U.K. CHARTS: FEMALE POWER
Billie Eilish leads a record-breaking week for women on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart as Liam Gallagher secures his fifth solo #1 at albums.
Eilish claims her second #1 single with “What Was I Made For?” (Interscope), scoring a last-minute victory over Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” (Warner). Both songs are featured on the soundtrack to Barbie.
Female solo artists make up the Top 6 of the Official Singles Chart for the first time in the chart’s 70-year history: Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (Geffen) is #3; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (EMI) lands at #4; Peggy Gou’s “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (XL) takes #5; and the week’s top new entry, Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?,” is #6.
Female power continues in the #7 and #8 slots, with “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua and “Disconnect” by Becky Hill and Chase & Status. The Top 40 numbers 24 tracks led by or featuring female artists.
At albums, Gallagher’s live recording of his much-hyped return last year to the site of one of Oasis’ iconic gigs, Knebworth 22 (Warner), follows solo chart-toppers like As You Were (2017) and C’mon You Know (2022). Knebworth 22 is the week’s top seller on vinyl and the most-downloaded album.
Swedish rockers The Hives celebrate their highest-charting record in the U.K. as sixth album The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons (Disques Hives) debuts at #2. It also topped the Official Record Store Chart.
Jungle rounds out an all-new Top 3 with fourth studio album Volcano (Caiola).
Other new arrivals include Unfinished Business, by PG Records rapper Fredo, at #9 and the 50th anniversary edition of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture Soundtrack (Parlophone) at #10.
With Swift’s 1989 (EMI) at #5, she lands six albums in the Top 20: Midnights (#7), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (#8), Lover (#11), folklore (#13) and reputation (#15).
