After a wave of all-conquering British female solo stars in recent years, 2013 is turning out to be a good one for our male artists with Yorkshire singer John Newman currently leading the way.
He first scored a UK number one single in 2012 as featured vocalist on Rudimental’s Feel the Love, returning to pole position earlier this year with his first solo single Love Me Again.
His debut album Tribute recently completed the hat-trick, scaling the UK summit as well as performing strongly in Australia and Europe where Love Me Again has been a huge hit.
Meanwhile James Blunt came back with a bang with Bonfire Heart, his first UK top five single in six years. His fourth studio album Moon Landing also blasted into the chart at number two, though it will have to sell over 11 million copies worldwide to catch his biggest seller, 2004’s debut set Back to Bedlam.
Liverpudlian legend Paul McCartney’s 16th solo studio offering, appropriately titled New, was released to enthusiastic reviews and peaked at number three in both the UK and US.
He first scored a UK number one single in 2012 as featured vocalist on Rudimental’s Feel the Love, returning to pole position earlier this year with his first solo single Love Me Again.
His debut album Tribute recently completed the hat-trick, scaling the UK summit as well as performing strongly in Australia and Europe where Love Me Again has been a huge hit.
Meanwhile James Blunt came back with a bang with Bonfire Heart, his first UK top five single in six years. His fourth studio album Moon Landing also blasted into the chart at number two, though it will have to sell over 11 million copies worldwide to catch his biggest seller, 2004’s debut set Back to Bedlam.
Liverpudlian legend Paul McCartney’s 16th solo studio offering, appropriately titled New, was released to enthusiastic reviews and peaked at number three in both the UK and US.
Macca’s latest is also big in Japan where it reached number two (making him the first musician over 70 to register a top ten album) while the Mark Ronson-produced title track made number four on the Japan Hot 100.
Staying with the Japanese market, Olly Murs is currently enjoying a smash with Troublemaker which has to date peaked at number four. Released almost a year ago in the UK, where it topped the singles chart, the track has gone on to sell over a million copies in the States.
There has been high activity among American divas on the global charts too. Twerking queen Miley Cyrus became the first artist to score an Official Charts Company double this year when her new album Bangerz and latest single Wrecking Ball both shot to pole position simultaneously in the UK.
Katy Perry’s fourth studio set PRISM, featuring worldwide smash Roar, also breezed to the summit on both sides of the Atlantic. However, it has its work cut out to replicate the success of Perry’s previous album Teenage Dream, which produced five American number one hits, a feat to which only Michael Jackson’s 1987 release Bad can also lay claim to.
Staying with the Japanese market, Olly Murs is currently enjoying a smash with Troublemaker which has to date peaked at number four. Released almost a year ago in the UK, where it topped the singles chart, the track has gone on to sell over a million copies in the States.
There has been high activity among American divas on the global charts too. Twerking queen Miley Cyrus became the first artist to score an Official Charts Company double this year when her new album Bangerz and latest single Wrecking Ball both shot to pole position simultaneously in the UK.
Katy Perry’s fourth studio set PRISM, featuring worldwide smash Roar, also breezed to the summit on both sides of the Atlantic. However, it has its work cut out to replicate the success of Perry’s previous album Teenage Dream, which produced five American number one hits, a feat to which only Michael Jackson’s 1987 release Bad can also lay claim to.
Elsewhere, seasoned popstress Cher launched a successful comeback with Closer to the Truth, her first studio album in twelve years, which arrived in the top five both here and across the pond. The superstar holds the record for the biggest selling single in the UK by a female solo artist for her 1998 super-hit Believe.
This week sees Eminem and Rihanna’s single The Monster overpower competition from One Direction’s Story of My Life to take top spot in the UK while Canada’s baroque pop outfit Arcade Fire claim their second British number one album with Reflektor.
Finally, Kiwi teenager Lorde is reigning over the US Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth week with her recent British number one hit Royals.
This week sees Eminem and Rihanna’s single The Monster overpower competition from One Direction’s Story of My Life to take top spot in the UK while Canada’s baroque pop outfit Arcade Fire claim their second British number one album with Reflektor.
Finally, Kiwi teenager Lorde is reigning over the US Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth week with her recent British number one hit Royals.
