Robbie Williams leading race to UK’s 1000th Number 1 album

Robbie Williams’ Swings Both Ways is edging ahead of Jake Bugg and JLS in the battle to become the UK’s 1000th Official Number 1 album.

According to the Official Charts Company’s latest sales data, Robbie Williams is leading the race to become the UK’s 1000th Number 1 album this weekend. After 24 hours on sale, the 39-year-old’s new album, Swings Both Ways, is ahead of its closest rivals, Jake Bugg’s Shangri La and JLS's greatest hits collection, Goodbye.

Should Robbie maintain his lead through to Sunday, Swings Both Ways will become the 1000th album to top the UK’s Official Albums Chart in its 57-and-a-half year history. It will also become Robbie’s 11th solo album to reach Number 1, which would equal Elvis Presley’s tally of UK Number 1 albums. Elvis scored the UK’s 1000th Official Number 1 single in 2005 with the double A-side One Night/I Got Stung which was re-released to celebrate what would have been his 70th birthday year.

“The race is on – and it is fitting that Robbie Williams is in the lead to become the 1000th Official Number 1 Album,” comments Martin Talbot, the Official Charts Company’s Chief Executive. “His new album Swings Both Ways echoes the very first Number 1 album, Frank Sinatra’s Songs For Swingin’ Lovers – and Robbie is a genuine legend of the Official Albums Chart.

“But there is a way to go until the winner passes the finish line and is unveiled this Sunday, it is by no means over yet,” he adds.

Swings Both Ways is Robbie’s second swing album. He previously topped the Official Albums Chart in December 2001 with Swing When You’re Winning (which included the Number 1 single Something Stupid FT Nicole Kidman).

The very first Number 1 album back in July 1956 was Frank Sinatra’s classic Songs For Swingin’ Lovers – in the chart compiled and published in Record Mirror magazine. In the three and half years after the chart was launched in July 1956, 17 albums hit Number 1 during the 1950s. In turn, 56 albums topped the album chart in the 1960s, 147 did so in the 1970s, 182 in the 1980s, 215 in the 1990s and 269 in the 2000s. The 1000th Number 1 of all time will be the 114th of this decade.

Tune into BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart Show with Jameela Jamil this Sunday (November 24) from 4pm to see if Robbie manages to score the UK’s 1000th Official Number 1 album. Log on to www.officialcharts.com on Sunday at 7pm, which is the only place to find the Official Albums Chart Top 100 in full.

Follow @OfficialCharts on Twitter and Facebook throughout the week for the very latest updates on this story.