Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott score Number 1 album with Manchester Calling: "It means everything"

Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott have clinched their first Number 1 as a duo on this week’s Official Albums Chart with their new collection Manchester Calling.

The pair’s fourth album as a double act scores 20,500 chart sales – 94% of which are physical sales - to earn the former members of The Beautiful South this week’s Number 1.

Reacting to the news, Paul and Jacqui said:

“Thank you very, very much for making us Number 1. Thanks to everybody who bought it, the people who helped get it there, and Official Charts for giving us this lovely trophy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It means so much. It means everything.”

As a duo, their previous three albums all landed in the Top 5, and as members of The Beautiful South they claimed three Number 1 albums: Carry On Up The Charts: The Best Of (1994), Blue Is The Colour (1996) and Quench (1998).

All the Official Albums Chart Number 1s

Meanwhile, American rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s surprise release Eternal Atake debuts at Number 3 to become his first UK Top 5 album. Scottish pop-rock band Deacon Blue earn their sixth Top 5 album with City of Love at Number 4, and claim Number 1 on this week’s Official Scottish Albums Chart.

Lauv lands at Number 9 with his debut album How I’m Feeling, which features collaborations with the likes of Anne-Marie, BTS and Troye Sivan; Jhené Aiko earns her highest-charting album so far with Chilombo at Number 13.

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Elsewhere, a live album from the late Rory Gallagher, Check Shirt Wizard: Live in ’77 comes in at Number 26; David Soul’s Gold greatest hits album is at Number 28; The Fizz return with Smoke & Mirrors at 29.

Finally, Doja Cat continues to rise with her second album Hot Pink following the Top 10 success of her hit song Say So, with the collection reaching the UK Top 40 for the first time after climbing three places to 38.

See the full Official Albums Chart Top 100