Michael Ball & Alfie Boe Beat BTS to U.K. Albums Chart Title
BTS will have to do with second best in the U.K., where Michael Ball & Alfie Boe’s Together At Christmas (Decca) reigns on debut.
BTS will have to do with second best in the U.K., where Michael Ball & Alfie Boe’s Together At Christmas (Decca) reigns on debut.
The pair’s fourth studio record is their third to hit No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart following Together (2016) and Together Again (2017).
Their latest clocked up 32,882 chart sales in its first week, 96% of which were physical sales, the Official Charts Company reports.
Earlier in the year, Ball topped the Singles Chart along with fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore on their charity cover of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
With Christmas making a big impact, BTS open at No. 2 on the U.K. chart with BE (Big Hit Entertainment), their fifth Korean-language album. It’s the K-pop stars’ fourth Top 10 collection in the territory in the past two-and-a-half years.
Meanwhile, AC/DC’s Power Up (Columbia) dips 1-3, and is one of five Australian album releases in the Top 40, a list that includes Kylie Minogue’s Disco (BMG), down 5-10; Nick Cave’s Idiot Prayer (Bad Seed), new at No. 18; Tim Minchin’s Apart Together (BMG), new at No. 27; and ARIA Award-nominated newcomer The Kid LAROI’s F**k Love (Columbia), down 19-33.
Taylor Swift’s former leader Folklore (EMI) enjoys a lift thanks to its release on vinyl. Folklore leads the Official Vinyl Chart and vaults 37-4 on the all-title survey.
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Also enjoying top tier debuts this week are Neil Diamond and the London Symphony Orchestra’s Classic Diamonds (Capitol), which shines at No. 5, for the American crooner’s 15th Top 10 collection; while heavy metal icons Iron Maiden bow at No. 7 with the live set Nights Of The Dead – Legacy Of (Parlophone).
Over on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, Ariana Grande enters a fifth week at the summit with “Positions.” Grande’s seventh No. 1 leads an unchanged top three, ahead of Billie Eilish’s “Therefore I Am”(Interscope) and Little Mix’s “Sweet Melody” (RCA), respectively.
The highest new entry belongs to Miley Cyrus, whose “Prisoner” (RCA/Warner Records) featuring Dua Lipa starts at No. 8.
Close behind is Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber’s collaboration “Monster” (Island) at No. 9, and BTS completes the Top 10 with “Life Goes On,” new at No. 10.