The iconic British trio Take That has once again etched their names in history with their latest studio album, “This Life”, storming straight to the top of the UK Official Albums Chart. Comprising Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald, the band has clinched their ninth Number 1 album, marking the biggest opening week for a British act in 2023.
“This Life” swiftly garnered an impressive 116,000 chart units within its first seven days, with a staggering 97% of these units attributed to physical formats. This extraordinary feat surpasses the previous record held by Lewis Capaldi’s “Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent”, which secured 95,000 chart units during its debut week.
The trio’s chart-topping success extends their legacy, previously dominating the UK charts with their album: 1993’s “Everything Changes”, 1995’s “Nobody Else”, 1996’s “Greatest Hits”, 2006’s “Beautiful World”, 2008’s “The Circus”, 2010’s “Progress”, 2014’s “III”, and 2018’s “Odyssey”. Their ninth Number 1 places them alongside music legends such as Bob Dylan, Coldplay, and Kylie Minogue, each boasting nine UK Official Number 1 albums.
Expressing their gratitude, Take That chatted to the Official Charts Company, saying, “First of all, wow. We’re so grateful our ninth studio album has given us our ninth UK Number 1 record. Thank you to our fans from the bottom of our hearts for every bit of love they’ve shown us this year, whether it was coming for a singalong at BST Hyde Park in the summer or streaming and buying the album this week. Our focus now turns to the tour next year. We cannot wait to take this show on the road.”
Amidst the three-piece band’s triumph, other notable positions on this week’s UK Official Albums Chart include Taylor Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” maintaining its stronghold at Number 2, the Rolling Stones ascending to Number 3 with “Hackney Diamonds”, and Michael Bublé’s classic “Christmas” joyfully leaping 12 places back into the Top 5 at Number 4. Meanwhile, Olivia Rodrigo holds steady, rising one place to Number 5.
Take That’s exceptional achievement with “This Life” continues to underscore their enduring impact on the music scene, solidifying their status as one of Britain’s most revered musical acts.