Hozier claims highest new entry on album chart

Hozier has claimed the highest new entry on this week's Official Albums Chart.

The 24-year-old Irish musician – real name Andrew Hozier-Byrne – lands at Number 5 with his self-titled debut.

The record includes the hit single Take Me To Church, which last month climbed into the UK Top 40 seven weeks after its release and has so far peaked at Number 26 on the Official Singles Chart.

Meanwhile, George Ezra wins a second week at Number 1 with Wanted On Voyage. The 21-year-old’s folk-rock debut topped the chart last week after 14 weeks inside the Top 10.

Ed Sheeran’s X climbs a place to Number 2 this week, Sam Smith spends at 20th week in the Top 10 with In The Lonely Hour (Number 3), and Barbra Streisand’s Partners is at 4.

New entries

In addition to Hozier, there are a massive 13 new entries on this week’s album chart. Canadian musician Caribou aka Dan Snaith claims his highest-charting UK album to date with Our Love at Number 8, Johnny Marr’s second solo album Playland enters at 9, and UK electro-house duo Gorgon City land at Number 10 with their debut LP Sirens.

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Bryan Adams’ 11th studio album and first in six years Tracks Of My Years is at Number 11, and country trio Lady Antebellum enter at 12 with their fifth studio album 747.

Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks scores her seventh Top 40 solo album this week with 24 Karat: Songs From The Vault (14), UK alt-rockers Lower Than Atlantis land at 16 with their self-titled LP, and former UB40 frontman Ali Campbell gains his fifth Top 20 album with Silhouette (18).

Elsewhere, Jamie Cullum’s seventh album Interlude (19), Flying Lotus’ You’re Dead (24), Foster & Allen’s Gold & Silver Days (28), Jackson Browne’s Standing In The Breach (31) and Weezer’s Everything Will Be Alright In The End (37) all earn a place inside the Top 40 this week.

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

1	WANTED ON VOYAGE	GEORGE EZRA
2	X	ED SHEERAN
3	IN THE LONELY HOUR	SAM SMITH
4	PARTNERS	BARBRA STREISAND
5	HOZIER	HOZIER
6	NO SOUND WITHOUT SILENCE	SCRIPT
7	R-KIVE	GENESIS
8	OUR LOVE	CARIBOU
9	PLAYLAND	JOHNNY MARR
10	SIRENS	GORGON CITY