Sam Smith scores fastest selling debut album of 2014 so far

The 22-year-old BRITs Critics' Choice winner claims the fastest selling debut artist album of 2014 with In The Lonely Hour, while Coldplay's Ghost Stories approaches a quarter of a million UK sales.

Congratulations to Sam Smith, who has gone straight in at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart today with his debut album, In The Lonely Hour. The 22-year-old British singer/songwriter has knocked Coldplay’s latest album, Ghost Stories (Number 2), off the chart’s summit after just one week on top.

In The Lonely Hour has sold an incredible 101,000 copies over the last seven days, making it the fastest selling debut album of 2014 so far. It is also the third fastest selling artist album over-all behind Coldplay’s Ghost Stories (168,000 copies in its first week on sale) and Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love (109,000 copies week one).

The news comes a week after Sam scored his third Number 1 single with Stay With Me.  

“It’s amazing!” Sam told OfficialCharts.com. “I was a bit scared a few days ago because I knew that Coldplay’s album had come out. I’m so happy!”

It’s been an incredible twelve months for Sam: he scored his first Number 1 single last May after featuring on Naughty Boy’s La La La. In January he went on to top the BBC’s Sound Of 2014 poll, while in February he collected the Critics’ Choice prize at the BRIT Awards, and claimed his second Number 1 single with Money On My Mind.

Meanwhile, Coldplay may have slipped into second place today, but Ghost Stories’ sales still remain strong. In just two weeks, Chris Martin and co’s sixth studio album is now fast approaching a quarter of a million UK sales, after shifting an additional 75,000 copies this week.

Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love climbs three places to Number 3, while Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction (4) and Michael Jackson’s Xscape complete the Top 5.

New Entries

Chart legend Mariah Carey scores this week’s second highest new entry on the Official Albums Chart. The US singer’s 14th studio album, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse, enters at Number 14 today.

Canadian singer/songwriter Neil Young’s 35th album, A Letter Home, enters at Number 17, while Norwegian duo Royksopp and Swedish pop star Robyn are new in at 20 with their collaboration album, Do It Again.

This week’s new entries are completed by Peter Andre’s Big Night (23), Sharon Van Etten’s Are We There (27), Bury Tomorrow’s Runes (34), Echo & The Bunnymen’s Meteorites (37) and Life Worship’s Dance Again (38).

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

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