X Factor’s Sam Bailey scores debut Number 1 album

Sam Bailey gets the ultimate Mother’s Day gift this year: a Number 1 album!

There’s no stopping her! Sam Bailey has knocked George Michael’s Symphonica off the top of the Official Albums Chart with her debut album, The Power Of Love.

It’s the ultimate Mother’s Day gift for the 2013 X Factor winner, who recently revealed that she and her husband Craig are expecting their third child later this year. The news comes just three months after Sam beat Pharrell Williams’ Happy to claim the Official 2013 Christmas Number 1 with her debut singe, Skyscraper.

The Power Of Love is the first X Factor winner’s album to debut at Number 1 since Alexandra Burke’s Overcome in 2009. According to the Official Charts Company’s sales data, The Power Of Love has sold nearly 73,000 copies over the last seven days. It has also become the fastest selling artist album of 2014 so far, beating current record holder Pharrell Williams’ opening week tally of 69,000 for his latest album G I R L.

“This really is the icing on the cake to an incredible few months,” a delighted Sam told OfficialCharts.com. “I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I’m so happy that everyone is liking what I’m doing, it really is a dream come true!”

George Michael slides once place to Number 2 today, while Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey claim this week’s second highest new entry with Going Back Home (3). It is a fantastic achievement for the guitarist whose doctors didn’t think he would live past October of last year after being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Wilko scored his last Top 10 album, Sneakin’ Suspicion, some 37 years ago as part of Dr Feelgood.

Pharrell Williams’ G I R L (4) and John Legend’s Love In The Future (5) completed today’s Top 5.

New Entries

In addition to Sam Bailey’s The Power Of Love (Number 1) and Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey‘s Going Back Home (Number 3) there are eight other new entries in today’s Official Albums Chart Top 40.

The 40th anniversary edition of Sir Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Number 12) debuts just outside of the Top 10 today. Shakira is new in at 14 with her latest self-titled album, and My Chemical Romance’s greatest hits collection, My Death Never Stop You, enters at 15.

Foster The People are new in at 26 with Supermodel, while The Very best Of The Everly Brothers enters at 28. Tony Bennett’s The Classics (35), Magnum’s Escape From The Shadow Garden (38) and Doves frontman Jimi Goodwin‘s Odludek (39) complete this week’s new entries.

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

© 2013 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.