Former "X-Factor" winner Leona Lewis broke records to enter the U.K. album chart at No. 1 yesterday with "Spirit" (Syco Music/Sony BMG), which has become the fastest-selling debut set in British chart history. Meanwhile, its first single, "Bleeding Love," started a fourth week at No. 1 in an unchanged top three.
With first-week sales of 375,000, "Spirit" is the fourth fastest-selling album in U.K. history, behind Oasis' "Be Here Now," Coldplay's "X&Y" and Dido's "Life for Rent." The previous record-holder for fastest-selling debut release was the Arctic Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not," which sold 363,000 copies out of the box early last year.
In a blockbuster week for new entries, the album top 10 also welcomed the Spice Girls' "Greatest Hits" (Virgin) at No. 2, Led Zeppelin's "Mothership" (Atlantic) at No. 4, Celine Dion's "Taking Chances" (Columbia) at No. 5, the Killers' rarities collection "Sawdust" at No. 7 and "Vivere -- The Best of Andrea Bocelli" (Sugar/UCJ) at No. 8.
Take That's "Beautiful World" (Polydor), already six-times platinum, returned to the chart in a "tour edition" at No. 9 to coincide with their current British dates. Last week's best-selling album, Westlife's "Back Home" (S/Sony BMG), fell to No. 3.
Such a slew of new releases restricted some other big names to entries outside the top 10. David Gray's "Greatest Hits" (iht/Atlantic) entered at No. 11, Cliff Richard's "Love -- The Album" (EMI) at No. 13, a combined best-of by the Beautiful South and the Housemartins, "Soup" (Mercury) at No. 16 and Craig David's fourth album, "Trust Me" (Warner Bros.), at No. 18.
On the singles chart, Lewis stayed ahead of Take That's "Stardust" soundtrack single "Rule the World" at No. 2 and "Apologize" by Timbaland presents OneRepublic (Interscope) at No. 3. Kylie Minogue's "2 Hearts" (Parlophone) climbed 12-4 and Alicia Keys' "No One" (J) jumped 9-6, while Bloc Party scored a new entry at No. 8 with the new song "Flux" (Wichita).
Veteran Scottish folk-rock band Runrig achieved its first-ever top 10 single at No. 9 with an adaptation of "Loch Lomond" (Ridge). The recording features the Tartan Army, the name given to Scottish football supporters, and was released last week in the build-up to Scotland's vital qualifier with Italy on Saturday for the 2008 European Championships, which Scotland lost 2-1.
On Billboard's pan-European charts, the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Polydor) took over control of European Top 100 Albums, moving 2-1 as Britney Spears' "Blackout" (Jive) crashed to No. 8. Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" (SRP/Def Jam) is in a third week atop Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.
With first-week sales of 375,000, "Spirit" is the fourth fastest-selling album in U.K. history, behind Oasis' "Be Here Now," Coldplay's "X&Y" and Dido's "Life for Rent." The previous record-holder for fastest-selling debut release was the Arctic Monkeys' "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not," which sold 363,000 copies out of the box early last year.
In a blockbuster week for new entries, the album top 10 also welcomed the Spice Girls' "Greatest Hits" (Virgin) at No. 2, Led Zeppelin's "Mothership" (Atlantic) at No. 4, Celine Dion's "Taking Chances" (Columbia) at No. 5, the Killers' rarities collection "Sawdust" at No. 7 and "Vivere -- The Best of Andrea Bocelli" (Sugar/UCJ) at No. 8.
Take That's "Beautiful World" (Polydor), already six-times platinum, returned to the chart in a "tour edition" at No. 9 to coincide with their current British dates. Last week's best-selling album, Westlife's "Back Home" (S/Sony BMG), fell to No. 3.
Such a slew of new releases restricted some other big names to entries outside the top 10. David Gray's "Greatest Hits" (iht/Atlantic) entered at No. 11, Cliff Richard's "Love -- The Album" (EMI) at No. 13, a combined best-of by the Beautiful South and the Housemartins, "Soup" (Mercury) at No. 16 and Craig David's fourth album, "Trust Me" (Warner Bros.), at No. 18.
On the singles chart, Lewis stayed ahead of Take That's "Stardust" soundtrack single "Rule the World" at No. 2 and "Apologize" by Timbaland presents OneRepublic (Interscope) at No. 3. Kylie Minogue's "2 Hearts" (Parlophone) climbed 12-4 and Alicia Keys' "No One" (J) jumped 9-6, while Bloc Party scored a new entry at No. 8 with the new song "Flux" (Wichita).
Veteran Scottish folk-rock band Runrig achieved its first-ever top 10 single at No. 9 with an adaptation of "Loch Lomond" (Ridge). The recording features the Tartan Army, the name given to Scottish football supporters, and was released last week in the build-up to Scotland's vital qualifier with Italy on Saturday for the 2008 European Championships, which Scotland lost 2-1.
On Billboard's pan-European charts, the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Polydor) took over control of European Top 100 Albums, moving 2-1 as Britney Spears' "Blackout" (Jive) crashed to No. 8. Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" (SRP/Def Jam) is in a third week atop Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.
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