Dream reality for Murs and Young as talent stars take over charts

28/08/2011

Olly Murs, 2009 X Factor runner-up, flies to the top of the Official Singles Chart today with third single Heart Skips A Beat breaking the 100,000 sales barrier while Will Young, who kick-started his career by winning the first series of Pop Idol in 2002, nails the Official Albums Chart number one with his sixth Top 10 and third number one album, Echoes, and sees new single Jealous debut at number five in the Official Singles Chart, the Official Charts Company reports today.

The success of Heart Skips A Beat, which features Brighton rap duo Rizzle Kicks, who made their own chart debut earlier this month with Down With The Trumpets (this week’s number eight), comes a year after Murs scored his first number one with debut single Please Don’t Go.  Murs’ self-titled double platinum debut album peaked at number two in November last year (held off the top spot only by the phenomenon of Take That’s original line-up reunion album Progress) while second single Thinking Of Me was also a Top 5 hit, peaking at number four last November.

Heart Skips A Beat is taken from Murs’ forthcoming second album, due for release later this year.  Murs embarks on a nationwide arena tour in February 2012.

The Official Singles Chart Top 10 sees two other new entries this week.  Scottish producer and DJ Calvin Harris scores his fifth Top 10 hit with Feel So Close straight in at number two and Will Young claims his tenth Top 10 single with Jealousy, from today’s number one album Echoes, debuting at number five.
 
Echoes follows Young’s previous Top 10 albums; From Now On (number one, 2002), Friday’s Child (number one, 2003), Keep On (number two, 2005), Let It Go (number two, 2008) and The Hits (number seven, 2009) making Young one of the longest-enduring success stories from the past decade’s wave of reality talent shows.   Indeed, Echoes’ success comes ten years on, to the month, since he first auditioned for Pop Idol.

Young also counts acting credits on his entertainment CV, including a guest appearance in Channel 4’s hit Skins last year and a starring role in the 2011 TV drama Bedlam. Later this year, he embarks on a nationwide tour.

2009 X Factor winner and 2011 Pop Star to Operastar winner Joe McElderry also makes his mark on the Official Charts this week with second album Classic straight in at number two.  Classic follows his debut album Wide Awake which peaked at number three in October last year and singles The Climb (number one, Dec 2009) and Ambitions (number six, Oct 2010).

The Official Albums Chart Top 10 sees three other new entries; Black And White from grime rapper and last week’s Official Singles number one artist Wretch 32 is straight in at number four, Barbara Streisand’s What Matters Most is straight in at number seven giving the award-winning singer and actress, who has garnered more gold albums than any other female artist, her tenth UK Top 10 album hit, and Hard-Fi’s Killer Sounds is straight in at number nine giving the English indie-rock band their third Top 10 album hit.  Rihanna’s Loud is a re-entry at number 10, up from last week’s number 11.

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Notes to Editors
 
1.   Chart information quoted from this release must be credited to The Official Charts Company
 
2.  The Official Charts Company (OCC) is a joint venture between record labels’ body the BPI and ERA, the Entertainment Retailers Association.   The OCC is responsible for the commissioning, marketing, distribution and management of the UK’s industry standard music and video charts and is endorsed by the BVA (British Video Association).
 
3. The Official Charts Company compiles its charts from sales information gathered across all key distribution (or entertainment) channels including all major high street retail chains, independent stores, supermarkets, mail order internet retailers and digital music service providers. This market research sample equates to 99% of the total UK Singles market; 98% of the total UK Albums market and 90% of the total UK DVD market.

For further information contact:
Amy Howard, Official Charts Company.
T: 01480 860 530  M. 07768 891 264
E: amy@theofficialcharts.com
W:  www.theofficialcharts.com
The Chart Show with Reggie Yates, Sundays  4pm-7pm, BBC Radio 1.
The Official Chart Update with Greg James, Wednesdays 3.30pm-4pm, BBC Radio 1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/
Jo Whiley features Official Albums Chart highlights, Mondays between 8 and 9pm, BBC Radio 2

 

Ends.

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