Calvin Harris earns second Number 1 album with 18 Months

Scottish DJ, songwriter, and go-to producer of the year Calvin Harris has scored a second Number 1 album as third effort 18 Months beats Kylie to the top of the Official Albums Chart.

The album, which features collaborations with the likes of Rihanna, Kelis, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal and Ne-Yo ends the week well ahead of Kylie’s The Abbey Road Sessions, and includes two Number 1 singles: last year’s inescapable super hit We Found Love featuring Rihanna and the Florence Welch assisted Sweet Nothing, which topped the Official Singles Chart two weeks ago.

The album compiles Harris’ best-known collaborations of the last year with new album tracks, and includes an impressive six Official Singles Chart Top 3 singles, among those lead single Bounce, which was released last summer. Harris’ previous album, Ready For The Weekend hit the top spot in 2009.

Kylie’s collection of reworked hits The Abbey Road Sessions ends the week at Number 2, while the deluxe version of Emeli Sandé’s hit album Our Version Of Events is at Number 3. Following their performance on X Factor, American pop rockers Fun gallop 29 places to Number 4 with Some Nights, while last week’s chart queen Taylor Swift drops to Number 5 with third album Red.

The impact of winning the prestigious Mercury Prize 2012 earlier this week resonates in the charts as the debut album by winners Alt-J secures its highest placing to date, shooting up fourteen places to Number 13. The critically lauded An Awesome Wave receives a welcome week on week sales boost of 149% to give the prize-winning album its highest one week sales tally since its release earlier this year.

New Entries

In addition to Calvin Harris and Kylie, there are nine new entries on this week’s Official Albums Chart. The new covers album American Soul by Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall is at Number 6, while former X Factor winner Matt Cardle is at Number 8 with The Fire. Madness finish the week at Number 10 with Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da, while Psychedelic Pill, the new outing from Neil Young & Crazy Horse is at Number 14.

Further down the Official Albums Chart we find Peter Andre with Angels And Demons (18), The Best Of Eva Cassidy (22), The Soldiers (23) and rock supergroup Black Country Communion with their third album Communion (29). Thomas Newman’s soundtrack to the new Bond film Skyfall completes this week’s new entries at Number 36.

The Official Albums Chart Top 10 is as follows:

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