British rockers The Rolling Stones are back in the top spot on the albums chart in their home country this week thanks to their first new full-length in 11 years. Blue & Lonesome begins at the peak, giving the legendary rockers an eleventh chart-topping title. The album is their twenty-third (in the U.K. at least) album, and it sees the band going back to the blue-inspired sound that dominated their early days. Fans of the act clearly were happy with that decision, as they headed out in droves to pick up copies of the record, which is expected to start somewhere in the top 10 in the U.S. when the charts refresh in a few days.
Blue & Lonesome starts with 106,000 equivalent copies moved, which is large enough to give The Stones the second-largest debut week of 2016, just as the year is about to come to a close.
The rest of the top 10 this week is comprised of albums that have already spent at least a handful of weeks within the highest tier on the albums tally, with only some bouncing back into the region.
At No. 2 for yet another frame is Together, the new collaborative album from Michael Ball and Alfie Boe. The record has turned out to be a surprise success, hanging on in the upper half of the top 10 for several weeks, though so far a leap into the driver’s seat has eluded the title.
Down one rung to third place is Glory Days, the first No. 1 album from girl group Little Mix. The album spent its first two frames on the ranking in the lead, and since then it has only slipped a single spot every week. The collection is only getting started on the charts, as it’s only released one single—the chart-topping “Shout Out To My Ex,” which is also still holding on in the top 10.
Elvis Presley’s The Wonder Of You has also downgraded a position to No. 4. The orchestral rearrangements of some of The King’s best-known songs became his second No. 1 album in as many years just about a month or so ago.
At No. 5 this week is Olly Murs’ fourth chart-leading album, 24 Hrs, which ruled for a single frame last week. Murs is one of the biggest stars across the pond, so it’s quite possible that this album will remain in the upper reaches of the charts for some time to come.
Michael Bublé’s best-selling holiday collection Christmas breaks into the top 10 yet again, this week rising from No. 11 to No. 6. The title is an annual favorite, and it seems to never stop selling copies, no matter how old it gets. The pop singer is also comfortable at No. 8 with his latest full-length of mostly original material, Nobody But Me.
At No. 7 this time around is Robbie Williams’ latest, The Heavy Entertainment Show, which also kicked off its charting run at the pinnacle last month, giving him a turn at the top for the twelfth time. The final title this week in the top 10 is Emeli Sande’s Long Live The Angels, her sophomore effort which began in the runner-up spot.
