21 December 2020
Newsdesk
Sir Paul McCartney is on course for his first UK Number 1 album as a soloist in over three decades with McCartney III.
The Beatles legend’s 18th solo studio album is the third and final chapter in a trilogy of albums including his debut album McCartney from 1970 and McCartney II which followed ten years later in 1980; the former reached Number 2 on the Official Albums Chart, with the latter charting at Number 1. See where all Paul McCartney’s singles and albums charted.
McCartney III scored almost 25,000 chart sales over the weekend and may mark the artist’s first solo Number 1 album since 1989’s Flowers in the Dirt.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Paul has claimed a Christmas Number 1 album – he last did so 20 years ago when The Beatles’ greatest hits 1 topped the Christmas charts in 2000, with the Fab Four earning a further six festive chart toppers during the 1960s.
The Official Christmas Number 1 single and album of 2020 will be revealed exclusively on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart on Christmas Day, from 2-4pm.
Also battling for the Christmas Number 1 album are Michael Ball and Alfie Boe with Together at Christmas (2), Taylor Swift with last week’s chart-topper Evermore (3), Classic Diamonds from Neil Diamond and the London Symphony Orchestra (4), and Gary Barlow’s Music Played By Humans (5).
Following the surprise release of the album’s B Side deluxe edition, Eminem’s Number 1 album Music To Be Murdered By – first released in January 2020 – is on track for a Top 40 return at Number 6.
Alternative rock band Shed Seven are on track for their sixth Top 40 album with live album Another Night, Another Town (12) and following his performance during the Strictly Come Dancing final last Saturday (Dec. 19), Robbie Williams’ holiday album The Christmas Present is heading back to the Top 40 (27).
