Official UK Chart

The last figure to chalk-up six-figures in a week was Ed Sheeran’s No. 6 Collaborations Project, which started with 125,000 in July 2019. Pure sales accounted for 85% of Coldplay’s first week tally, a sum that included 12,400 on wax, enough to lead this week’s Official Vinyl Albums Chart. With the strong opening, Coldplay’s collaboration with BTS, “My Universe,” races 15-5 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, while “Let Somebody Go” featuring Selena Gomez, opens at No. 24, and “Higher Power” reenters at 26. Coldplay performed all three tracks live last week on CBS’ The Late Late Show With James Corden. With the unbroken, career-spanning run of No. 1s, Coldplay tie with Brandon Flowers, who also has a streak of nine consecutive chart-toppers across The Killers and his solo efforts. Noel Gall...

With his latest feat, Elton eclipses the efforts of five other music greats – Elvis Presley, Cher, Cliff Richard, Michael Jackson and David Bowie – all of whom landed at least one Top 10 single in five different decades. Across his glittering career, Elton has been crowned on the Official U.K. Singles Chart on seven occasions. He could stretch that tally to eight with “Cold Heart,” which leads the midweek chart and is poised to usurp “Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers” after three weeks at No. 2. “Cold Heart” is lifted from John’s forthcoming collaborative studio album, The Lockdown Sessions, set for release Oct. 22. In his homeland, John has 32 Top 10 albums, with seven hitting the summit. His last LP to reach No. 1 was 2012’s Good Morning to the Night, Pnau’s mashup of his classic songs. The Officia...

It’s the outright leader on the midweek chart, and is outselling the rest of the Top 10 combined, according to the OCC. Fender’s set has a lead of 20,000 chart sales over his closest competitor, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy (OVO/Republic Records). Also impacting the Official Chart Update is Trivium, whose tenth album In The Court of the Dragon (Roadrunner) swoops in at No. 3. If it holds its course, Dragon will give the U.S. metal band their second U.K. Top 10 and a peak entry. Electronic artist James Blake could also net a career-best chart position with Friends That Break Your Heart (Polydor), new at No. 5. Based on midweek data, fresh sets from Johnny Flynn (Lost In Cedar Wood at No. 11 via Transgressive) and We Are Scientists (Huffy at No. 15 via 100 Percent Records) are eying Top...

With their sixth No. 1, The Script join an elite club of rock bands that includes Arctic Monkeys, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Kings Of Leon, Radiohead, Blur and Muse. The Specials blast in at No. 2 with Protest Songs 1924-2012 (Island), for the ska legends’ fifth U.K. Top 10 album, while Queen drummer Roger Taylor hits his first solo U.K. Top 10 with his sixth record Outsider (EMI), new at No. 3. Also new to the current frame is Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s sophomore duets effort, Love For Sale (Interscope), debuting No. 6. Hans Zimmer cuts a slice of history with his soundtrack to the new James Bond film No Time To Die (Decca). The album bows at No. 7 on the weekly chart, to become the highest-charting Bond title in the franchise’s history. The LP’s title track, led by Billie Eilish and featurin...

Coming in at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update is The Specials’ Protest Songs 1924-2012 (Island), for what should give the legendary Coventry ska outfit a fifth U.K. Top 10 album. The Specials’ last appearance on the chart was a No. 1 for their 2019 comeback LP, Encore. Queen drummer Roger Taylor beats a path to No. 3 with Outsider (EMI), which is set to become his first solo Top 10 title. Meanwhile, the original soundtrack for latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die (Decca), recorded by German composer Hans Zimmer, is at No. 4, while Taylor Swift’s former leader Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) rebounds to No. 5 following its release on vinyl. Also aiming for a Top 10 berth is Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett’s collaborative album Love For Sale (Interscope...

It’s the biggest seller across both digital downloads and CD in the current frame, clocking up 27,000 pure sales over the seven-day cycle. According to the OCC, digital downloads account for 21,400 of the sum, marking the biggest single week of downloads for a song in 2021. “My Universe” draws level with the chart peaks for BTS’ “Dynamite” and “Butter,” for the K-pop superstars’ fourth U.K. Top 10. It’s Coldplay’s 19th appearance in the Top 10. Lifting into fourth spot is Nigerian singer and songwriter CKay, with his viral hit “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” (Parlophone). It’s up five places for his first stint in the U.K. Top 5. Wigan guitar band The Lathums enjoy the best possible start with their debut album How Beautiful Life Can Be (Island), which starts at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Album...

“Cold Heart” is remixed by the Sydney electronic act Pnau, who teamed up with Elton on the U.K. chart topping album from 2012, Good Morning to the Night. According to the OCC, “Cold Heart” is Elton’s highest-charting single as a lead artist since his re-release of “Are You Ready For Love” hit No. 1 in 2003, following its appearance in a Sky Sports football campaign. “Cold Heart” is lifted from Elton’s forthcoming album The Lockdown Sessions, which includes collaborations with Nicki Minaj, Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks. Further down the list, Oxford band Glass Animals could see a new peak with “Heat Waves,” which lifts to No. 5 on the chart blast.“Heat Waves” was deemed the most popular song in 2020 by listeners of Australia’s triple j, who voted the song to No. 1 in t...

Drake’s Certified Lover Boy (OVO/Republic Recordings) beat Lil Nas X’s Montero (Columbia) by the tightest of margins on last Friday’s chart, but don’t bet on either winning the current race. Drizzy’s latest drops to No. 3 and Lil Nas X’s debut album dips to No. 6. Meanwhile, Australian pop singer Natalie Imbruglia is on track for her first U.K. Top 10 album in 14 years with Firebird (BMG), new at No. 4, while Tom DeLonge’s Angels & Airwaves are flying high with Lifeforms (Rise Records), new at No. 7. If it keeps its altitude, Lifeforms will give the U.S. alternative rock outfit their first Top 10 in 15 years. Also aiming for Top 20 debuts this week are sets by Sleep Token (This Place Will Become Your Tomb at No. 11 via Spinefarm), Nao (And Then Life Was Beautiful at No. 16 via RCA), Tr...

Blasting in at No. 5 on the latest chart is Tion Wayne’s debut Green With Envy (Atlantic), bowing just ahead of Bob Dylan’s Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (Sony Music CG), new at No. 6. With its sprightly arrival, Springtime becomes Dylan’s 41st Top 10 album, as it racks up the most physical sales of the week. English prog-rock veterans Genesis bag their first Top 10 album in seven years with the career retrospective The Last Domino (UMC/Virgin), new at No. 9, while Birmingham drill rapper M1llionz completes the top 10 with his debut mixtape Provisional License (Ten Percent). There’s a notable appearance this week by NCT 127, whose third Korean-language album Sticker (Virgin Music) gives the K-pop boyband their first U.K. Top 40 appearance. It’s new at No. 40. Meanwhile...

“My Universe” is lifted from Coldplay’s forthcoming album Music Of The Spheres, due out Oct. 15. So far, Coldplay has collected two No. 1 singles in their homeland (for “Viva La Vida” and “Paradise”), while BTS has a U.K. chart best of No. 3 (for “Dynamite” and “Butter”). Sheeran has ruled the chart for 13 consecutive weeks with “Bad Habits” and now “Shivers.” His latest track should enjoy a boost following the Brit’s performance for the return episode of BBC One’s The Graham Norton Show, which aired last Friday (Sept. 24). Further down the list is “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” by Nigerian artist CKay, which looks set to retain its Top 10 position for a second week. It’s currently at No. 9. The tune was first released in 2019 and has discovered a life of its own ...

It’s not the first time Sheeran has knocked one of his own tracks from the summit. The first time he did it was in January 2018, when Eminem’s “River,” on which he featured, replaced his solo release “Perfect.” Elsewhere on the chart, Elton John and Dua Lipa’s Cold Heart” (Pnau Remix) (via EMI) vaults 11-4, for Lipa’s eighth Top 5 single, and Elton John’s 21st. Meanwhile, Central Cee completes the Top 5 with “Obsessed With You” (Central Cee), new at No. 5. The track samples Pinkpantheress’ “Just For Me” (Parlophone), currently No. 43 on the chart, and becomes the West London rapper highest-charting single. Over on the albums chart race, Manic Street Preachers hold on for a second No. 1 with The Ultra Vivid Lament (Universal), their 14th studio album. The Welsh rockers’ latest LP captu...

With his latest feat, Sheeran becomes the first British solo artist to reign over the chart for a full year across his catalog. In the 69 years since the launch of the Official U.K. chart, just Elvis Presley (80 weeks) and The Beatles (69) have spent more time at the top. Of Sheeran’s songs, 2017’s “Shape of You,” the most streamed song on Spotify, has enjoyed the longest stay at the summit, at 14 weeks, while “Bad Habits” ruled for 11 weeks. Other solo artists in the same ballpark as Sheeran include Englishman Cliff Richard (46 weeks at No. 1), Canadian singer Justin Bieber (38 weeks), Scottish EDM star Calvin Harris and Canadian rapper Drake (31 weeks), and the veteran U.S. pop star Madonna (29 weeks), the OCC reports. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for D...