Michael Jackson’s Xscape tops the UK’s Official Albums Chart

The late King Of Pop claims his tenth UK Number 1 album, while The Black Keys and Foxes also debut in the Top 5.

Michael Jackson has gone straight in at Number 1 on this week’s Official Albums Chart to claim his tenth UK chart topper with Xscape.

The album is the late King Of Pop’s second posthumous collection of previously unheard tracks to be released since he passed away in 2009. Its predecessor, Michael, reached Number 4 in the UK in 2010.

Xscape features ‘contemporised’ versions of Michael’s original recordings by high-profile producers include Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, JRoc, Stargate and John McClain.

The Black Keys score their highest charting UK album to date with Turn Blue (Number 2). It is the US duo’s first new studio album since 2011. Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction (3) and Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love (4) trade places, while British singer/songwriter Louisa Rose Allen, AKA Foxes, is new in at Number 5 today with her debut album, Glorious.

New Entries

In addition to Michael Jackson’s Xscape (Number 1), The Black Keys’ Turn Blue (2) and Foxes’ Glorious (5) there are six other new entries on this week’s Official Albums Chart.

British singer/songwriter Nick Mulvey follows up the success of his recent Top 40 single, Cucurucu, by scoring a Top 10 album with his debut full-length First Mind (10).

Tori Amos’ 14th studio album, Unrepentant Geraldines,is new in at Number 13 today, while hotly tipped Swedish band Little Dragon enter one place behind her with their fourth album, Nabuma Rubberband(14).

Blondie’s 40th anniversary collection, Blondie 4(0)-Ever,which features re-recordings of some of their Greatest Hits as well as their new studio album, Ghosts Of Download, enters at 16. US group Swans score their highest charting UK album to date with To Be Kind (38),while The Common Linnets, who came second in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest are at Number 40 with their self-titled debut album.

The Official Albums Chart Top 10 is as follows. Click here to see the Official Albums Chart Top 100 in full after 7pm.

1	XSCAPE	MICHAEL JACKSON
2	TURN BLUE	BLACK KEYS
3	A PERFECT CONTRADICTION	PALOMA FAITH
4	CAUSTIC LOVE	PAOLO NUTINI
5	GLORIOUS	FOXES
6	SHEEZUS	LILY ALLEN
7	SINCE I SAW YOU LAST	GARY BARLOW
8	LOVE IN THE FUTURE	JOHN LEGEND
9	GOING BACK HOME	WILKO JOHNSON/ROGER DALTREY
10	FIRST MIND	NICK MULVEY