb. 9.
Madonna justifies her Queen of Pop status once again, as “Popular,” her collaboration with the Weeknd and Playboi Carti, creates an impressive piece of U.K. chart history.
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“Popular” (via Interscope/Republic Records/XO) rises 14-10, a new high on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, Feb. 2, for Madonna’s 64th top 10 single, extending her lead as the female artist with the most top 10s in Official Chart history.
Only the late Elvis Presley (with 76) and legendary English singer Cliff Richard (with 68) have more.
Fifteen years have passed since Madonna’s last cracked the top tier on the U.K. chart. The last time was with “Celebration” in 2009, which peaked at No. 3.
“Popular” is the Weeknd’s 16th U.K. top 10 single, and Playboi Carti’s first.
Madonna sets chart records for fun. According to the Official Charts Company, the U.S. pop superstar has racked-up 12 U.K. No. 1 albums — a record for a female solo artist. Taylor Swift is close behind with 10, a figure that will likely lift to 11 when she releases her next album The Tortured Poets Department, announced during the 2024 Grammys broadcast.
At the top of the latest U.K. tally, Noah Kahan sticks a fifth week at No. 1.
The Vermont singer and songwriter’s folky hit “Stick Season” (via Republic Records) reigns over the Official U.K. Singles Chart, and is the most-streamed song in the U.K. over the chart cycle with 8.8 million plays, the OCC reports. The leader at the midweek stage, “Stick Season” completes the longest consecutive run at No. 1 since Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” also logged five weeks at the summit in 2023.
Meanwhile, U.S. singer-songwriter Teddy Swims nabs a new career peak with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), up 6-3.
The highest climber this week belongs to YG Marley, with his debut single “Praise Jah in the Moonlight,” (YG Marley Music) up 51-20. Marley is the son of Ms. Lauryn Hill (who is credited as co-writer of the song) and the grandson of the late reggae hero Bob Marley.
Also nabbing a first U.K. top 40 appearance is the Last Dinner Party, winner of the BRITs Rising Star award and BBC Sound of 2024 Poll. The quintet’s “Nothing Matters” (Island) flies 41-22 on the tally, for their first top 40 appearance. The Last Dinner Party made their American late night TV debut last month with a performance of “Nothing Matters” on The Late Show. “Nothing Matters” appears on the debut LP Prelude To Ecstasy, released last Friday.
The highest new entry on the latest list belongs to Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion with “Hiss” (Hot Girl Productions), new at No. 31, for her sixth top 40 hit. Close behind is British hip-hop artist Skepta, with “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” (Big Smoke/Epic), new at No. 32 for his 22nd U.K. top 40 single.
Finally, Justin Timberlake marks his return as a recording artist with his 27th top 40 appearance on the U.K. singles tally. Timberlake’s “Selfish” (RCA) bows at No. 37, and is the first track lifted from his sixth solo album, titled Everything I Thought It Was. EITIW is slated for release on March 15.
James Arthur completes a come-from-behind victory in the U.K. chart race, as Bitter Sweet Love (via Columbia) bows at No. 1, his second leader.
The British singer and songwriter’s fifth studio album was languishing in third place during the first half of the chart week, before Bitter Sweet Love grew wings and edged into the lead.
According to the Official Charts Company, Arthur’s LP pulled ahead in the “final hours” of the cycle, consigning The Reytons’ Ballad of a Bystander to a No. 2 debut.
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Bitter Sweet Love leads the nation in downloads, and physical copies account for 74% of its total, the OCC reports.
A former X Factor U.K. champion, Arthur boasts five top 3 albums in the U.K., including his 2013 self-titled debut (No. 2), 2016’s Back from the Edge (No. 1), 2019’s Release You (No. 2) and 2021’s It’ll All Make Sense in the End (No. 3).
The Reytons, meanwhile, narrowly miss out on a second consecutive No. 1, with Ballad of a Bystander finishing the chart week as runner-up. It’s the followup to the indie rockers’ 2023 chart leader What’s Rock and Roll? (The Reytons).
Completing an all-new top three is the Smile‘s Wall of Eyes (XL Recordings). That’s a career best for the Radiohead side-project, eclipsing the No. 5 peak for their 2023 debut A Light for Attracting Attention. The indie trio, featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, had briefly led the chart race.
Wall of Eyes was the week’s best seller on vinyl, the OCC reports.
Also new to the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Jan. 2, is Tom Odell’s Black Friday (Urok), new at No. 5. That’s the English artist’s sixth U.K. top 10 album, a list that includes a No. 1 with 2013’s Long Way Down.
Further down the tally, U.S. synth-pop act Future Islands land their first U.K. top 10 with People Who Aren’t There Anymore (4AD). It’s new at No. 7, for their fourth U.K. top 40 appearance. Also, British punk rock outfit Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes bite down on a fourth top 10 album with Dark Rainbow (International Death Cult), new at No. 10,
Finally, Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys grabs a fourth top 40 title with Sadness Sets Me Free (Rough Trade), new at No. 22, and northern England rockers New Model Army snag an eighth top U.K. 40 with Unbroken (Ear Music), new at No. 31.
And just like that, James Arthur is the frontrunner in the race for the U.K. albums chart crown.
Arthur, the former X Factor U.K. champion, enters the lead with Bitter Sweet Love (Columbia), his fifth studio album, following the release of a “Digital Deluxe” version on Saturday (Jan. 27), including three live recordings cut in Hamburg with the Lufthansa Orchestra, and four bonus tracks.
The pop singer promoted his new release on the weekend, performing the title track for Michael McIntyre’s Big Show on BBC One.
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What a difference a day makes. Prior to the Official Chart Company’s latest update, Radiohead spin-off the Smile was in pole position with Wall of Eyes (XL Recordings), which held a lead of just 200 chart units over indie rockers the Reytons’ Ballad of a Bystander (The Reytons), in second spot.
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Now, Arthur’s Bitter Sweet Love roars ahead with an additional 5,000 chart units collected overnight, mostly physical sales, the OCC reports. With its rocket boosters on full blast, Bitter Sweet Love moves 4,000 chart units ahead of its nearest competition, the Smile’s Wall of Eyes.
The winner of X Factor back in 2012, Arthur has cracked the top 3 with all his previous releases including a leader with 2016’s Back From the Edge, a collection that featured his No. 1 single “Say You Won’t Let Go.”Arthur also entered the U.K. top 10 with his 2013 self-titled debut (at No. 2), 2019’s You (No. 2) and his most recent LP, 2021’s It’ll All Make Sense In The End (No. 3).
As it stands, a slew of new releases are on track for top 10 berths, including Future Islands‘ People Who Aren’t There Anymore (at No. 6 via 4AD), Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes‘ Dark Rainbow (No. 8 via International Death Cult), New Model Army’s Unbroken (No. 9 via Ear Music), and Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys‘s Sadness Sets Me Free (No. 10 via Rough Trade).
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, Feb. 2.
Noah Kahan season isn’t winding down anytime soon in the United Kingdom. Based on sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Kahan’s “Stick Season” (via Republic Records) is on track for a fifth straight week at No. 1. Should the Vermont singer and songwriter’s standout single hang on for another week at […]
It’s tight, and it’s early days, but the members of the Smile can afford a grin. The Radiohead spin-off leads the midweek U.K. chart with Wall Of Eyes (XL Recordings), their sophomore album. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news There’s not much in it. Just 200 combined units separate […]
Noah Kahan extends his winning season in the U.K., as the American artist logs a fourth consecutive week at No. 1, and nabs the top debut.
The Vermont singer and songwriter’s “Stick Season” (via Republic Records) enters a full month atop of the Official U.K. Singles Chart, raking-in a market-leading 8.7 million streams, the OCC reports.
Kahan sticks another top 10, his second, as “Homesick” (Polydor/Republic Records) featuring Sam Fender debuts at No. 5.
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“Homesick” is also Fender’s second U.K. top 10 hit, following “Seventeen Going Under,” which this week vaults back into the top 40 following the release of the new collaboration. “Seventeen Going Under” returns at No. 32, having peaked at No. 3 in 2022.
Meanwhile, the parent to “Stick Season” and “Homesick,” Stick Season, lifts 4-2 for a new high on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
Saltburn continues to light a flame under Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” (Polydor). The British pop singer’s disco number lifts 3-2, its peak position from 23 years ago. Emerald Fennell’s dark drama is in the hunt for five BAFTAs, including best British film.
Another British pop nugget from the noughts is riding high on the U.K. chart, thanks to a sync to the silver screen. Natasha Bedingfield’s international breakthrough “Unwritten” (Phonogenic) improves 18-13. Originally released in 2004, “Unwritten” catches flight after its inclusion in the romcom “Anyone But You.”
Meanwhile, Benson Boone, the U.S.-born singer, multi-instrumentalist and TikTok star, who was named as MTV’s Global PUSH Artist for October 2023, is on target for his first U.K. top 20 appearance with “Beautiful Things” (Warner Records). It’s new at No. 18.
English singer Becky Hill and Australian producer Sonny Fodera enter the top tier with “Never Be Alone” (Polydor), new at No. 34. It becomes Becky’s 19th top 40, a tally that includes a No. 1 with Oliver Heldens on 2014’s “Gecko (Overdrive)”; and Fodera’s second overall.
U.S. viral artist David Kushner scores a second U.K. top 40 appearance with “Skin and Bones” (Miserable Music), new at No. 36. It’s the followup to “Daylight,” which last year climbed the ladder to No. 2.
Finally, Norwegian EDM star Kygo and “Sweet But Psycho” singer Ava Max bag a top 40 on debut with “Whatever” (Columbia/Kygo). “Whatever,” which lifts its chorus from Shakira’s English-language breakout single “Wherever, Whenever” from 2001, is new at No. 39. It’s Kygo’s 10th and Ava’s sixth U.K. top 40.
Green Day is on top in the U.K. with Saviors (Reprise), the U.S. pop-punk trio’s 14th studio album.
Opening at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Jan. 26, Saviors is the Rock Hall-inducted band’s fifth leader in the U.K., after American Idiot (2004), 21st Century Breakdown (2009), Revolution Radio (2016) and Father of All… (2020).
The outright leader at the midweek stage, when it was the outselling the rest of the top 10 combined, Green Day draws level with the Foo Fighters, Prince and Celine Dion and other acts with five U.K. leaders.
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Saviors finishes the cycle as the best-seller on wax, according to the Official Charts Company, with vinyl generating one-third of its first-total tally.
The Bay Area trio of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool will reward their legion of British fans this summer with a run of dates on The Saviors Tour, a stretch that includes concerts at Manchester’s Old Trafford Stadium, Isle of Wight Festival, and London’s Wembley Stadium.
The only way is up for Noah Kahan, whose breakthrough third studio album Stick Season (Island) rises 4-2 for a new peak position. Meanwhile, the title track from the Vermont, U.S. singer-songwriter leads the U.K. singles chart for a fourth successive week.
Completing the podium on the albums tally is The Weeknd’s The Highlights (via Republic Records/XO), up 5-3.
Also new to the latest U.K. chart is Neck Deep’s eponymously titled fifth studio LP. Neck Deep (via Hopeless) bows at No. 11, for the Welsh pop-punk outfit’s fourth U.K. top 40, after 2015’s Life’s Not Out to Get You (No. 8), 2015’s The Peace and the Panic (No. 4) and 2020’s All Distortions are Intentional (No. 4).
Finally, British heavy metal veterans Saxon snag an 11th U.K. top 40 album with Hell, Fire and Damnation (Militia Guard Music), new at No. 19.
It’s Noah Kahan season in the U.K., as the American singer songwriter looks set to extend his reign over the singles chart, and separately land the top debut.
The Vermont artist’s folky hit “Stick Season” (via Republic Records) appears set to capture a fourth consecutive chart crown. Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, “Stick Season” mounts a lead of 7,000 chart units over its nearest rival.
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That rival is Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” (Polydor), which keeps grooving thanks to its prominent sync in the black-as-coal drama Saltburn. Originally released back in 2001, “Murder on the Dancefloor” is forecast to rebound 3-2, to equal its best chart position.
Kahan should snag the week’s top debut with “Homesick,” his collaboration with British singer and songwriter Sam Fender. “Homesick,” a version of which appears on Kahan’s Stick Season album, is expected to give both artists their second U.K. top 10 single.
Meanwhile, Benson Boone, the U.S.-born singer, multi-instrumentalist and TikTok star, who was named as MTV’s Global PUSH Artist for October 2023, is on target for his first U.K. top 20 appearance with “Beautiful Things” (Warner Records). It’s new at No. 16 on the Official Chart Update. Previously, Boone nudged the chart at No. 46 with 2021’s “Ghost Town,” and cracked the top 40 for the first time with 2022’s “In The Stars,” peaking at No. 21.
Finally, Becky Hill and Sonny Fodera are eyeing a top 40 debut with their collaborative effort, “Never Be Alone” (Polydor). It’s new at No. 26 on the chart blast, and is set to give Hill, the English singer and songwriter, her 19th U.K. top 40 single, a tally that includes a No. 1 with Oliver Heldens on 2014’s “Gecko (Overdrive)”; and Fodera, the Australian DJ and producer, his second.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday, Jan. 26.
Green Day is bolting to the U.K. chart throne with Saviors (via Reprise), the U.S. pop-punk legends’ 14th studio album.
It’s not even close. Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Saviors is outselling the rest of the top 10 combined.
With Saviors, the Bay Area trio of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool will notch a fifth U.K. crown, following American Idiot (2004), 21st Century Breakdown (2009), Revolution Road (2016) and Father of All… (2020), their most recent studio effort.
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For British fans, this could well be the summer of Green Day. The rockers’ The Saviors Tour of Europe kicks off late May, with a handful of U.K. dates locked in for June, including concerts at Manchester’s Old Trafford Stadium, Isle of Wight Festival, and London’s Wembley Stadium.
As previously reported, Green Day will play Dookie (celebrating its 30th anniversary) and American Idiot (for its 20th anniversary) in full at all shows.
In a distance second place on the midweek U.K. chart is Welsh pop-punk band Neck Deep’s eponymously titled fifth LP. Neck Deep (Hopeless) is set to become the Wrexham-formed five-piece’s fourth top 10 appearance, and career high on the albums chart, eclipsing the No. 4 best for 2017’s The Peace and the Panic and 2020’s All Distortions Are Intentional.
Completing an all-new, all-rock top three on the Official Chart Update is Saxon’s Hell Fire and Damnation (Militia Guard Music), the British heavy metal band’s 24th studio album. If it holds its course, Hell Fire and Damnation will mark the veteran band’s fourth top 10 LP, and career best chart position.
Further down the midweek tally, 10, Bournemouth, England rockers South of Salem look to make a dent for the first time with Death of the Party (Spider Party), new at No. 14; Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape could nab a fourth U.K. top 40 (and first in seven years) with Orange Head (Dgaff Recordings), new at No. 26; and folk act Fisherman’s Friends set sail for what could be a fifth top 40 LP with 10th LP All Aboard (Island), set to start at No. 36.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Jan. 26.