ALBUMS
Daring, distasteful, ignorant, raw, primal, visceral, extreme, narcissistic, intense, racist, dangerous, and controversial are just some of the adjectives being bandied around by a hyped-up press to describe Kanye West's new album Yeezus, which dropped unexpectedly on Tuesday, six days before it was originally intended, 10 days after his 36th birthday and three days after Kim Kardashian gave birth to his daughter - North West.
In the maelstrom whipped up by its release, Yeezus sold 25,400 copies to debut atop the album chart. West's sixth solo album, it is his second number one, following Graduation, which opened at number one in 2007, on sales of 84,611 - his highest weekly tally. West's last chart album, Watch The Throne, was a collaboration with Jay-Z, which opened at number three in 2011 on sales of 30,856 copies. Prior to the release of Yeezus, West had sold 2,723,453 albums in the UK, with top title Late Registration - which debuted and peaked at number two in 2005, on sales of 67,240 - contributing 796,249. Three tracks from Yeezus enter the singles chart: Black Skinhead (number 48, 6,257 sales), New Slaves (number 97, 2,786 sales) and Blood On The Leaves (number 174, 1,421 sales).
West's album is one of three new hip-hop titles to invade the chart this week: J. Cole's Born Sinner debuts at number seven (12,034 sales), while Mac Miller's Watching Moves With The Sound Off opens at number 56 (2,383 sales). The second albums for both Cole and Miller, they easily eclipse their debuts - Cole's Cole World: The Sideline Story debuted and peaked at number 25 (6,740 sales) in 2011, and Miller's Blue Slide Park failed to chart, achieving first week sales of 78 on its way to a cumulative tally of just 6,444, though Wikipedia erroneously credits it with reaching number 143.
Before Yeezus was released, it looked like being a close thing between Black Sabbath - looking to remain number one with 13 - and In A Perfect World, Irish rock band Kodaline's debut album. In A Perfect World set the early pace, surging to a 30.11% lead on the first midweek sales flashes on Tuesday, but was only 8.02% ahead two days later, and ended up debuting at number three (20,924 sales), while 13 fell 1-2 (21,056 sales). All three Kodaline singles from In A Perfect World enjoy a bounce: latest hit Love Like This improves 35-34 (8,995 sales), High Hopes makes a vinyly satisfying 78-45 climb (6,832 sales) and All I Want re-enters at number 150 (1,630 sales). The singles peaked at 22, 16 and 74, respectively.
Aiming for their third Top 10 album in the UK with their seventh studio album, Icelandic sound sculptors Sigur Ros' XL Recordings debut Kveikur opens at number nine (11,301 sales). Sigur Ros' highest chart position and biggest first week sale came from their fifth album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, which debuted and peaked at number five, on sales of 20,266 in 2008. Their last album, Valtari, debuted and peaked at number eight (11,136 sales) last year. Their biggest selling album, Takk... debuted and peaked at number 16 in 2005, selling exactly 14,900 copies on its way to overall sales of 292,310.
German composer Hans Zimmer reached number 19 last year with his Batman soundtrack The Dark Knight Rises but switches his superhero allegiance to Superman for Man Of Steel, which debuts this week at number 20 (6,849 sales) as the film continues to dominate the box office charts. Both films were produced and written by Christopher Nolan. Zimmer's only other Top 20 entry is by far his biggest seller, however. Reaching number 17 in 2000, Gladiator - a collaboration with Lisa Gerrard - has sold 414,711 copies. The last Superman film, Superman Returns, was also a major success in 2006, but the soundtrack - by John Ottman - reached only number 130.
Classical crossover singer Hayley Westenra has scored five UK Top 40 albums hitherto and the 26 year old Kiwi racks up her sixth - but lowest charting - with Hushabye (number 35, 3,862 sales). It includes both classical and regular songs, among them tracks sung entirely in Mandarin and Welsh - a perfect foil to Sigur Ros' entirely Icelandic album.
Albums in the Top 10 not mentioned above: Rod Stewart's Time retreats 3-4 (18,796 sales), Passenger's All The Little Lights recovers 8-5 (15,904 sales), Daft Punk's Random Access Memories falls 4-6 (14,138 sales), Olly Murs' Right Place Right Place bounces 12-8 (11,475 sales) to achieve its highest position for 15 weeks, and Disclosure's Settle descends 5-10 (11,087 sales).
After debuting at number two last week, Beady Eye's second album BE collapses to number 17 (8,111 sales), while there are also big second week falls for Status Quo's Bula Quo! soundtrack (10-32, 4,151 sales), Boards Of Canada's Tomorrow's Harvest (7-36, 3,754 sales), KT Tunstall's Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon (14-38, 3,510 sales) and, most spectacularly, Mark Owen's The Art Of Doing Nothing (29-120, 947 sales).
Now That's What I Call 30 Years moves 2-1 (19,819 sales) to rack up its third week atop the compilation chart in total.
Overall album sales are down 18.72% week-on-week at 1,483,625, as the Father's Day effect evaporates, and are 0.65% below same week 2012 sales of 1,493,265. Sales of the number one album are the lowest since Rihanna's Talk That Talk topped 44 weeks ago on painfully low sales of 9,578
SINGLES
Pharrell Williams is featured vocalist on the number one single for the eighth time in nine weeks, with Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell racking up its fourth straight week at number one to match the earlier four week run at the summit enjoyed by Daft Punk's Get Lucky, on which he was also guest vocalist. Williams' previous biggest seller, One (Your Name) - on which he obliged The Swedish House Mafia - sold 420,242 copies following its 2010 release - but Get Lucky and Blurred Lines have both gone far beyond that, and are the two biggest hits of the year to date.
After three straight weeks in which it sold upwards of 190,000 copies, Blurred Lines suffers its first significant drop-off with sales dipping 31.30% last week to a still solid 133,052 copies. It jumps 6-2 on the year-to-date chart, with 718,057 sales. After nine straight weeks in the Top 5, Get Lucky dips 4-6 this week, with a further 47,592 sales lifting its overall tally to 977,622. Its millionth sale certain to occur within the next few days.
Blurred Lines' continuing high sales deny - at least for the moment - Jason DeRulo the opportunity of achieving his third number one hit. The Other Side - the introductory single from his still to be named third album - scorches to a number two debut on sales of 91,650 copies. That's a personal sales best for DeRulo, beating the 76,581 copies that his second number one Don't Wanna Go Home, sold when it debuted at the summit exactly two years ago this week. His first number one In My Head, also debuted at the top, selling 68,134 copies as it did so in 2010. Neither track is DeRulo's biggest selling single, however - that would be Ridin' High, which reached number two in 2010. Although it never sold more than 46,550 copies in a week, it has amassed sales to date of 508,533, while In My Head has sold 421,218, and Don't Wanna Go Home has sold 372,780. The latter title isn't even number three on his all-time best-sellers list - Whatcha Say, his introductory hit (number three, 2009) has sold 405,426 copies. The Other Side's first week tally carry overall Derulo single sales past the 2.5m mark.
Wild - his collaboration with Jessie J and Big Sean dips 6-8 (38,849 sales) on its fourth week in the Top 10 but Dizzee Rascal has another major hit with Goin' Crazy (feat. Robbie Williams), debuting at number five (51,430 sales). It's Dizzee's 11th Top 10 hit, and his 21st Top 40 hit, of which he has had lead (or joint) billing on all but four.
His father getting angry with the NME for a no star review of his debut album Long Way Down - out today (24th) - seems to have had little effect on Tom Odell's first smash Another Love, which enters at number 10. It is actually a re-entry - the track was first made available for download last October and originally peaked at number 56 in January before being withdrawn. Back after a 14 week absence, the track previously sold more than 41,000 copies and now adds a further 33,022 sales. Two other songs from Long Way Down have charted - Can't Pretend reached number 67 in March and Hold Me got to number 44 in April.
Singles in the Top 10 not mentioned hitherto: La La La slips 2-3 (69,792 sales) for Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith, Let Her Go drifts 3-4 (59,505 sales) for Passenger, Dear Darlin' dips 5-7 (42,133 sales) for Olly Murs and Everything Has Changed falls 7-9 (36,687 sales) for Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran.
Do I Wanna Know is the first single from Arctic Monkeys' upcoming fifth album. Dropping on Wednesday, it sold 26,351 copies by close of business on Saturday to debut at number 11. It is the group's seventh Top 20 hit.
Wasting My Young Years is the first single from London Grammar, and debuts at number 31 (10,785 sales).
Andrea Begley was crowned as winner of BBC1's The Voice UK on Saturday, eclipsing ante post favourite Leah McFall. Begley's victory was just enough, in the short time window available, to earn her Top 75 debut, with a cover of Evanescence's My Immortal - which she performed in the final - selling 3,810 copies to enter at number 75. Evanescence's own version of the song - a number seven hit in 2003 - sold 67 copies more to re-enter the chart at number 74, and lift its career sales to 247,790. Begley's cover of The Lumineers' Ho Hey reaches a new peak (120-101, 2,709 sales) and her version of A-Ha's Take On Me debuts at number 103 (2,558 sales). McFall finished in the top three and saw a downturn in support in the week as a whole for I Will Survive (8-15, 22,810 sales) but climbed 105-36 (8,284 sales) with Killing Me Softly and debuted at number 85 (3,431 sales) with I Will Always Love You. Mike Ward, who also finished in the top three, moves 65-60 (4,612 sales) with When I Was Your Man, while Picking Up The Pieces advances 137-72 (4,034 sales).
Two singles make modest improvements to reach new peaks this week: Bruno Mars' Treasure climbs 13-12 (25,391 sales), and #Beautiful edges 23-22 (13,690 sales) for Mariah Carey feat. Miguel. Crazy Kids is in more of a hurry for Ke$ha feat. Will.I.Am, leaping 75-35 (8,886 sales)
Global smash I Love It was finally granted a UK release on Sunday for Swedish duo Icona Pop and British singer Charli XCX. The act's record company (Warner Music) has stood firm against releasing the track earlier and have suffered a substantial loss of sales to rival covers, not to mention illegal downloads. So far, no fewer than seven versions of the song have made the Top 200, some of them as I Love It (I Don't Care). Three weeks ago, Iconic Pop Band reached number 119; two weeks ago, Loreen Harris reached number 74 and Stephanie Treo reached number 195; last week, Venus Palermo reached number 71 and Glee Cast reached number 90 while Remix Junkies debuted at number 119. This week, Remix Junkies jump to number 49 (6,109 sales) - although their version was on sale four only four days in total (Friday 14th-Monday 17th) - while Remix Chix debut at number 61 (4,542 sales). Glee Cast falling to number 143 (1,742 sales) while Venus Palermo's version exits the Top 200s). Like the Remix Junkies version, most covers seem to have had very uneven sales, with sudden deletions and reinstatements blighting their chart careers.
At least 50 other recordings of the song are available. It is, incidentally one of the biggest Glee Cast singles for a long time. Exactly 100 songs by Glee Cast have made the Top 75 - a total surpassed only by Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard in chart history - but the last of these, It's All Coming Back To Me Now, was over a year ago. The programme's transfer from E4 to Sky 1 has seen audiences tumble, and sales follow. When It's All Coming Back To Me Now charted, I noted that of 363 Glee Cast singles, three had made the Top 10, 30 had made the Top 40, 100 had made the Top 75 and 244 had reached the Top 200, with cumulative sales of 4,260,757. 13 months later, those figures for Top 10, Top 40 and Top 75 hits still apply - but the total number of Glee Cast singles is now 496, of which 254 have made the Top 200. Total sales of 4,904,959 include a whopping 523,875 copies of their first, highest charting and biggest single, the Journey cover Don't Stop Believin' (number two, 2010).
Overall singles sales are down 0.22% week-on-week at 3,480,559 - 1.74% above same week 2012 sales of 3,421,065.