Conor Maynard becomes first solo pop artist to top the Official Record

Not content with just bagging a debut Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart yesterday, 2012’s hotly tipped newcomer Conor Maynard can now add an Official Record Store Chart Number 1 to his musical CV too!

19 year old Brighton-based newcomer Conor, released his debut full length album, Contrast, last week which features collaborations with a host of acts including Ne-Yo and Rita Ora. Conor today becomes the first solo pop artist, and also the youngest act ever to reach the top spot on the Official Record Store Chart.

Compiled by the Official Charts Company, the Official Record Store Chart launched during Record Store Day 2012, and counts sales from the UK’s coolest and most vibrant independent record shops. Typically the preserve of more leftfield acts, previous Official Record Store Chart-toppers include the likes of Spiritualized, Alabama Shakes, Richard Hawley and last week’s New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem.

Conor has been busy out and about this week promoting his debut record, even popping into Banquet Records, an independent record shop in Kingston who contribute sales data to the Official Record Store Chart, on Saturday to sign copies of his album.

Jon Tolley, boss and pop buyer of Banquet Records, said "It’s an exciting thing to be involved with. Obviously the music is a little outside of what we usually do, but the concept of letting music fans meet their heroes is something we do throughout the year with artists like Ed Sheeran, You Me At Six, Kids In Glass Houses and Clement Marfo And The Frontline. For some of the people attending that day, it was not only the first time they’d entered an independent record shop, it was also the first time they’ve ever bought a physical release. And that is good for all of us!“

Last year independent record shops accounted for over 2.5 million album sales in the UK, and 95.8% of all vinyl album sales.

Elsewhere in this week’s Top 10 there are new entries for North-East vocal duo The Unthanks with Diversion – Vol 2 (4), The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends (6), and Kyla La Grange’s Ashes (9).

And finally, the week’s highest climber comes courtesy of sugar man Rodriguez, the original soundtrack to the fantastic highly-acclaimed muso documentary Searching For Sugar Man. The film tells the story of two South Africans music fans who set out to discover what happened to their unlikely cult musical hero that never was, the mysterious 1970s rock ‘n’ roller, Rodriguez.

To see the Official Record Store Chart Top 40 in full, click here.