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List of UK top-ten albums in 2021

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American singer and actress Olivia Rodrigo made history in 2021 when she became the youngest solo artist to achieve the coveted UK chart double after her single "Good 4 U" climbed to number-one in the UK Singles Chart the same week her debut album Sour entered the UK Albums Chart at number-one.

The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Since 2004 the chart has been based on the sales of both physical albums and digital downloads.[2][3] Since 2015, the album chart has been based on both sales and streaming. This list shows albums that peaked in the top ten of the UK Albums Chart during 2021, as well as albums which peaked in 2020 and 2022 but were in the top 10 in 2021. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).

Two-hundred and eighteen albums were in the top ten this year. Two albums from 2019 and thirteen albums from 2020 remained in the top ten for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while Between Us by Little Mix was released in 2021, but did not reach its peak until 2022. Little Mix sixth studio album Confetti, was also the fastest-selling album of 2020 by a British act.[4] Fine Line by Harry Styles debuted in 2019 and re-entered the top 10 in 2020, but its peak position was not until 2021. Christmas by Michael Bublé was originally released in 2011, launched a new chart run in 2020, reaching a peak on its latest run in 2021, when it returned to number-one. Post Human: Survival Horror by Bring Me the Horizon was the only album from 2020 to reach its peak in 2021. Olivia Rodrigo, Celeste and Arlo Parks were among the many artists who achieved their first top 10 album in 2021.

The first new number-one album of the year was Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 by Barry Gibb. Overall, forty different albums peaked at number-one in 2021, with Taylor Swift (2) having the most albums hit that position. An asterisk (*) in the "Weeks in Top 10" column shows that the album is currently in the top 10.

Background

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Tom Jones becomes the oldest living male artist to achieve a UK number-one album

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Welsh singer Tom Jones made UK chart history this year when, at 80 years and 10 months old, he became the oldest living male artist to achieve a number-one album in the UK Albums Chart with his 41st studio album Surrounded by Time. The album entered the chart at the top spot on 30 April 2021 (6 May 2021, week ending), giving Jones his fourth number-one album in the United Kingdom and his first in that country since 1999's Reload.[5]

Olivia Rodrigo becomes youngest solo artist to score UK chart double

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On 28 May 2021 (3 June 2021, week ending), American singer Olivia Rodrigo became the youngest solo artist to achieve the coveted UK chart double at 18 years and 3 months old. Her single "Good 4 U" climbed to number-one in the UK Singles Chart after debuting at number two the previous week, while her debut album Sour entered the UK Albums Chart at number-one. Rodrigo became the first artist since Sam Smith in 2015 to garner a UK chart double with a debut album.[6]

Chart debuts

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The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo album.

Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entries
The Kid Laroi 1 F*ck Love 6
Why Don't We 1 The Good Times and the Bad Ones 5
Shame 1 Drunk Tank Pink 8
Bicep 1 Isles 2
Poor Clares of Arundel 1 Light for the World 5
Celeste 1 Not Your Muse 1
Arlo Parks 1 Collapsed in Sunbeams 3
Black Country, New Road 1 For the First Time 4
Ghetts 1 Conflict of Interest 2
Architects 1 For Those That Wish to Exist 1
Digga D 1 Made in the Pyrex 3
Central Cee 1 Wild West 2
RJ Thompson 1 Lifeline 5
Black Honey 1 Written & Directed 7
Floating Points 1 Promises 6
Pharoah Sanders 1
The Snuts 1 W.L. 1
Dry Cleaning 1 New Long Leg 4
Lil Tjay 1 Destined 2 Win 7
Greta Van Fleet 1 The Battle at Garden's Gate 8
Gojira 1 Fortitude 6
Girl in Red 1 If I Could Make It Go Quiet 7
Squid 1 Bright Green Field 4
Olivia Rodrigo 1 Sour 1
Lil Durk 1 The Voice of the Heroes 5
Bo Burnham 1 Inside (The Songs) 5
Griff 1 One Foot in Front of the Other 4
Doja Cat 1 Planet Her 3
Inhaler 1 It Won't Always Be Like This 1
Unknown T 1 Adolescence 8
Kurupt FM 1 The Greatest Hits (Part 1) 8
Orla Gartland 1 Woman on the Internet 10
Maisie Peters 1 You Signed Up for This 2
Becky Hill 1 Only Honest on the Weekend 7
Little Simz 1 Sometimes I Might Be Introvert 4
Lil Nas X 1 Montero 2
Tion Wayne 1 Green with Envy 5
M1llionz 1 Provisional License 10
The Lathums 1 How Beautiful Life Can Be 1
Joy Crookes 1 Skin 5
Mimi Webb 1 Seven Shades of Heartbreak 9
Silk Sonic 1 An Evening with Silk Sonic 9

Best-selling albums

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Adele had the best-selling album of the year with 30. = by Ed Sheeran came in second place. ABBA's Voyage, Sour by Olivia Rodrigo and Queen's Greatest Hits made up the top five. Albums by Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran (÷), Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and Dave were also in the top ten best-selling albums of the year.

Top-ten albums

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Key
Symbol Meaning
Album peaked in 2019 or 2020 but still in chart in 2021.
Album released in 2021 but peaked in 2022.
(#) Year-end top ten album position and rank
Entered The date that the album first appeared in the chart.
Peak Highest position that the song reached in the UK Albums Chart.
Entered
(week ending)
Weeks
in
top
10
Album Artist Peak Peak
reached
(week ending)
Weeks
at
peak
Albums in 2019
30 May 2019 85 Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent Lewis Capaldi 1 30 May 2019 10
26 December 2019 57 Fine Line Harry Styles 2 14 January 2021 1
Albums in 2020
30 January 2020 11 Music to be Murdered By Eminem 1 30 January 2020 1
9 April 2020 51 Future Nostalgia(#6) Dua Lipa 1 16 April 2020 4
9 July 2020 3 What's Your Pleasure? Jessie Ware 3 9 July 2020 1
16 July 2020 34 Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon Pop Smoke 1 1 October 2020 1
12 November 2020 5 Positions Ariana Grande 1 12 November 2020 1
4 Love Goes Sam Smith 2 12 November 2020 1
2 Post Human: Survival Horror Bring Me the Horizon 1 4 February 2021 1
19 November 2020 5 Disco Kylie Minogue 1 19 November 2020 1
11 Confetti Little Mix 2 19 November 2020 1
3 December 2020 5 Classic Diamonds Neil Diamond & the London Symphony Orchestra 2 24 December 2020 1
10 December 2020 10 Christmas Michael Bublé 1 7 January 2021 1
17 December 2020 2 Weird! Yungblud 1 17 December 2020 1
24 December 2020 9 Evermore Taylor Swift 1 24 December 2020 2
Albums in 2021
7 January 2021 22 Greatest Hits (#5) Queen 2 15 July 2021 1
14 January 2021 4 F*ck Love The Kid Laroi 6 5 August 2021 1
21 January 2021 3 Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 Barry Gibb 1 21 January 2021 1
1 Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted Passenger 2 21 January 2021 1
28 January 2021 1 Suckapunch You Me at Six 1 28 January 2021 1
1 Spare Ribs Sleaford Mods 4 28 January 2021 1
1 The Good Times and the Bad Ones Why Don't We 5 28 January 2021 1
1 Drunk Tank Pink Shame 8 28 January 2021 1
4 February 2021 1 Isles Bicep 2 4 February 2021 1
1 Light for the World Poor Clares of Arundel 5 4 February 2021 1
11 February 2021 3 Not Your Muse Celeste 1 11 February 2021 1
2 Money Can't Buy Happiness Fredo 2 11 February 2021 1
1 Collapsed in Sunbeams Arlo Parks 3 11 February 2021 1
1 The Future Bites Steven Wilson 4 11 February 2021 1
1 Snakes & Ladders Chip 7 11 February 2021 1
18 February 2021 3 Medicine at Midnight Foo Fighters 1 18 February 2021 1
136* The Highlights The Weeknd 2 18 February 2021 7
1 For the First Time Black Country, New Road 4 18 February 2021 1
1 Shore Fleet Foxes 5 18 February 2021 1
25 February 2021 1 Tyron Slowthai 1 25 February 2021 1
1 Who Am I? Pale Waves 3 25 February 2021 1
1 Death by Rock and Roll The Pretty Reckless 6 25 February 2021 1
4 March 2021 1 As the Love Continues Mogwai 1 4 March 2021 1
1 Conflict of Interest Ghetts 2 4 March 2021 1
11 March 2021 1 For Those That Wish to Exist Architects 1 11 March 2021 1
1 Nature Always Wins Maxïmo Park 2 11 March 2021 1
2 Made in the Pyrex Digga D 3 11 March 2021 2
1 Detroit Stories Alice Cooper 4 11 March 2021 1
1 Choices Lucy Spraggan 5 11 March 2021 1
18 March 2021 2 When You See Yourself Kings of Leon 1 18 March 2021 1
1 Do It Again Gabrielle 4 18 March 2021 1
10 ÷ (#7) Ed Sheeran 7 8 July 2021 2
25 March 2021 1 Evering Road Tom Grennan 1 25 March 2021 1
5 Wild West Central Cee 2 25 March 2021 1
1 All the Right Noises Thunder 3 25 March 2021 1
1 Lifeline RJ Thompson 5 25 March 2021 1
1 April 2021 1 Chemtrails over the Country Club Lana Del Rey 1 1 April 2021 1
7 Justice Justin Bieber 2 1 April 2021 3
1 Written & Directed Black Honey 7 1 April 2021 1
8 April 2021 1 Collections from the Whiteout Ben Howard 1 8 April 2021 1
1 The Bitter Truth Evanescence 4 8 April 2021 1
1 Promises Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra 6 8 April 2021 1
15 April 2021 1 W.L. The Snuts 1 15 April 2021 1
1 Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over Demi Lovato 2 15 April 2021 1
1 New Long Leg Dry Cleaning 4 15 April 2021 1
9 50 Years – Don't Stop (#9) Fleetwood Mac 6 15 April 2021 2
1 Destined 2 Win Lil Tjay 7 15 April 2021 1
1 Rumours Fleetwood Mac 8 15 April 2021 1
22 April 2021 3 Fearless (Taylor's Version) Taylor Swift 1 22 April 2021 1
29 April 2021 2 Californian Soil London Grammar 1 29 April 2021 1
2 Flu Game AJ Tracey 2 29 April 2021 1
1 Let the Bad Times Roll The Offspring 3 29 April 2021 1
1 11 Past the Hour Imelda May 6 29 April 2021 1
1 The Battle at Garden's Gate Greta Van Fleet 8 29 April 2021 1
6 May 2021 2 Surrounded by Time Tom Jones 1 6 May 2021 1
13 May 2021 2 Typhoons Royal Blood 1 13 May 2021 1
1 Coral Island The Coral 2 13 May 2021 1
1 Celebrate the Music of Peter Green and the Early Years of Fleetwood Mac Mick Fleetwood & Friends 3 13 May 2021 1
1 Young Heart Birdy 4 13 May 2021 1
1 Fortitude Gojira 6 13 May 2021 1
1 If I Could Make It Go Quiet Girl in Red 7 13 May 2021 1
1 Live At Knebworth 1990 Pink Floyd 8 13 May 2021 1
1 Khaled Khaled DJ Khaled 10 13 May 2021 1
20 May 2021 7 Life by Misadventure Rag'n'Bone Man 1 20 May 2021 1
2 We Are More Than One Michael Ball 2 20 May 2021 1
1 Build a Problem Dodie 3 20 May 2021 1
1 Bright Green Field Squid 4 20 May 2021 1
1 Latest Record Project, Volume 1 Van Morrison 5 20 May 2021 1
6 Diamonds (#8) Elton John 8 20 May 2021 2
27 May 2021 1 Fat Pop (Volume 1) Paul Weller 1 27 May 2021 1
2 The Off-Season J. Cole 2 27 May 2021 1
1 Daddy's Home St. Vincent 4 27 May 2021 1
1 Delta Kream The Black Keys 5 27 May 2021 1
1 Be Right Back (EP) Jorja Smith 9 27 May 2021 1
3 June 2021 54 Sour (#4) Olivia Rodrigo 1 3 June 2021 5
1 Intruder Gary Numan 2 3 June 2021 1
1 Scaled and Icy Twenty One Pilots 3 3 June 2021 1
1 All I Know So Far: Setlist Pink 4 3 June 2021 1
1 Loveless My Bloody Valentine 7 3 June 2021 1
1 Seeking New Gods Gruff Rhys 10 3 June 2021 1
10 June 2021 1 Life's a Beach Easy Life 2 10 June 2021 1
1 Hi Texas 3 10 June 2021 1
1 Fatal Mistakes Del Amitri 5 10 June 2021 1
1 The Resurrection Bugzy Malone 7 10 June 2021 1
17 June 2021 2 Blue Weekend Wolf Alice 1 17 June 2021 1
1 All the Colours of You James 3 17 June 2021 1
1 The Voice of the Heroes Lil Baby & Lil Durk 5 17 June 2021 1
1 Dreamers Are Waiting Crowded House 6 17 June 2021 1
24 June 2021 3 Back the Way We Came: Vol. 1 (2011–2021) Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 1 24 June 2021 1
2 Hall of Fame Polo G 3 24 June 2021 1
1 No Gods No Masters Garbage 5 24 June 2021 1
7 Inside (The Songs) Bo Burnham 5 15 July 2021 1
1 Culture III Migos 9 24 June 2021 1
1 July 2021 1 Carnage Nick Cave & Warren Ellis 3 1 July 2021 1
1 One Foot in Front of the Other Griff 4 1 July 2021 1
1 Consequences Joan Armatrading 10 1 July 2021 1
8 July 2021 2 Europiana Jack Savoretti 1 8 July 2021 1
15 Planet Her Doja Cat 3 8 July 2021 2
1 Call Me If You Get Lost Tyler, the Creator 4 8 July 2021 1
1 Boy from Michigan John Grant 8 8 July 2021 1
22 July 2021 1 It Won't Always Be Like This Inhaler 1 22 July 2021 1
1 Monsters Tom Odell 4 22 July 2021 1
1 Origin of Symmetry Muse 6 22 July 2021 1
29 July 2021 5 All Over the Place KSI 1 29 July 2021 1
1 Faith Pop Smoke 3 29 July 2021 1
1 Sob Rock John Mayer 4 29 July 2021 1
5 August 2021 14 We're All Alone in This Together (#10) Dave 1 5 August 2021 2
3 Therapy Anne-Marie 2 5 August 2021 1
1 Back to Black Amy Winehouse 7 5 August 2021 1
12 August 2021 6 Happier Than Ever Billie Eilish 1 12 August 2021 1
1 Welcome 2 America Prince 5 12 August 2021 1
1 Adolescence Unknown T 8 12 August 2021 1
19 August 2021 1 Crying on the Bathroom Floor Will Young 3 19 August 2021 1
1 Release Me 2 Barbra Streisand 5 19 August 2021 1
1 All Things Must Pass George Harrison 6 19 August 2021 1
1 Back to the Light Brian May 7 19 August 2021 1
1 Independence Day Fredo 9 19 August 2021 1
26 August 2021 1 Pressure Machine The Killers 1 26 August 2021 1
1 Loving in Stereo Jungle 3 26 August 2021 1
2 September 2021 1 Solar Power Lorde 2 2 September 2021 1
1 Saturday Night, Sunday Morning Jake Bugg 3 2 September 2021 1
1 The Greatest Hits (Part 1) Kurupt FM 8 2 September 2021 1
1 Woman on the Internet Orla Gartland 10 2 September 2021 1
9 September 2021 2 Donda Kanye West 1 9 September 2021 1
1 You Signed Up for This Maisie Peters 2 9 September 2021 1
1 Screen Violence Chvrches 4 9 September 2021 1
1 If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power Halsey 5 9 September 2021 1
3 Only Honest on the Weekend Becky Hill 7 9 September 2021 2
16 September 2021 9 Certified Lover Boy Drake 1 16 September 2021 2
2 Senjutsu Iron Maiden 2 16 September 2021 1
1 Sometimes I Might Be Introvert Little Simz 4 16 September 2021 1
4 ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA 5 16 September 2021 1
1 Mercury – Act 1 Imagine Dragons 7 16 September 2021 1
1 21st Century Love Songs The Wildhearts 9 16 September 2021 1
23 September 2021 1 The Ultra Vivid Lament Manic Street Preachers 1 23 September 2021 1
1 What the Future Holds Pt. 2 Steps 2 23 September 2021 1
1 Dark Matters The Stranglers 4 23 September 2021 1
1 Back in Love City The Vaccines 5 23 September 2021 1
1 Metallica: 30th Anniversary Edition Metallica 8 23 September 2021 1
1 Star-Crossed Kacey Musgraves 10 23 September 2021 1
30 September 2021 3 Montero Lil Nas X 2 30 September 2021 1
1 Green with Envy Tion Wayne 5 30 September 2021 1
1 The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980–1985 Bob Dylan 6 30 September 2021 1
1 The Last Domino? – The Hits Genesis 9 30 September 2021 1
1 Provisional License M1llionz 10 30 September 2021 1
7 October 2021 1 How Beautiful Life Can Be The Lathums 1 7 October 2021 1
1 Bright Magic Public Service Broadcasting 2 7 October 2021 1
1 Firebird Natalie Imbruglia 10 7 October 2021 1
14 October 2021 2 Tales from the Script: Greatest Hits The Script 1 14 October 2021 1
1 Protest Songs 1924–2012 The Specials 2 14 October 2021 1
1 Outsider Roger Taylor 3 14 October 2021 1
1 Love for Sale Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga 6 14 October 2021 1
1 No Time to Die: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Hans Zimmer 7 14 October 2021 1
1 Thanks for Waiting Potter Payper 8 14 October 2021 1
21 October 2021 3 Seventeen Going Under Sam Fender 1 21 October 2021 1
1 Friends That Break Your Heart James Blake 4 21 October 2021 1
4 25 Adele 3 28 October 2021 1
28 October 2021 6 Music of the Spheres Coldplay 1 28 October 2021 1
1 Let It Be: Special Edition The Beatles 2 28 October 2021 1
1 60 Daniel O'Donnell 4 28 October 2021 1
1 Skin Joy Crookes 5 28 October 2021 1
1 21 Adele 6 28 October 2021 1
1 Sticky Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes 8 28 October 2021 1
4 November 2021 7 The Lockdown Sessions Elton John 1 4 November 2021 1
1 Blue Banisters Lana Del Rey 2 4 November 2021 1
1 Future Past Duran Duran 3 4 November 2021 1
1 The Myth of the Happily Ever After Biffy Clyro 4 4 November 2021 1
1 Tattoo You The Rolling Stones 7 4 November 2021 1
1 Seven Shades of Heartbreak (EP) Mimi Webb 9 4 November 2021 1
11 November 2021 66 = (#2) Ed Sheeran 1 11 November 2021 4
1 Acoustic Hymns Vol 1 Richard Ashcroft 2 11 November 2021 1
1 Spice Spice Girls 5 11 November 2021 1
1 I Don't Live Here Anymore The War on Drugs 6 11 November 2021 1
18 November 2021 10 Voyage (#3) ABBA 1 18 November 2021 1
1 It'll All Make Sense in the End James Arthur 3 18 November 2021 1
1 Kid A Mnesia Radiohead 4 18 November 2021 1
1 Still Over It Summer Walker 5 18 November 2021 1
1 Thank You Diana Ross 7 18 November 2021 1
1 Still Rising: The Collection Gregory Porter 8 18 November 2021 1
25 November 2021 3 Red (Taylor's Version) Taylor Swift 1 25 November 2021 1
20 Between Us Little Mix 3 5 May 2022 1
5 The Tears of Hercules Rod Stewart 5 25 November 2021 1
1 Crawler Idles 6 25 November 2021 1
1 The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows Damon Albarn 7 25 November 2021 1
1 Most Wanted: The Greatest Hits The Wanted 8 25 November 2021 1
1 An Evening with Silk Sonic Silk Sonic 9 25 November 2021 1
2 December 2021 16 30 (#1) Adele 1 2 December 2021 5
1 Knebworth 1996 Oasis 4 2 December 2021 1
1 Raise the Roof Robert Plant & Alison Krauss 5 2 December 2021 1
4 Home Alone 2 D-Block Europe 6 2 December 2021 2
1 Flying Dream 1 Elbow 7 2 December 2021 1
1 The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004-2021) James Blunt 9 2 December 2021 1
9 December 2021 4 Wild Dreams Westlife 2 9 December 2021 1
1 The Dream of Christmas Gary Barlow 5 9 December 2021 1
16 December 2021 1 2.0 JLS 4 16 December 2021 1
3 Happy Together Andre Rieu & the Johann Strauss Orchestra 5 30 December 2021 1
23 December 2021 1 An Orchestrated Songbook Paul Weller with Jules Buckley & the BBC Symphony Orchestra 4 23 December 2021 1
1 Fighting Demons Juice Wrld 8 23 December 2021 1

Entries by artist

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The following table shows artists who have achieved two or more top 10 entries in 2021, including albums that reached their peak in 2020. The figures only include main artists, with featured artists and appearances on compilation albums not counted individually for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 2021 is also shown.

Entries Artist Weeks Albums
3 Adele 8 21, 25, 30
Mick Fleetwood 5 50 Years – Don't Stop, Rumours, Mick Fleetwood & Friends Celebrate the Music of Peter Green and the Early Years of Fleetwood Mac
Taylor Swift 11 Evermore, Fearless (Taylor's Version), Red (Taylor's Version)
2 ABBA 9 ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits, Voyage
Brian May 23 Back to the Light, Greatest Hits
Ed Sheeran 18 ÷, =
Fleetwood Mac 4 50 Years – Don't Stop, Rumours
Fredo 3 Money Can't Buy Happiness, Independence Day
Little Mix 10 Confetti, Between Us
London Symphony Orchestra 2 Classic Diamonds, Promises
Paul Weller 2 Fat Pop (Volume 1), An Orchestrated Songbook
Pop Smoke 16 Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, Faith
Roger Taylor 23 Greatest Hits, Outsider

See also

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References

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General

  • "Six decades of singles charts". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2017.

Specific

  1. ^ "The Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2005). Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (18th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 14. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
  3. ^ "New singles formats to save the charts". BBC News. 16 October 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  4. ^ "60 Official Chart facts of 2020". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  5. ^ "Tom Jones scores record-breaking Number 1 album with Surrounded By Time: "I am forever grateful"". www.officialcharts.com.
  6. ^ "Olivia Rodrigo becomes youngest solo artist to score Official UK Chart Double". Official Charts Company. May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
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