27 November 2020
Newsdesk
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe kick off the festive season in style as their new album Together At Christmas lands straight in at Number 1 on this week’s Official Albums Chart, the Official Charts Company can confirm.
The pair’s fourth studio record is their third to reach Number 1, following Together (2016) and Together Again (2017). Together At Christmas racked up 33,000 chart sales this week, 96% of which were physical sales.
Celebrating the news, Ball & Boe told OfficialCharts.com:
“We just want to say thank you so much for getting us to Number 1, we really appreciate it. This is all for you – to bring you a bit of cheer this year. We’re sending lots of love, have a very Merry Christmas.”
Description automatically generatedMichael Ball & Alfie Boe with their Official Number 1 Album Award from the Official Charts Company for Together At Christmas (credit: Jack Alexander)
It means BTS settle for Number 2 with BE, their fifth Korean-language album and their fourth Top 10 collection in the UK in just two-and-a-half years.
A vinyl release of Taylor Swift’s former chart-topping album Folklore sends the record back into the Top 10 at Number 4 and racks up the most sales on vinyl this week, making her Number 1 on the Official Vinyl Chart.
Two more new releases debut inside this week’s Top 10: Neil Diamond and the London Symphony Orchestra’s Classic Diamonds sparkles at Number 5, marking his 15th Top 10 collection, and Iron Maiden live album Nights Of The Dead - Legacy Of The Beast lands at 7.
Two more live albums land in this week’s Top 20: Pink Floyd’s Delicate Sound of Thunder is new at Number 13, and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ live record Idiot Prayer – Nick Cave Alone At Alexandra Palace lands at 18. Wakefield indie-rock band The Cribs claim their sixth UK Top 40 album with Night Network at 19.
US singer Josh Groban enters at 24 with Harmony, his ninth Top 40 collection, and Tim Minchin’s Apart Together is new at 27.
Finally, Jamie Cullum’s The Pianoman At Christmas (31), a 20th anniversary reissue of Coldplay’s Parachutes (34), and Music Trial & Trauma – A Drill Story by Brixton rapper Loski (39) all land inside this week’s Top 40.
