David Bowie album scores first number one in 20 years

Bowie rarely speaks publicly about his work

David Bowie's first album in a decade has become the fastest-selling of the year, hitting the number one spot in its first week.

The Next Day is the 66-year-old's first number one since 1993's Black Tie White Noise.

The album sold 94,000 copies this week, according to the Official Chart Company, outselling the number two album from Bon Jovi two to one.

Justin Timberlake remains at the top of the singles chart with Mirrors.

The announcement that Bowie was releasing new material came as a surprise to many in the music world, and has had Bowie aficionados picking over the fiercely private star's back catalogue, comparing his early work with his latest release.

A retrospective of the eclectic performer is being unveiled at London's V&A Museum on 23 March, celebrating Bowie as a musical innovator and cultural icon.

Although Bowie is not directly involved with curating the exhibition, the David Bowie Archive gave "unprecedented access" to the V&A, which picked out flamboyant costumes, early photographs and other memorabilia to show.

The Next Day's first week sales beat that of the previous fastest-selling UK album, which was Biffy Clyro's Opposites which sold 71,600 in its debut week in January.

Emeli Sande's Our Version of Events slipped down one to number three, following behind Bon Jovi's What About Now.

Last week's number one from chart-toppers Bastille fell to number four.

In the singles chart, One Direction saw their Comic Relief effort One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) rise to number two in the wake of Friday's Red Nose Day.

The young band took part in fundraising on the BBC show, as well as travelling to Ghana to see how Comic Relief money is spent.