Westlife claim 2019’s fastest-selling album and their 11th Number 1 on the Official Irish Albums Chart with Spectrum: "It means an awful lot to us"

What a return for Westlife! Kian, Mark, Nicky and Shane’s first studio album in nine years is Ireland’s fastest-selling album of 2019.

Spectrum debuts at Number 1 on this week’s Official Irish Albums Chart with more first-week sales than any other album released this year; scoring 8,900 chart sales, Spectrum surpasses the previous best of 7,000 set by Dermot Kennedy’s debut Without Fear. Westlife outsold the rest of the Top 20 combined to secure the top spot.

Speaking to OfficialCharts.com/Ireland, Westlife said: “Everybody in Ireland, thank you so much for making our brand-new album Spectrum Number 1. It’s our 11^th Number 1 album so thank you so much guys, it means an awful lot to us. We’ll see you next summer for loads of concerts – Pairc Ui Chaoimh, see you there!”

Westlife’s 11 Number 1 albums are made up of nine studio albums and two greatest hits collections: Westlife (1999); Coast to Coast (2000); World of Our Own (2001); Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits Volume 1 (2002); Turnaround (2003); Face To Face (2005); The Love Album (2006); Back Home (2007); Gravity (2010); Greatest Hits (2011).

MORE: Ireland's Top 50 albums of 2019 so far

Celine Dion makes a Top 5 debut with Courage at Number 5, while Nathan Carter collects an 11^th Top 50 album with Irish Heartland at Number 14.

Michael Buble’s Christmas continues its annual ascent, rising eight places to Number 13, Brendan Grace’s posthumous album Airs & Graces climbs 12 rungs to a new peak of Number 19, and George Michael & Wham’s Last Christmas soundtrack improves on last week’s debut position, up six slots to Number 26. The Killers’ Direct Hits returns to the Top 50 at Number 41 after they announced two 2020 concerts at Malahide Castle.

Finally, Lil Peep’s posthumous album Everybody’s Everything bows at Number 48.

See the full Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50

© IRMA