1. The Weeknd – ‘Hurry up Tomorrow‘

The artist’s sixth studio album, and his fourth record to achieve the number one position. This is the album’s first week on charts, as it was released on January 31. His previous Number 1 albums include second studio album ‘Beauty Behind The Madness‘ released in 2015, ‘After Hours‘ released in 2020 and ‘Dawn FM‘ released in 2022. According to the artist, this is the final album to be published under The Weeknd pseudonym.

2. Central Cee – ‘Can’t Rush Greatness‘

‘Can’t Rush Greatness‘ the London-born artist’s debut album and it was released on January 24. It peaked at number one last week, its opening week, making it the rapper’s second project to achieve the position. The record also features appearances from Young Miko, 21 Savage, Dave, Lil Durk, Skepta and Lil Baby. In April, the artist will be starting a tour with stops all over the UK and Europe.

3. Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Short n Sweet‘

This week marks the album’s 24th week charting in the UK, and ever since its release in mid-august, ‘Short n Sweet’ has not left the top five. It previously peaked at number one for two non-consecutive weeks, and it is Carpenter’s second album to chart and first to achieve the position. ‘Short n Sweet‘ recently won the ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’ category at Grammy awards; furthermore, the American artist will soon embark on the UK leg of her tour, currently completely sold out, playing two nights at London’s O2 Arena.

4. The Weeknd – ‘The Highlights‘

The artist’s second album on the top five this week, it previously peaked at number two and has spent 209 weeks on charts, being also named one of the most popular records of 2023 and 2024. The album is a collection of the singer’s greatest hits, who has collected 57 top 100 songs in his career.

5. Ed Sheeran – ‘Mathematics Tour Collection‘

The collection was released in late September and includes the songs played by Sheeran on his record breaking Mathematics Tour. It previously peaked at number one, making it the artist’s eight album to achieve the position, and has currently spent 19 weeks charting in the top 20, 17 of which in the top 10.

The news of Payne’s heartbreaking death was reported last Wednesday evening, as the ex-band member fell from a third-floor hotel balcony, dying aged 31. Liam Payne along with his fellow bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan found their acclaim on X Factor back in 2010.

All over the world fans are mourning the young pop star’s death by reminiscing his contributions to the music industry. As fans begin listening to their favourite band’s music once again, many have acknowledged Payne’s smooth tones that kept the group in unison during their X Factor experience, along with his playfully thought-out lyrics in both his accredited tracks for One Direction and his solo material.

Legendary tracks from One Direction are set to re-enter the UK Official Chart’s Top 40 following the singer’s tragic death. The UK Official Charts Company has estimated ‘Night Changes’ at 16, the former Number 2 ‘Story Of My Life’ at 21 and One Direction’s first single and chart-topper ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ at 47.

In conjunction with the growth of popularity in One Direction’s tracks, Payne’s solo hits are also estimated to re-enter the charts. This includes Payne’s first solo single ‘Strip That Down’ featuring Quavo at 75, ‘For You’ with Rita Ora at 67 and ‘Teardrops’, Payne’s last single released March of this year, at 65.

The resurgence of One Direction and Payne’s tracks will battle against ‘Die With A Smile’, a single released in August by Joker actress Lady Gaga and US singer Bruno Mars, and Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Taste’, which continues to top the charts.

@about.london Honouring Liam Payne at the Peter Pan Statue #liampayne #hydepark #kensingtongardens #memorial #onedirection #1D #peterpan #london #fyp ♬ Walking in the Wind – One Direction

The newfound popularity of these tracks accompanies the occurrence of many vigils and memorial spaces throughout the UK and the world, set up by fans to remember Liam Payne.Fans have gathered in their hundreds to grieve the pop star, singing Payne’s and One Direction’s songs to feel close to the singer. The tragic death of the singer has brought about a heightened sense of unity between fans and members of the industry as they mourn the loss of Payne.

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A post shared by One Direction (@onedirection)

Whilst coming to terms with the news, the official One Direction social media posted for the first time in four years to share their devastating loss. In a statement signed “Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry”, Payne’s bandmates said: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”

To accompany the message the singers took to their personal social media pages to express their condolences with heartbreaking personal statements and throwback pictures.

The tragic death of Liam Payne marks the continued legacy of an iconic pop star gone long before his time.

The ultimate goal is to secure a Number 1 Single spot. Olly hopes to continue the tradition of successfully making the Official Singles Chart where other UK entries have been listed in previous years. Such as Sam Ryder, who reportedly just missed out when he was just beaten by Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’ in 2022. According to Will Wilkin, who is the BBC’s Music Commissioning Executive, this is clearly the one and only goal:

“Our ambition is to win and for the single to go to Number 1, and for it to be another watershed moment for Eurovision for the UK.”

When interviewed on The Euro Trip podcast back in January, Wilkin said that they must prepare for the worst case scenario, however “we are going there to win it with a single that is an incredibly commercially successful single.”

Although, this does not seem to be the philosophy adopted by Olly, as when interviewed with Graham Norton, the U.K’s Eurovision commentator on March 1st, 2024, he shared that his love for Eurovision trumps the concept of whether he ‘wins’ or ‘looses’. He communicated his sincere excitement and pure admiration for the contest by stating that “even if you come last, it’s iconic.”

Upon hearing that his song got confirmed he immediately called his mom, his boyfriend, and talked to his cats about the good news! “I’ve always loved Eurovision. There’s just nothing else like Eurovision…  a chaotic mix of fun and all these different musical styles, all these amazing performances.” Graham asked Olly’s favourite Eurovision performances in the past, and they have been Loreen’s “Euphoria,” Chanel’s “SloMo,’ and his top favourite is Pastora Soler with “Quédate conmigo.” 

What was Olly’s path that led him to the prestigious Eurovision event? Olly achieved 10 UK Top 40 singles and as a member of Years & Years (a British pop band that formed in 2010) he earnt three Top 10 albums. So, it can be gathered that to have the opportunity to represent his country is more than a dream come true. 

According to Official Charts, his passion is unparalleled, as during his interview on the BRIT’s red carpet on March 2nd, he couldn’t contain his excitement: “I’m really happy it’s out, I’m excited to perform the song!” For the show he has something ‘unexpected, memorable, and enchanting’ planned. He wants his performance to leave a remarkable impression and to leave people surprised. The ingredients he believes will drive this effect are drama and emotion, which aided Olly to title the song as it is.

Eurovision is the competition known world over for bringing the harmonies, melodies, and symphonies of Europe together in one place. An opportunity to gravitate people together through the oasis of song, and one of these songs will be ‘Dizzy’ by Olly Alexander.

Sealing last year’s number one spot was none other than Miley Cyrus with her smash hit “Flowers”, which spent an incredible 10 weeks at the top of the Official UK Singles chart. “Flowers” was the lead single from Cyrus’ eighth studio-album Endless Summer Vacation, and went on to accumulate 198 million combined audio and video streams in the UK in 2023, making it the most-streamed song of the year. The 31-year-old’s single also went on to be the most-downloaded song of the year, with 91,000 UK downloads.

Joining Miley in a 10-week long reign at the number one spot were British rappers Dave and Central Cee with their single “Sprinter”. The track was a smash hit as it broke UK chart records as it clinched the biggest streaming week for any rap song in Official Chart history, and also claimed the title of the longest-running rap Number 1 in the UK. Since its release, the team duo have racked up 161 million UK audio and video streams, landing them the number two spot on the top songs of 2023.

The track claiming the number three spot in this list was originally the first Official Number One Single of 2023. When RAYE and 070 Shake’s track “Escapism” soared to number one, RAYE told Official Charts: “We are Number 1 in the UK! It’s the first Number 1 of the year, it’s my first Number 1 in my life. I’m an independent artist, this is sickening! This is proof you should back yourself, no matter what. Thank you, this is mad. These are happy tears!” 

Completing 2023’s top five was Taylor Swift’s resilient 2022 hit “Anti-Hero”, and collaboration trance track “Miracle” from Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding. Celebrating the success of the latter, Goulding told Official Charts: “This is just very cool. Thank you very much to everyone for listening to it and supporting it, Oontz, oontz…rave on!” 

The Official top 10 songs of 2023:

1. “Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
2. “Sprinter” – Dave & Central Cee
3. “Escapism” – RAYE feat. 070 Shake
4. “Anti-Hero” – Taylor Swift
5. “Miracle” – Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding
6. “Calm Down” – Rema
7. “Kill Bill” – SZA
8. “Boy’s A Liar” – PinkPantheress
9. “As It Was” – Harry Styles
10. “People” Libianca

Interestingly, this is the first time that George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s song has reached number one during Christmas week. Ridgeley expressed his delight and humility at achieving this milestone, stating,“It’s marvellous and humbling to have got there. Top of the pile is a great place to be.” He added that Michael, who died in 2016, had always wanted the song to be a Christmas number one.”He felt any great songwriter should be able to write a Christmas hit to order. Unfortunately, it’s taken too long for George – but he’d be absolutely over the moon.”

The Top Five Christmas Songs

1. Wham! – “Last Christmas”
2. Sam Ryder – “You’re Christmas To Me”
3. Mariah Carey – “All I Want For Christmas Is You”
4. Noah Kahan – “Stick Season”
5. Ed Sheeran and Elton John – “Merry Christmas”

For the past five years, the charity campaigners LadBaby have secured the coveted Christmas number one spot with their singles aimed at raising funds for food-related causes. However, this year they decided not to participate, leaving the title up for grabs. Out of the top 40 songs this week, a total of 33 were Christmas-themed, including popular tracks like Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.”

“Last Christmas” was written by George Michael in his childhood bedroom in February 1984. In an interview with Smash Hits in 1986, he confidently stated, “As far as I was concerned, it was a number one.” The inspiration for the song struck unexpectedly while the singer was spending time at his parents’ house in Hertfordshire. According to Andrew Ridgeley, Michael’s bandmate, “There was a footy match on the telly and he suddenly jumped up and disappeared upstairs where he had a little four-track studio. About an hour later, he came back and said, ‘Andy Andy, you’ve got to listen to this’. I rarely saw him as excited or as animated as that. And as soon as I heard it, it was so apparent that it had all the hallmarks of a Christmas classic. It was a jaw-dropping moment.”

@smoothradio The story of Last Christmas, told by Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley #lastchristmas #lastchristmaschallenge #georgemichael #andrewridgeley #smoothradio Last Christmas –

The song was then recorded in August at London’s Advision Studios, which Michael adorned with Christmas decorations to create the right atmosphere. When the duo played the song for their families, Ridgeley recalled, “It claimed its first victim. One of my mother’s friends had a romance at Christmas, which is what the song is about. She got jilted and when she heard it, she burst into tears.”

The iconic and cheerful music video, featuring Wham!’s backing singers Pepsi & Shirlie and model Kathy Hill, was filmed later that year in Switzerland. In addition to the memorable chunky knitwear and the prominent silver brooch, the video also marked the final time Michael would be seen without his trademark designer stubble.

Sam Ryder emerged as a strong competitor to Wham! this year with his track “You’re Christmas To Me.” this track received a boost in the charts thanks to support from Amazon. Despite an extensive publicity campaign, Ryder couldn’t surpass Wham!’s dominance but remained enthusiastic about his achievement. The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl also made a bid for the number one spot with “Fairytale of New York,” landing in sixth place.

Another day, another Tay slay

Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) ends an incredible year by claiming 2022’s Official Christmas Number 1 album with #Midnights

Read the full story ➡ https://t.co/owb6I7lgxZ #XmasNo1 #TaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/cfF052r2fq

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) December 23, 2022

The 33-year-old singer’s festive victory marks the second instance in which Midnight has topped the charts. Released on 21st October 2022, the album debuted at the top spot in the UK album charts and found success in streams, particularly within the platform Spotify. The release marks the tenth studio album by Swift and followed the 2020 release Folklore and Evermore.

 With its win this week, Midnight has now accumulated three weeks at the number one position. Its first entered the charts upon its release and debuted at number one, Midnight then outsold the competition again the following week and has remained in the top three until its triumphant return this festive season. Swift’s recent chart success marks the second time she has spent three weeks at number one. Released on 24th July 2020, Folklore also spent three weeks as the UK’s number-one album.

The success found with Midnight’s charting propelled Swift into the chart of the most popular singers, the “Bad Blood” singer has accumulated the second most number one albums in UK chart history. Swift has entered the top billing with a high stat of nine albums, Madonna remains at the top with twelve UK number-one albums.

Placing at number three within the official 2022 UK album charts is Christmas by Michael Buble, the crooner’s seasonal staple was released on 24th October 2011 and has remained a favourite for shoppers and listeners. Upon its initial release, the album was given a Juno Award for Album of the Year, creating a landmark moment as it was the first holiday-themed release to be given the accolade.

Placing at number four within this year’s annual album race is SOS by SZA, the American singer’s second and most recent album was released on 9th December 2022 via Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records, peaking at number two within the UK album charts. Closing off the top five is A Family Christmas by Andrea/Matteo/Virginia Bocelli, a compilation album created by Andrea Bocelli with a heavy focus on family and the Christmas spirit.

The 25-year-old singer’s latest single has accumulated over 56,000 chart units and has been named this week’s most digitally downloaded track as well as the highest-selling single on physical formats. The high charting track marks Capaldi’s third number one single; the singer first topped the UK singles charts in 2019 with “Someone You Loved” and again in 2020 with “Before You Go“.

Within an exclusive interview with OfficialCharts.com, Capaldi comically stated, “I can’t thank everyone enough for doing this with me and getting it to this point, even though I did most of the work myself! This one goes out to all of you, the people who love me, and especially to my enemies. May you all perish in flames and know nothing but eternal suffering.” The singer took to social media today to share a heartwarming message of thanks to his fans.

thank you pic.twitter.com/6r1xMgeH0D

— Lewis Capaldi (@LewisCapaldi) September 17, 2022

The synthesizer-infused track features 80’s pop influences and marks a new sound for Capaldi, “Forget Me” comes with an accompanying music video which also draws on tropes from the decade. Many keen music fans have noticed similarities between Capaldi’s new music video and the video for the iconic 1983 Wham! hit “Club Tropicana“. The stylistic nods to the era and Wham production can be seen in the video’s location and image of Capaldi relaxing whilst singing on a float in a pool.

The new track is the first peek into Capaldi’s second studio album, “Forget Me“, the lead single for the singer’s yet-to-be-titled sophomore album. The yet-to-be-announced release will follow the singer’s beloved debut album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent; the album was released on 17th May 2019 via Vertigo Records, Capitol Records and Universal Music.

Including a release from the album’s extended edition, the Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent sired seven singles, including the track which propelled Capaldi into stardom. The album’s fifth single, “Someone You Loved“, was released in 2018 and gained traction with consistent radio play; the piano ballad became his first number one single.

Click here to stream/download/buy “Forget Me“.

Speaking on his win, Williams has stated, “Thank you to everyone who’s supported the album: everyone who’s bought it, streamed it, downloaded it and reviewed it. I’m so pleased that it’s gone to Number 1, and whilst it feels strange to be receiving an award during these sombre times, I wanted to thank you all for your support and dedicate this to the fans, who I never take for granted. I really appreciate it, thank you so much.”

OFFICIAL CHART RECORD BREAKER.@RobbieWilliams overtakes Elvis Presley as the solo act with most UK Number 1 albums in history with #XXV.

Congratulations, Robbie! https://t.co/43bmmaxUao

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) September 16, 2022

Before One Direction took the world by storm, Take That captured the nation’s hearts, arguably laying the groundwork and formula for future boybands. Williams joined the boyband in 1990 at the young age of 16 and quickly became a favourite for many. In 1996, with boyband fever still in swing, Take That broke the hearts of many when they announced their split. Whilst a member of Take That, Williams scored four number one albums within the UK, including the greatest hits album Odyssey; the figure is five UK number one albums.

During the same year as Take That’s disbandment, Williams embarked on his hotly anticipated solo career. Throughout the Stoke-on-Trent native’s career as a solo artist, he released fourteen studio albums, all but one has placed at the top spot. The singer’s eighth solo studio album, Reality Killed the Video Star, was released in 2009 and placed at number two on the UK album charts. The singer’s recent release, XXV, is Williams’ third greatest hits collection to secure the number one position.

Although Williams is now the record holder, The Beatles still hold the first place as the act with the most UK number one albums. The fab four have accumulated fifteen UK number one albums throughout their career, first securing the top spot in 1963 with their debut album Please Please Me. The group have featured within the UK charts even after their split; in 2000, the group’s greatest hits album entitled 1 spent an impressive 174 weeks at the top of the charts.

Famed Beatles band member Sir Paul McCartney is still untouched and remains the individual who has collected the most number one albums. The singer has accumulated twenty-three number-one albums throughout his long career; the figure includes his time spent in the Beatles, Wings and as a solo performer.

As #HoldMeCloser becomes his fourth Top 5 in a year, Sir @EltonOfficial‘s Diamonds album crosses the 1 million sales mark in the UK

Full story https://t.co/OvezYV6fxe pic.twitter.com/XOb41skTs3

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) September 2, 2022

After debuting on the UK singles chart at number three, “Hold Me Closer” has also secured the title of the UK’s best-selling single of the week. The hotly anticipated single’s high chart position marks Sir John’s fourth consecutive top 5 hits within a year. The “Daniel” singer has also broken the top 5 with “Cold Heart“, his duet with British singer-songwriter Dua Lipa. Last winter marked a successful festive season for Sir John; he found chart success with “Merry Christmas“, his collaboration with Ed Sheeran and 2021’s Christmas number one single “Sausage Rolls For Everyone” with Sheeran and LadBaby.

Sir John and Spears’ new release sees the two pioneering artists utilise three of Sir John’s hits to construct the song, elements from “Tiny Dancer“, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart“, and the 1992 single “The One” can be heard within the smooth mix. Speaking exclusively to Official Charts, Sir John has said, “It’s such a thrill to see how well Hold Me Closer is connecting with fans” Elton John exclusively told OfficialCharts.com, “scoring my first Official Number 1 in over a decade with Cold Heart was a wonderful feeling – I thought my days of having hit singles were behind me.”

Thank you to my fans for making my song number one for a week now !!! @eltonofficial : @monalisaney81 pic.twitter.com/Nanm02d7F4 — Britney Spears (@britneyspears) September 2, 2022

The beloved pianist continues, “But to see how much Hold Me Closer means, not only to my fans but Britney and her fans, is beyond words. She’s a wonderful person and artist, and hopefully the reaction to our song has made her feel how loved she is, and she’ll have the confidence to begin the next chapter of her career.“

The new data released from the Official Charts has confirmed further success for Sir John; his 2017 greatest hits, Diamonds, has placed at number 5 on the UK album charts and reached a landmark sales figure. The album has acquired an overall total of 1 million chart units within the UK; the data reveals that within just this week, the album has sold over 332k units both digitally and on physical formats. The newly released data also confirmed that such platforms as Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music are mainly responsible for Diamonds’ high figures, the triple platinum selling album has acquired two-thirds of its total from streaming services.

Sir John has also spoken to Official Charts concerning the exciting news, “Seeing Diamonds reach a million sales in the UK is also beyond words – everything we’ve achieved in the last five years – the book, the film, my tour- has kept my songs out there for younger fans to discover and people returning to it time and time again is really humbling.“

Chief Executive of Official Charts Company, Martin Talbot, has also spoken on Diamonds’ colossal success, “The huge success of Diamonds once again highlights the massive impact that Sir Elton John continues to have on the British music market, and the love that music lovers in the UK have for him. There is no doubt that Sir Elton will forever be the nation’s Captain Fantastic.”

B.O.T.A. by @ElizaRosemuzik and @intergalacticz is Number 1

See the Top 100 https://t.co/kIQcwhKbwC pic.twitter.com/ioJK0JdWhM

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) September 3, 2022

After six weeks on the chart, “B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)” has climbed up the UK singles charts to become Rose’s debut number one. During an interview with Dazed magazine earlier this month, Rose spoke on her career’s origins and early musical influences. During the interview, Rose speaks of her first introduction to DJing and cites her initial foray to a work placement at London record shop Flashback when she was 15 years old.

Within the interview Rose stated, “I was really into Amy Winehouse at the time,  and through her I started getting into soul, jazz and disco. When I realised that all of this was Black culture, and I was able to hold this physical thing in my hand that represented black culture, that’s when I started getting into records.” Speaking with Official Charts, Rose has given the following statement, “I just want to say thank you to everyone who listened, streamed and downloaded. This is The People’s Rhythm and I feel like everyone came together to get this to Number 1. I never expected it in a million years. Thank you. It’s fabulous!”

Due to its popularity throughout this year’s festival season, the track has also been named this week’s most streamed song. Throughout the week, “B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)” has acquired over 4.8 million streams in the UK. The track was initially released on 15th June 2022 via Rose’s independent label Rosebud Recordings; due to the immense attention received, the track was picked up by major label Warner Music UK, who proceeded to release the radio edit on 12th August 2022. Much like the UK’s former number one single “Afraid To Feel” by LF System, the single also utilises the creative and production technique of sampling. Keen listeners can hear a sample of the classic Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam hit “Let The Beat ‘Em“, Rose and Interplanetary Criminal can be heard using the LL w/ Love RC mix of the 1991 song.

Following The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Cascada, @ElizaRosemuzik‘s B.O.T.A is an Official Chart milestone https://t.co/HDXp6Yidu0 — Official Charts (@officialcharts) September 3, 2022

With the Official Charts’ 70th anniversary fast approaching, this week’s top-selling track has become the UK’s 1,400th number one single. The music-orientated ranking system was established in 1952; the first song named the UK’s number one single was “Here In My Heart” by Al Martino. Other tracks to secure landmark chart positions include “Do You Mind?” by Anthony Newley, which became the UK’s 100th number one single. British legends The Beatles became the UK’s 200th number one single with their single “Help!“, seven years ago the UK’s last landmark position of 1,300 was given to Rachel Platten for “Fight Song“.