David Bowie’s swan song, Blackstar (RCA), has topped 150k first-week sales in the U.K., awarding the late star his tenth #1 album in his home country. Total Bowie sales reached 623k as fans turned out in their thousands to honor him and his extensive back catalog. That number includes 241k album sales, 167k singles and 19 million streams of Bowie tracks.
10 of Bowie’s previous albums appeared in the Official Albums Chart Top 40, with a further 19 entries in the Top 100. Aside from Blackstar, his highest entry is 2014 compilation Nothing Has Changed, which upped two places since Tuesday to finish at #5, while The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974 also moved two places since our last tally from #13 to #11 (both Parlophone).
The rest of the albums Top 5 is made up of long-standing names with Elvis Presley’sIf I Can Dream (Sony Music CG) holding at #2, Adele’s 25 (XL/Beggars) ending its seven-week run at the top and slipping to #3, while Justin Bieber’s Purpose (Def Jam) sits at #4.
Bowie also frequents the Official Singles Chart with five singles in the Top 40, starting with “Heroes” at #12. However, it’s Ted Cockle’s UMG label Virgin EMI that dominates the Top 5 as Bieber holds at #1 with “Love Yourself” enjoying a sixth non-consecutive week at the helm (it’s also this week’s most-streamed track with over 3.94m listens). “Sorry” and “What Do You Mean” each slip a place to #3 and #4 respectively.
Island’s Shawn Mendes, also signed to Virgin EMI in the U.K., has closed the week at #2 on the Official Singles Chart in Blighty with “Stitches” ending Bieber’s Top 3 reign. Cockle took “Stitches” (originally released in May 2015) back to radio after being wowed by the young singer at his Shepherds Bush Empire gig last September. Thanks to an A List spot at BBC Radio 1 and Global‘s Capital FM, the track has had 2,535 plays across all U.K. radio since Friday, and improved 12 places to end the week at #4 last week. Currently 13k sales behind “Love Yourself,” can it improve again and reach #1 next week? Keep your eyes peeled.
Finally, Ministry of Sound’s Sigala climb three places to #5 with “Sweet Lovin’” feat.Bryn Christopher.
Source: Hits Daily Double
