Coldplay secure biggest week for a UK act in three years with 10th Number 1 album Moon Music

Coldplay secure the biggest opening week for a UK act of 2024 so far with Moon Music.

The 10th studio album from Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Phil Harvey also becomes the band’s 10th consecutive studio chart-topper, shifting 237,000 UK chart units to reach the summit.

This means Moon Music has the biggest first week for a British album in three years, since Adele’s 30 debuted at Number 1 with 261,000 chart units in 2021. Moon Music is second this year only to Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, which holds the title of 2024’s overall biggest first week, having logged 270,000 UK chart units in its first seven days on sale.

Moon Music is also the fastest-selling album (physical and downloads) since Adele’s 30; with Coldplay managing over 209,000 pure sales. 30 logged 218,000 in its opening week.

Coldplay now draw level with ABBA, Michael Jackson and Queen on the list of acts with the most Number 1s on the Official Albums Chart, each with 10 apiece. The band previously topped the charts with Parachutes (2000), A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), X&Y (2005), Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), Mylo Xyloto (2011), Ghost Stories (2014), A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Everyday Life (2019) and Music of the Spheres (2021). 

MORE: See where every Coldplay song and album has charted in the UK

Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth record Short N’ Sweet shows its staying power, up one this week to Number 2. 

London-formed alt-rock foursome Public Service Broadcasting, comprising J. Willgoose Esq., Wrigglesworth, JF Abraham and Mr B, secure their third Top 10 LP with The Last Flight (3). The album joins 2017’s Every Valley (4) and 2021’s Bright Magic (2) in their hat-trick of Top 10s. 

It’s a fourth Top 5 album for James Bay this week, as fourth studio record Changes All The Time makes its debut (4). The Hitchin-born singer-songwriter previously saw success with 2015’s Chaos and the Calm (1), 2018 LP Electric Light (2) and 2022’s Leap (4). Changes All The Time also tops this week’s Official Record Store Chart, the most-purchased album of the past seven days in UK independent record shops. 

The Smile, comprising Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Tom Skinner, claim a third Top 10 album with Cutouts (7), joining 2022’s A Light for Attracting Attention (5) and 2024’s Wall of Eyes (3). 

Billericay-born singer-songwriter Alison Moyet celebrates her highest-charting release in 11 years, as her 10th studio LP Key debuts at Number 8. 

Reacting to the news, Alison Moyet tells Official Charts:

"'What’s your gran up to?'...'Ah, y’know. She’s up them charts.'

"Unpredictable and consequently utterly delightful. I won’t stay long, but I’m very grateful for the welcome. It’s a lovely place!"

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2024 so far

A Modern Day Distraction becomes Jake Bugg’s sixth Top 20 record (14), as a limited, liquid-filled vinyl variant of The 1975’s 2022 chart-topper Being Funny in a Foreign Language sees it rebound back into to the Top 20 (15). 

Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works Volume II 1994 LP returns to the Top 40 following a 30th anniversary reissue (21) and, finally, FINNEAS earns a career-best with second studio album For Cryin’ Out Loud! (35). 

See the full Official Albums Chart Top 100 here from 5.45pm.