Noel Gallagher scores a 10th number one album

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Noel GallagherImage source, Official Charts
Image caption,

The star thanked fans for giving his album "a chance"

Noel Gallagher has topped the album charts for a 10th time with his latest album, Who Built The Moon.

The record, which has given the star his best reviews for more than a decade, sold 78,000 copies to reach the top spot, including 12,800 on vinyl.

"I'm on a better winning streak than Man City are at the minute," he told the Official Charts.

"I'm actually on a par with Pep Guardiola. I'm a bit of a wizard, I often thought I was."

Gallagher scored seven number ones as part of Oasis (eight, if you include their greatest hits album Time Flies), and each of his solo records has also reached the summit.

Who Built The Moon sees the star team up with dance producer David Holmes, who has also worked on the soundtracks to Ocean's 11 and BBC Two's The Fall.

The Telegraph described the record's psychedelic squiggles as "the most adventurous, free-flowing and forward-facing" music of his career, while the NME called it "Noel's best album since …Morning Glory".

"I'd like to say thanks for giving it a chance," said Gallagher.

"I was convinced from the outset that the people who bought it would love it - not like it, they'd love it - and that seems to be the case."

However, the album hasn't sold as well as Liam Gallagher's recent album, As You Were, which shifted 102,660 copies in its first week of release.

Image caption,

Little Mix wrapped up their UK tour last week

Elsewhere in the album chart, Little Mix leap 43 places to number three, after the release of a deluxe edition of last year's Glory Days, while Elbow got a new entry at 11 with their first Best Of collection.

It's not such good news for Bjork, whose latest album Utopia entered the chart at 25; and last year's X Factor winner Matt Terry, whose debut album Trouble landed with a thud at 29.

Both artists are beaten by Strictly Come Dancing's Anton Du Beke, whose album of showband covers (and a bizarre version of Arctic Monkeys' I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor) sashayed into the countdown at 21.

In the singles chart, Camilla Cabello's Havana tops the rankings for the fifth time, much to the frustration of Rita Ora, whose single Anywhere has been stuck at number two for the last three weeks.

Less than 1,000 copies separate the two acts; but they could both be overtaken by Ed Sheeran's new single Perfect next Friday.

His ballad, Perfect, rises one spot to number three this week; and is likely to receive a sales boost this week from a new remix featuring vocals by Beyonce.

If it takes the top slot next week, it seems likely Sheeran could cling on to score the Christmas number one.

Image source, Getty Images
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Taylor Swift could score several chart entries next week

But he'll face competition from Taylor Swift, whose latest album Reputation is likely to generate several new entries next week after belatedly making its debut on streaming services on Friday.

There's also the spectre of this year's X Factor winner, who will be revealed on Sunday.

Both Rak-Su and Grace Davies, who have been performing original material on the show, have featured heavily in the iTunes Top 10 in recent weeks. However, their songs are not counted towards the charts until the series ends.

Meanwhile, former X Factor winner James Arthur scores the highest new entry in this week's Top 40, with his Max Martin-produced ballad, Naked.

The only other new entry comes from Craig David and Dan Smith from Bastille, whose duet I Know You makes its first appearance at 25.

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