ABBA heading for 10th UK Number 1 album as Voyage sets sail for dominance on Official Album Chart

Voyage could be on track for the biggest first-week sales of the year. Plus new entries from Radiohead, James Arthur and Diana Ross.

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ABBA are setting course for dominance this week as Voyage sails straight towards Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart.

Currently outselling the rest of the Top 40 combined with 118,000 chart sales over the weekend, Voyage will be ABBA’s 10th UK Number 1 album, and their first studio album to top the UK charts in 40 years.

Voyage is on its way to being the fastest-selling album of the year so far, already scooping the fastest-selling physical release and biggest first-week pure sales (physical and digital) of 2021 so far. If the collection manages to eclipse the first-week sales of Ed Sheeran’s latest offering Equals (139,000), ABBA’s Voyage will become the biggest opening week for an album in over four years. 

ABBA’s last stint at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart came in 2008 when Gold returned to the top for two weeks – but it has been 40 years since their last studio album The Visitors made a Number 1 debut in December 1981. 

MORE: ABBA’s Official Charts history in full

Elsewhere in a jam-packed Top 10, Ed Sheeran’s reigning chart-topper Equals is at Number 2, while Radiohead eye a Number 3 debut with Kid A Mnesia, a composite anniversary re-issue of previous chart-toppers Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001).

James Arthur could score his fourth Top 10 record, with It’ll All Make Sense In The End currently at Number 4. James will be this week’s guest on The Record Club where he will discuss the album and answer fans’ questions.

US R&B singer Summer Walker’s second album Still Over It could become her highest-peaking project in the UK so far, at Number 5 midweek, and at Number 6, pop legend Diana Ross’ new album Thank You could be her first Top 10 album since 1995’s Take Me Higher.

MORE: Diana Ross' Official Top 40 most-streamed songs

Jazz singer Gregory Porter’s greatest hits Still Rising - The Collection is at Number 7 midweek, while Bullet For My Valentine’s self-titled seventh record is tracking to debut at Number 8. Lana Del Rey’s Blue Banisters could climb 11 places to Number 10 following a new vinyl release, previously peaking at Number 2.

Outside of the Top 10, Dave’s second studio album We’re All Alone In This Together (13) is up 15 places midweek, and there are further new entries from Blackpool rockers Jethro Tull with Benefit (18), Rina Sawayama’s 2020 debut album Sawayama (24) which could enter the chart for the first time thanks to a vinyl re-issue, and Nathaniel Rateliff And The Night Sweats’ third album The Future (26).

Erasure’s 30th anniversary re-issue of I Say I Say I Say is tracking to land at Number 27, while a 20th anniversary edition of Garbage’s 2001 album Beautiful Garbage is heading for Number 29. US alt-rocker Snail Mail’s Valentine is currently at Number 31, potentially her first-ever UK chart entry.

Scottish rockers Wet Wet Wet are eyeing up the Top 40 with The Journey at 32, and finally, Gary Numan’s The Singles Collection 1978-1983 is on course to enter at Number 37.

The Official Albums Chart is revealed every Friday at 5.45pm on OfficialCharts.com and on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart with Scott Mills from 4pm.  

View the Top 100 Official Albums Chart Update

Check out the Top 100 Official Singles Chart Update

Article Image: Baillie Walsh

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Disgruntled52

1

Is Cliff going to release a Christmas album this year? Please, Please, Please!

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Mali Anže

2

We need ABBA,this is very good album,who cares about ADELE and her always sad and negative songs,now we need joy and optimism.

DW

D.m. Wilson

4

ABBA now stand at 168k!!

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timmusicmaniac@yahoo.ca

4

Hi the fact that ABBA is going to be selling as much as Ed Sheeran(or more) in the first week is amazing considering they are a band of almost 50 years ago. Ed Sheeran & Adele are the only artist today still selling lots of albums...i am talking in the millions world wide...Adele's new Album will sell better then ED & ABBA Together her last 2 albums sold over 20 Million Copies world wide... People we just got the 3 biggest selling albums of the year in the last month of the year...Thank you Tim an ABBA Fan of 49 years.

J

john

2

Brilliant news for AbbA . I just can't get to like the Adele first single as it sounds like bits of her other songs and not a complete new song. I still will get the album but it has definitely been the only song I never played by her and I tried.

R

RyanT

3

Wonderful, wish they had a chart battle with Ed and beat him down. But am so glad they will get another #1

RN

Ron Nowak

3

Hope they do well in the US. People are stupid here.

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grantc11

2

You said it.

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thierry henon

7

Over the moon for ABBA! is only adele could release next year her new album, ABBA will get the chance to stay more than a single week at number 1 but congrats to them! Such a great surprise to release a brand new album after 40 years away!! Amazing news...

GF

Gary Feld

5

Adele's album is released in TWO weeks time, so ABBA could be there next week too.

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Lawrence Colwell

2

Yes so definitely deserves to be No 1, I think with the already advance album sales and this weekends combined, could keep Voyage at the top for longer. Brilliant album 10/10.