Jay-Z scores first UK Number 1 album with Magna Carta Holy Grail

Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail gives rapper his first ever Number 1 album in the UK.

It’s good news for hip-hop icon Jay-Z in this week’s Official Albums Chart as his new album Magna Carta Holy Grail ousts Mumford & Sons’ Babel from the top spot.

The 13-track long-player cruised to the Number 1 spot, comfortably outselling its nearest rival, Rod Stewart’s Time.

Despite previously enjoying seven Top 40 albums as a solo artist, Jay-Z has never reached the summit before. His personal best before Magna Carta Holy Grail was Number 4 in 2009 with Blueprint III. His joint effort with Kanye West, Watch The Throne, peaked at Number 3 in 2011.

Magna Carta Holy Grail features guest appearances from Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean and Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé and four of its tracks have also made a dent in the Official Singles Chart – the title track Holy Grail charts the highest at Number 24. Jay-Z headlined the Yahoo! Wireless festival in London on Saturday night.

Rod Stewart’s Time enjoys a sales boost following the broadcast on BBC1 on Tuesday of Imagine: Can’t Stop Me Now, a special documentary looking back at Rod the Mod’s career.

Mike Rosenberg, better known as Passenger, advances four places to Number 3 with All The Little Lights, and Canadian crooner Michael Bublé dips two spots to Number 4 with To Be Loved.

Last week’s Number 1, Babel from folk rockers Mumford & Sons is relegated to Number 5, spending its 42nd week in the Official Albums Chart.

New Entries and High Climbers

Aside from Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail going straight in at Number 1, the highest new entry on the Official Albums Chart falls just outside the Top 40. US R&B star Ciara returns with her eponymous album at Number 42.

Las Vegas alt-rockers Imagine Dragons surge 18 places to Number 12 with their debut album Night Visions. The group made their first appearance at the T in the Park near Perth in Scotland on Friday.

Justin Timberlake, who unveiled his brand new track Take Back The Night on Friday, jumps 14 places to Number 28 with The 20/20 Experience. Justin performed at the Wireless festival on Friday and wowed the crowd when he brought on Jay-Z unannounced to perform their collaboration Suit & Tie, the album’s lead single.

Biggest climber this week is Jamie Cullum’s Momentum, which catapults 97 places to Number 40. Album track Pure Imagination, which originally featured in 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, featured in a montage following Andy Murray’s historic victory in the Men’s Singles final at Wimbledon.

The Official Albums Chart Top 10 is as follows. See the Official Albums Chart Top 100 in full, here, after 7pm.

© 2013 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.