U.K. CHARTS: MOVIE MADNESS CONTINUES
Movie soundtracks are having a bit of a moment in the U.K. this year as ABBA-themed Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Polydor) sells 35k combined copies to reach #1 on the Official Albums Chart. Drake stays on top of singles and over on compilations, the 100th edition of NOW That’s What I Call Music (Universal/Sony) becomes the fastest-selling album of 2018.
With the Greatest Showman soundtrack (Atlantic) at #2, it's the first time since 1978 that the Top 2 albums spots have been taken by music from films in Blighty. Drake is down to #3 with Scorpion (Island), followed by George Ezra at #4 with Staying at Tamara’s (Columbia).
The first Mamma Mia! soundtrack (Polydor) has risen to #5 from #13, and, in keeping with this week’s theme, ABBA are back up to #7 with Gold: Greatest Hits (Polar).
This week’s highest new entry is South London duo D-Block Europe and Yxng Bane with a self-released collaborative mixtape, Any Minute Now, charting at #14.
While the NOW album doesn’t qualify to chart in the Official Albums list, the 100th edition tops the compilations chart on 176k copies. That’s more than double the 64k the previous record holder, Drake’s Scorpion, sold in its first week.
Alongside the long-running success of Greatest Showman, which has spent 21 weeks at #1 this year, 2018 is shaping up to be a big one for movie soundtracks and compilations in Blighty, and a not so big one for artist albums. Is that a reflection of listening habits or lack of breakthrough talent?
On the Official Singles Chart, Drake is #1 for a second week with “In My Feelings” being streamed 9.1m times. George Ezra is at #2 with “Shotgun” (Columbia), while Jonas Blue f/Jack & Jack’s “Rise” (Virgin EMI) has risen three places to #3. 5 Seconds Of Summer's “Youngblood” (Capitol) is up to #4, and “Jackie Chan” (Virgin EMI) by Tiesto & Dzeko f/Preme & Post Malone has risen to #5.
Other high risers include Juce Wrld with “Lucid Dreams” (Polydor) up five places to #12, Cheat Codes x Little Mix's “Only You” (Syco) lifts three places to #16, and Jax Jones f/Mabel and Rich The Kid's “Ring Ring” (Polydor) is up six to #17.
This week's highest new entry goes to The 1975 with the second single from their upcoming album, “Love It If We Made It” (Dirty Hit/Polydor), debuting at #33.
