The U.K.'s final weekly sales charts of 2008, published yesterday
(Dec. 28), saw Alexandra Burke and Take That retain their singles
and album crowns, respectively.
"X Factor" winner Burke's "Hallelujah" (Syco Music/Sony BMG) sold
another 311,000 copies during the chart week ending Dec. 27 to take
her two-week total to a giant 888,000. Take That's "The Circus"
sold a further 133,000 units for a running total of 1,446,000,
making it the second fastest-selling million-seller in U.K. album
history.
"The Circus" also places second on the OCC's year-end album sales
index. Duffy's "Rockferry" (A&M/Universal) was the U.K.'s
bestselling album of the year, with 1,685,000 units, and the "Mamma
Mia!" soundtrack, which qualifies for the separate compilation
chart, was the only various artists set to top one million sales,
at 1,007,000. The year's three "Now! That's What I Call Music"
compilations, volumes 71, 70 and 69, all came close, with sales of
964,000, 865,000 and 833,000 copies, respectively.
On the weekly charts, Take That's fourth week at No. 1 sat atop an
unchanged top five, with Leona Lewis' "Spirit" (Syco Music/Sony
BMG) at No. 2 again. Kings of Leon's "Only by the Night" (Hand Me
Down/Sony BMG), another U.K. million-seller, held at No. 3, the
Killers' "Day & Age" (Vertigo/Universal) at No. 4 and Girls
Aloud's "Out of Control" (Fascination/Polydor/Universal) at No. 5.
The Duffy album rose 10-6.
Three former No. 1 singles climbed again in the top 10: Lewis'
"Run" 3-2, Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" (Columbia/Sony BMG) 4-3 and
Take That's "Greatest Day" 9-6. James Morrison's "Broken Strings"
(Polydor/Universal), featuring Nelly Furtado, improved 6-4.
The current pan-European bestsellers have Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold"
moving 2-1 on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles and AC/DC's "Black Ice"
(Columbia/Sony BMG) in a sixth aggregate week atop European Top 100
Albums.
