The UK Official Albums Chart witnessed an epic showdown as synth-pop luminary Peter Gabriel secured a triumphant return to the top spot after 37 years with his latest offering, “i/o”. In a nail-biting race against the rising K-pop sensation ATEEZ, Gabriel clinched his third solo Official UK Number 1 album with a remarkable win.
This extraordinary accomplishment signifies a monumental return for Gabriel after 21 years with “i/o”, marking a significant leap from his 1992 album “Us”, which secured a commendable second-place position on the charts. Preceding this recent feat, the iconic former Genesis lead singer had experienced chart-topping glory with his solo ventures: “Peter Gabriel 3” in 1980 and “So” in 1986.
The exceptional reception of “i/o” extends beyond the Official Albums Chart, also soaring to Number 2 on both the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and Official Record Store Chart for the week.
In an exclusive statement to the Official Charts Company, a jubilant Peter Gabriel expressed his gratitude, “It was 37 years ago that ‘So’ was the Official Number 1 album, and I never expected to be here again. I’ve just been told that we are Number 1 in the UK with ‘i/o’, so it’s amazing. I want to thank everyone that helped me make the album because it was a long, slow process, involving a lot of very talented people. But, mainly I need to thank all of you for supporting me for all this time and for making this happen. Thank you.”
While ATEEZ’s “THE WORLD EP.FIN : WILL” settled for a close second position, marking a career-high for the K-pop ensemble, their third instalment in the “THE WORLD” trilogy surpassed previous successes, notably peaking at Number 10 with the collection “THE WORLD EP.2 : OUTLAW”. This continues to prove the rise of K-Pop in the global market, as the album managed worldwide success and in the wake of BTS, we all can expect more K-Pop hitting the charts, especially from Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho as they continue to bring the ATEEZ experience to us all.
In other chart movements, Michael Bublé’s timeless holiday favourite “Christmas” ascends once more this week, landing at Number 3. This 2011 release, features Bublé’s rendition of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” which recently earned the distinction of being the official biggest Christmas song of the 21st century by Official Charts.
As for last week’s Number 1, Take That with “Life Changes” drops to Number 6, falling past the likes of Taylor Swift with “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” which is at Number 4, and the Rolling Stones’ album “Hackney Diamonds” which is at Number 5. Both albums have previously been at the top spot over the last few weeks.
Additionally, Cher’s 2023 album “Christmas” achieved a breakthrough into the Top 10 for the first time, following the music icon’s recent promotional tour in the UK, charting at Number 8. Notably, her performance of the lead single “DJ Play a Christmas Song” on last week’s The Graham Norton Show significantly contributed to this upward trajectory.
With the Christmas chart just weeks away, we’re excited to see what the Top 10 will look like, especially with two Christmas albums at Numbers 3 and 8. Could we see a full festive Top 10, or at least a festive Top 5? Time will tell.