In what has been a remarkably high turnover year at the top of the Official Albums Chart so far with no less than 21 different albums gracing the Number 1 spot in 21 weeks so far, Harry Styles this week becomes the first artist of 2022 to bag himself a second week at the top with Harry’s House. The record for the highest number of unique Number 1 albums in a calendar year ever was set in 2020, with 43 albums hitting the top of the Albums Chart between January and December.
Ahead of the European leg of his Love On Tour shows, which kicks off at Glasgow’s Ibrox Stadium this weekend, Harry reclaims the top spot for a second non-consecutive week. The One Direction star also claims another UK Official Chart Double this week, with As It Was still reigning the Official Singles Chart.
This week’s highest new entry comes courtesy of Post Malone, as Twelve Carat Toothache lands at Number 3. The L.A. rapper’s fourth studio album becomes his third UK Top 5 LP to date, following the success of 2018’s Beerbongs & Bentleys and 2019 release Hollywood’s Bleeding, both of which charted at Number 1.
Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band claim their first-ever UK Top 10 album with Dear Scott (6). The record is the first from Liverpudlian singer-songwriter Michael Head, formerly of alt-rock group Shack, since 2017 release Adiós Señor Pussycat. Dear Scott also enjoys a Number 2 placing on this week’s Official Vinyl Albums Chart.
Two Official Albums Chart mainstays continue their steady ascent this week. ABBA’s Gold: Greatest Hits climbs two places following the launch of the group’s ABBA Voyage show (7), while Queen’s Greatest Hits jumps back into the Top 10 as the group take The Rhapsody Tour nationwide with Adam Lambert (8).
Elsewhere in the Top 20, Oasis’ hits collection Time Flies… 1994-2009 enjoys a boost off the back of frontman Liam Gallagher’s sold-out Knebworth shows last weekend (14), while Kate Bush’s The Whole Story (19) vaults 57 places following the unprecedented viral success of Running Up That Hill.
A special, 3-LP release of Prince’s Prince & The Revolution: Live album, a recording of their 1985 New York show originally released on VHS, is a new entry at Number 21 this week. Meanwhile, Chicago-born folk singer Angel Olsen lands at Number 24 with Big Time. The album becomes Angel’s third UK Top 40 to date, and is the fifth most-purchased vinyl album of the week.
George Ezra’s second studio album Staying at Tamara’s vaults back into the Top 40 following his performance at Platinum Party at the Palace last weekend (30), while a 10th anniversary reissue of You Me At Six’s Sinners Never Sleep sees the record return to the Official Albums Chart (31). Sinners Never Sleep also enjoys a Top 5 spot on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart this week (3).
Finally, one year after its original release, American comedian Bo Burnham’s Inside (The Songs), a collection of songs from his Netflix comedy special Inside, created during the 2020-21 lockdown, is back in the Top 40 with the release of a deluxe edition (33). Inside (The Songs) spent seven weeks in the Official Top 10 last year, peaking at Number 5.
