U.K. CHARTS: ASTLEY NEVER GIVES UP
In a series of events no one could have predicted at the beginning of this week, “Never Gonna Give You Up” crooner Rick Astley (BMG) has pipped young Sony U.K. star Tom Odell to the Official Albums summit.
Astley’s 50— his first studio album in 11 years—has ended the week at #1, 3.7k combined chart sales ahead of Odell’s second album, Wrong Crowd (Columbia). It’s Astley's first #1 in 29 years.
Sony spent big on marketing, but couldn’t fend off competition from Astley, who appeared on popular daytime TV show Loose Women mid-week, and got backing from widely read tabloid The Sun. BMG also pulled another trick, dropping the price of 50’s digital version to £4.99 (half the cost of Odell’s non-deluxe version). Still, Odell secured more digital and streaming equivalent sales, and was most purchased in independent record shops, while Astley raced ahead on physical formats.
Other high-charters on the Official Albums list this week include Paul McCartney's fourth compilation album, Pure McCartney (Concord), new at #3. ELO's All Over The World – The Very Best Of (Epic/Legacy Recordings) leaps 131 places to a new peak of #4 following the release of a special edition, and Drake's Views (Island) rounds off the Top 5.
Over on the Official Singles Chart, Drake has retained his crown for the 10th week running, despite being beaten mid-week by Kungs’ remix of Cookin’ On 3 Burners’ “This Girl” (3 Beat). “One Dance” finishes just under 1.8k combined chart sales ahead, and is the first song to top the Singles Chart in Blighty for 10 weeks since Rihanna’s smash “Umbrella” (Mercury) in 2007. It’s also the most streamed track of the week with 4.77m listens.
Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling” (RCA) is down one place to #3, as is Calvin Harris and Rihanna’s “This is What You Came For” (Columbia) at #4. Both Drake and Ri-Ri have another song in the Top 5 as “Too Good” (Island) improves one place to #5.
