Irish pop icons Westlife have secured the highest new entry on this week's Official Albums Chart with 25 – The Ultimate Collection. Celebrating a quarter of a century at the forefront of pop music, the hit-packed compilation lands straight at Number 2, becoming the 15th Top 10 album for Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne, and Mark Feehily. The retrospective features all 14 of the group's UK chart-toppers, placing them joint-third with Ed Sheeran and Cliff Richard on the all-time list of artists with the most Number 1 singles.
Despite Westlife’s strong debut, Michael Jackson maintains a fierce grip on the charts, securing a second consecutive week at Number 1 with his 2005 compilation, The Essential Michael Jackson. The late King of Pop dominates the Top 5 as his legendary Thriller climbs to Number 5, while Bad rises to Number 6. Additionally, his seminal 1979 album Off The Wall has re-entered the Top 40 at Number 39 for the first time since 2009.
Sheffield’s own Reverend and the Makers are also celebrating a major milestone as their eighth studio album, Is This How Happiness Feels?, debuts at Number 7. This marks the five-piece band's third Top 10 LP, following their 2007 debut The State of Things and 2023’s Heatwave In The Cold North. The new release has also conquered physical formats, topping both the Official Albums Vinyl Chart and the Official Record Store Chart by shifting the most copies on wax and within independent retail outlets over the past seven days. Frontman Jon McClure celebrated the achievement, telling Official Charts: “Number 1 Official Independent album and a third Top Ten. Enjoying being a chart veteran!”
Elsewhere in the standings, Harry Styles' former Number 1 project Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. returns to the Top 10 at Number 9 ahead of his Together, Together Tour launching in Amsterdam. Other notable movements include Katy Perry's greatest hits set The One That Got The Plays entering at Number 13, and Ipswich band Basement securing their first main chart entry at Number 16 with WIRED.
