State Champ Radio Official Charts Company
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Madness is hoping 13 proves to be their lucky number as Theatre of the Absurd presents C’est La Vie (via BMG) moves into title contention in the U.K.
Theatre of the Absurd is the British ska and pop band’s 13th studio album, and, if it holds its course, would mark their 11th top 10 and first-ever U.K. No. 1 studio album, following chart-topping career retrospectives Complete Madness (from 1982) and Divine Madness (1992).
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Led by Graham “Suggs” McPherson, the north London band has got close to the U.K. chart’s holy grail on more than one occasion. Their 1979 debut album One Step Beyond peaked at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, as did their sophomore set from 1980, Absolutely.
Taylor Swift’s current chart champion 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) is a clear-and-present contender, close behind at No. 2.
Meanwhile, Dolly Parton could snag her fourth U.K. top 10 with Rockstar (Big Machine), her features-stacked collection of covers. It’s new at No. 3 on the Official Chart Update, and is forecast to be be the country legend’s best performing studio effort since 2016’s Pure & Simple peaked at No. 2.
Also flying on the chart blast is the deluxe Scary Hours edition of Drake’s former leader For All the Dogs (OVO/Republic Records). It’s set to bounce 32-4.
U.S. alternative rock favorites the National could score their second top 5 album of 2023, with Laugh Track (4AD), set for a No. 5 start. It’s the followup to First Two Pages of Frankenstein, which entered the national chart at No. 4 in May of this year.
Finally, Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu could bag his 14th top U.K. 10 LP with Jewels of Romance (Decca), recorded with the Johann Strauss Orchestra. It’s new at No. 8 on the Official Chart Update.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Nov. 24.
Though he missed out on top spot, thanks to the juggernauts that are Taylor Swift and Oasis, Jung Kook stakes a claim to U.K. chart history with Golden (via BigHit Entertainment).
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The BTS star’s solo debut album bowed at No. 3 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart last Friday, Nov. 10, behind Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) and Oasis’ The Masterplan (Big Brother), respectively.
With that solid start, Golden becomes the highest-charting album by a Korean solo artist, including the cuts by his BTS bandmates, the Official Charts Company confirms.
Golden shines with four U.K. top 10 singles – “Seven” featuring Latto (No. 3 peak), “3D” with Jack Harlow (No. 5), “Too Much” with The Kid Laroi and Central Cee (No. 10) and the latest release, “Standing Next to You,” which opens its account at No. 6 on the national singles chart, also published Friday.
That’s four U.K. top tier tracks in just four months, extending Jung Kook’s record as the Korean solo artist with the most U.K. top 10 singles.
As a member of the all-conquering BTS, Jung Kook has five U.K. top 10 albums, including two leaders (2019’s Map of the Soul: Persona and 2020’s Map of the Soul: 7), and four top 10 singles (2020’s “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On”; and 2021’s “Butter” and Coldplay collaboration “My Universe”).
Jung Kook goes one better on Australia’s albums chart, where Golden (via ING/Universal) drops in at No. 2, behind Swift’s latest release. That result matches the record for the highest solo debut LP from a Korean artist in the land Down Under, matching the effort from his BTS bandmate Suga (aka Agust D), who entered at No. 2 on the ARIA Chart with his 2000 D-2 mixtape.
As previously reported, “Standing Next to You” flies in at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. songs charts.
The Beatles’ “last” song “Now And Then” is on track for the U.K. chart title.
Based on sales and streaming data captured from the first 48 hours in the chart week, “Now And Then” is in pole position, outselling the rest of the top 5 combined, the Official Charts Company reports.
If it holds its spot, “Now And Then” will become the Fab Four’s 18th U.K. chart-leader, and their first in 54 years, since “The Ballad of John and Yoko” topped the weekly tally back in 1969.
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“Now And Then” actually debuted at No. 42 in the U.K. last week based on just 10 hours of sales, but is now expected to jump 41 places to the top of the Official Singles Chart when chart is published this Friday, Nov. 10.
The crown would cap a remarkable journey for “Now And Then.” The track began life as a demo written and sung by John Lennon, was later developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and now completed by Paul and Ringo, the surviving members of The Beatles, more than 40 years after the group began work on it.
The late Lennon’s vocals and piano part were recorded to tape at New York’s Dakota Building in the 1970s, and remained there until film director Peter Jackson and his team at WingNut Films developed the MAL audio technology, powered by AI, which could separate the stems. The result is a lush production, with a string arrangement, written by Giles Martin, Paul and Ben Foster, and featuring contributions from all four Beatles.
On the day of its release last Thursday (Nov. 2), “Now And Then” was named as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record. The song is all-love, McCartney told Radio 1’s Clara Amfo. “Just a loving feeling,” he says of the recording, “because that’s often what we were trying to do with our records, we were trying to spread love. And in this one it is very poignant. It’s John talking about ‘I miss you’ and stuff like that so, I think emotion, that would be the key word for people to take away from it, ‘emotion’.”
Jackson helmed the official music video for “Now And Then,” which dropped last Friday.
The closest competition on the First Look chart, according to the Official Charts Company, is BTS star Jung Kook’s “Standing Next To You,” which is eyeing a No. 2 start. That would be the K-pop artist’s highest peak of his solo career in the U.K. Jung Kook has three U.K. top 10s to his name, with a best of No. 3 for 2023’s “Seven” featuring Latto.
Taylor Swift buries her rivals under a mountain of sales and streams in the U.K. as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) debuts at No. 1.
Swift’s latest release, the fourth of her six recording projects, clocks up a “massive” 184,000 chart units, the Official Charts Company reports, more than double that of the original 1989’s opening-week sales of 90,000, accumulated following its release in 2014.
That opening result crushes the previous record holder for 2023, Lewis Capaldi’s Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, which scored 95,000 chart units in its week one.
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The runaway leader at the midweek stage, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) outperforms the rest of the top 10 combined during the latest cycle, and is the fastest-selling vinyl release of the year, with 62,000 copies sold, according to the OCC.
It’s Swift’s 11th chart-topping U.K. album, extending her own record as the woman with the most U.K. leaders this century, and the female artist with the 11 consecutive No. 1 albums in the briefest timeframe, at 11 years.
Among female artists, only Madonna has more — with 12. It’s only a matter of time before TayTay catches up with the Queen of Pop.
With Swift’s “Vault” cut “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) reigning over the national singles survey, TayTay collects another chart double.
It’s by no means the only new release to make its impact felt on the latest albums tally. Veteran electronic act Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark snag a highest-charting studio album across a career spanning 45 years, with Bauhaus Staircase (100 Percent Records), new at No. 2. That equals the peak position of OMD’s 1988 hits compilation The Best of OMD, one of their eight U.K. top 10s.
Rolling Stones’ latest leader Hackney Diamonds (Polydor) drops 1-3, while Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inducted pop-rock band Duran Duran earn a 12th U.K. 10 with Danse Macabre (BMG), their Halloween-themed 16th studio album.
Also new to the top 10 are albums from James Blunt (Who We Used to Be at No. 5 via Atlantic), CASISDEAD (Famous Last Words at No. 7 via XL Recordings) and Alfie Boe (Open Arms – The Symphonic Songbook this week at No. 10 via BMG).
Taylor Swift will be crowned when the U.K. albums chart is published later this week.
The U.S. pop singer opens-up a monster lead in the U.K. chart race with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI), which is currently outperforming the rest of the top 40 combined, the Official Charts Company reports.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) reigns over the midweek chart, and is already the year’s best-selling album, amassing 148,000 chart units. That’s more combined units in just three days than Lewis Capaldi’s second LP Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent (95,000 combined units), the previous leader for 2023, clocked in its first full-week. And it’s roughly double the sum collected by Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds (Polydor), the current leader on the weekly chart and, until now, one of the three best-sellers of 2023.
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When the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Oct. 3, Swift will nab her 11th U.K. No. 1 album, a tally that includes the original recording of 1989, which ruled for a single week in 2014. That result would extend her record as the female solo artist with the most chart-topping albums this century. Only Madonna, with 12 U.K. No. 1s, leads Swift on the all-time tally.
The re-recorded edition of 1989 is the fourth of Swift’s six “versions,” and features three bonus tracks and five songs from the “Vault.”
Swift is likely to nab a chart double. Based on midweek singles sales and streaming data published by the OCC, “Is It Over Now” slides into pole position, ahead of “Slut” and “Style,” respectively.
Meanwhile, OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is on track for an eighth top 10 album with Bauhaus Staircase (100 Percent Records), new at No. 2 on the midweek tally, ahead of the Stones’ Hackey Diamonds, down 1-3 on the chart blast.
Duran Duran’s “ultimate Halloween party” album Danse Macabre (BMG) is forecast to enter the chart at No. 4, for what would be the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ 12th U.K. top 10 LP. The new set, a collection of covers, reinterpretations of DD songs, and three new numbers, is the followup to Future Past, which opened and peaked at No. 3 in 2021.
Also eyeing top 10 berths are new releases from James Blunt (Who We Used to Be at No. 5 via Atlantic), CASisDEAD (Famous Last Words at No. 6 via XL Recordings), Alfie Boe (Open Arms – The Symphonic Songbook at No. 7 via BMG); Simple Minds’ live recording New Gold Dream – Live from Paisley Abbey (No. 8 via BMG), Billy Bragg’s career retrospective The Roaring Forty 1983-2023 (No. 9 via Cooking Vinyl) and Gaslight Anthem (History Books at No. 10 via Rich Mahogany Recordings).
The Taylor Swift takeover is in full swing on the U.K. chart blast.
Based on sales and streaming data for the first 48 hours in the U.K. chart week, Swift is on track to nab the top three spots with songs from 1989 (Taylor’s Version): “Slut,” “Style” and “Is It Over Now,” respectively.
According to the Official Charts Company, just over 200 chart units separate the three songs at this early stage in the chart cycle.
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Swift couldn’t possibly do any better. Unlike Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the OCC‘s chart rules dictate that a maximum of three tracks by the same artist can impact the top 100 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
“Slut,” written by Taylor, Jack Antonoff and Patrik Berger, and “Is It Over Now,” written by Taylor and Antonoff, are two of the album’s five “Vault” tracks, works that were written during the original 1989 sessions, but never made it to the finished version (for the record: 1989 logged one week at the U.K. chart summit in 2014).
The original cut of “Style,” written by Taylor, Max Martin, Shellback and Ali Payami, was released as the third single from first version of 1989, and peaked at No. 21 in the U.K.
The fresh album (via EMI in the U.K.) features newly recorded editions of all 13 original songs, plus three bonus tracks (“Wonderland,” “New Romantics” and “You Are In Love”) and the “Vault” tracks (“Is It Over Now?,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Say Don’t Go,” “Suburban Legends” and “Slut”).
Swift already has 23 top 10 singles in the U.K., including two No. 1s: “Look What You Made Me Do” (from 2017) and “Anti-Hero” (2022). The extend to which she expands on that tally will be revealed late Friday, Nov. 3, when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published in full.
Thanks to the Taylor Swift effect, Kenya Grace’s three-week reign with “Strangers” (FFRR) looks set to come to a halt. It’s down 1-5 on the First Look chart, just behind Casso, Raye and D-Block Europe’s “Prada” (Ministry of Sound), set to dip 2-4.
As a member of BTS, Jung Kook sets records for fun. The K-pop star is doing it solo, too.
With “Too Much” (via Columbia) entering the Official U.K. Singles Chart at No. 10, Jung Kook becomes the first South Korean solo artist to land three U.K. top 10 singles.
Until now, PSY had the record with two top 10s — “Gangnam Style” (peaking at No. 1 in 2012) and “Gentleman” (No. 10 in 2013).
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“Too Much,” recorded with Australian rapper and singer The Kid LAROI and British rapper Central Cee, is the highest entry on the latest singles survey, published Friday, Oct. 27.
It’s Jung Kook’s third top tier effort, after “Seven” featuring Latto (peaking at No. 3) and Jack Harlow collab “3D” (peaking at No. 5), both from 2023.
Released ahead of Jung Kook’s debut solo album Golden, due out Nov. 3, “Too Much” is LAROI’s third and Central Cee’s seventh U.K. top 10, including his 10-week reign with “Sprinter.”
As a member of BTS, Jung Kook has secured four top 10 singles: “Life Goes On” (peaking at No. 10); and “Dynamite,” “Butter” and Coldplay team-up “My Universe,” all peaking at No. 3. On the national albums survey, BTS has collected five top 10s, including two No. 1s (Map of the Soul – Persona and Map of the Soul – 7).
At the top of the pile is Kenya Grace’s “Strangers” (via FFRR), which wins a tight race for its third week at No. 1.
“Strangers” narrowly led by midweek chart, ahead of Cassö, RAYE and D-Block Europe’s “Prada” (Ministry of Sound). And that’s how the chart week ended, with the bouncy dance track “Prada” unchanged at No. 2.
The top three is closed out by a resurgent “Cruel Summer” (EMI) by Taylor Swift, up 14-3 in its 20th week on the chart. “Cruel Summer” heats up thanks to a new live cut, released to coincide with box-office blockbuster The Eras Tour Film.
Finally, Troye Sivan has another reason to smile as ”One of Your Girls” (Polydor) lifts 17-11. Lifted from his third and latest album, Something to Give Each Other, ”One of Your Girls” becomes the Australian pop artist’s highest-peaking U.K. single as a solo artist.
The Rolling Stones are careering to another U.K. No. 1 with Hackney Diamonds (via Polydor), the legendary British rock band’s 26th studio album. According to data published by the Official Charts Company, the Stones’ new album is outselling the rest of the top 10 combined, posting north of 55,000 chart sales over the weekend. Nothing will […]
Ren scores his first U.K. No. 1 as Sick Boi, his independently released sophomore album, starts at No. 1.
The Welsh hip-hop artist (full name: Ren Erin Gill) times his chart race to perfection, overcoming a midweek deficit to Rick Astley’s ninth studio album Are We There Yet? (BMG), before putting on the afterburners to roar home in first place.
In the end, it wasn’t even close. Sick Boi had opened-up a 6,000-unit advantage when the Official U.K. Albums Chart was published Oct. 20, thanks in part to a “spectacular push” in the final 24 hours of the cycle, the Official Charts Company reports.
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Sick Boi is released through The Other Songs, founded five years ago by brothers Alastair and Billy Webber, formerly of Island Records and Warner Records, respectively, according to the OCC. It’s the indie entertainment company’s first ever U.K. top 10.
Ren’s crown “sees him join a long list of Welsh album chart-toppers,” notes OCC CEO Martin Talbot, “from Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler and Shakin’ Stevens to Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics and Duffy, among many others – should not be under-estimated, especially given that it’s been achieved as a wholly-independent artist.”
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Astley, meanwhile, misses out on collecting a third leader with Are We There Yet?, which arrives at No. 2. It’s the Brit’s seventh top 10 appearance on the national albums tally.
The previous week’s leader, Drake’s For All The Dogs (OVO/Republic Records), slips 1-3.
Also new to the Official Chart this week is Troye Sivan’s Something To Give Each Other (Polydor), bowing at No. 4. That’s a U.K. career high for the Aussie pop artist, eclipsing 2015’s EP Wild (No. 5 peak) and 2018 LP Bloom (No. 8), for his third top tier slot. Something To Give Each Other is the week’s best-seller on wax in the U.K.
Completing the top 5 is 2022 BRITs Rising Star winner Holly Humberstone with Paint My Bedroom Black, her first full length effort. It’s new at No. 5.
Mike Skinner’s The Streets lands its seventh U.K. top 10 album with The Darker the Shadow (Rhino), new at No. 7, while British blues act When Rivers Meet, the husband-and-wife duo of Grace and Aaron Bond, snag a first top 10 album appearance with Aces Are High (One Road), new at No. 9.
Further down the list, new releases from Scouting for Girls (A Place We Used to Meet at No. 17 via Sony Music CG), CMAT (Crazymad, for Me at No. 25 via Cmatbaby), Creeper (Sanguivore at No. 29 via Spinefarm) and Death of Guitar Pop (Be Lucky at No. 30 via Ska Club Essex) make an impression.
The U.K. albums chart is about to be Rickrolled.
According to data published by the Official Charts Company, Rick Astley leads the midweek chart with Are We There Yet? (via BMG), his ninth studio album.
If it holds its place, the “Never Gonna Give You Up” singer would nab his third leader, after Whenever You Need Somebody from 1987, and 50 from 2016.
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It’s not a done deal.
Less than 400 chart units currently separate Astley’s new collection with Sick Boi (The Other Songs), the sophomore release from Welsh singer and songwriter Ren. The musician (full name: Ren Erin Gill) “shouldn’t be counted out” at this stage of the chart race, the OCC reports.
Based on sales and streaming data captured by the charts compiler, BRITs Rising Star winner Holly Humberstone is poised to complete the podium with her debut record Paint My Bedroom Black (Polydor). It’s new at No. 3 on the Official Chart Update.
Mike Skinner’s The Streets returns with its first album of new material in nearly 13 years, The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light (Rhino). It’s new at No. 4 on the chart blast, and should give Skinner’s project its sixth consecutive U.K. top 10 album, dating back to critically acclaimed debut Original Pirate Material from 2002, which peaked at No. 10.
Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon (Rhino) is moving into a top 10 position, thanks to a new-reissue in celebration of its 50th anniversary. One of the best-selling albums of all time, with 1,052 weeks on the tally, Dark Side peaked at No. 2 following its initial release in 1973. Based on new OCC data, the album could bounce to No. 5. That’s following the top 10 placement last Friday (Oct. 13) of Roger Waters’ The Dark Side of the Moon Redux.
Also eyeing top 10 starts are new releases from British blues pair When Rivers Meet (Aces Are High at No. 6 via One Road) and Australian pop singer Troye Sivan (Something to Give Each Other at No. 7 via Polydor), while ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog could return to the top 10 with her 2013 solo LP A, following of a special rerecord called A+ (BMG). It’s at No. 9 on the chart blast.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday.
