Spiritualized top the Official Record Store Chart

Thousands of record buyers were out in force on Saturday (April 23) eager to get their hands on some of the hundreds of exclusive releases made available for Record Store Day.

The annual event, which was set up to celebrate local record shops, partnered with the Official Charts Company last week to establish a new weekly chart to reflect cutting edge music purchased through independent record stores the length and breadth of the UK. Counting solely physical sales, the very first chart was unveiled on Steve Lamacq’s BBC 6Music show, where Alabama Shakes were revealed to be the very first Official Record Store Chart Number 1 with their album Boys & Girls.

The second Official Record Store Chart, which covered sales up to midnight on Record Store Day itself, was revealed at 7PM yesterday evening (Sunday, April 22). Brit space rockers Spiritualized have taken the top spot with their latest album, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, while Alabama Shakes have slipped one place to Number 2.

Encouragingly, seven of the albums in this week's Top 10 were exclusive Record Store Day releases: The Beatles’ 1’s Singles Collection (Number 3), Leonard Cohen’s Live In Frederiction (4), Metallica’s Beyond Magnetic (5), 2Many DJs’ As Heard On Radio Soulwax (6), The Velvet Underground ‘s Loaded (7), Pete Townshend’s The Quadrophenia Demos (9) and Zomby’s Where Were U In 92? (10).

See the full Top 40 here.