David Bowie scores first Number 1 album in 20 years

David Bowie puts his stamp on the Official Albums Chart today as The Next Day becomes the fastest selling album of 2013 to date.

He’s still got it! At 66, British icon David Bowie is back at the top of the Official Album Chart, scoring his first UK Number 1 album in almost 20 years with The Next Day.

The Duke’s much-anticipated new studio album, his first new material in nearly a decade, is his first chart topper since 1993’s Black Tie White Noise, and has this week notched up sales of over 94,000 copies to claim the title of the fastest selling album of the year so far. The title previously held by Biffy Clyro’s Opposites, which sold 71,600 copies during its opening week back in January.

Bowie outsells the second highest new entry of the week – Bon Jovi’s What About Now (Number 2) - by more than two copies to one. The US rockers have two albums in the Official Albums Chart Top 40 today, as their Greatest Hits collection also shoots up 26 places to Number 31.

Emeli Sande’s Our Version Of Events slips one place to Number 3, while last week’s chart toppers, Bastille, fall three to Number 4 with Bad Blood. This week’s Top 5 is completed by Bruno Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox (5).

New entries

Four more new entries join David Bowie’s The Next Day (Number 1) and Bon Jovi’s What About Now (2) on the Official Albums Chart Top 40 this week. 

British synth-pop duo Hurts, whose debut album Happiness peaked at Number 4 back in 2010, chalk up their second Top 10 album today with Exile, new in at Number 9. Meanwhile, former Czars vocalist John Grant bags his first solo Top 20 placing with Pale Green Ghosts (Number 16).

The soundtrack to Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl’s new film, Sound City, lands at Number 19. The film sees Grohl round up musicians who recorded at Sound City – including Sir Paul McCartney, and members of Fleetwood Mac, Nine Inch Nails and Slipknot – to record a new album using equipment salvaged from the now legendary Californian studio following its closure in 2011.

Elsewhere, Oxford-based indie rockers Stornoway complete the Top 40 entries with Tales From Terra Firma (26).

Landing just outside the Top 40 this week is Tim McGraw’s Two Lanes Of Freedom (Number 43), Christian collective Worship Central with Let It Be Known (Number 45). Plus, late gatecrashers of ITV’s The Big Reunion show, boyband Blue are at Number 52 with their Best Of collection.

The Official Albums Chart Top 10 is as follows. Click here to see the Official Albums Chart Top 100 after 7PM.

© 2013 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.