X Factor strikes again at top of charts

08:53 | Monday November 23, 2009

On the singles chart, The X Factor Finalists’ recording of Michael Jackson’s 1995 chart-topper You Are Not Alone debuts at number one on sales of 193,176 copies.

Meanwhile, 2006 X Factor champion Leona Lewis racks up her second straight number one album debuting in pole position with Echo. the album sold 161,929 copies in reaching the apex – the third highest tally of the year for a number one. Succeeded by Lewis, JLS’ self-titled debut falls to number two (133,511 sales).

Although their three previous hits compilations have sold a combined tally of nearly 11m copies, Queen’s new Absolute Greatest set is off to a brisk start, selling 102,522 copies to debut at number three, doubtless helped immensely by their own appearance on The X Factor last week.

In a busy week for album releases, there are also Top 40 debuts for new albums from N-Dubz, The Stereophonics, Them Crooked Vultures, Ronan Keating, 50 Cent, Norah Jones, Foster & Allen and John Mayer, and compilations from Will Young and The Carpenters.

Robbie Williams’ string of seven straight number one studio albums came to a halt last week when his new set, Reality Killed The Video Star, debuted at number two. That album dips to number four this week (85,724 sales). Meanwhile, The Stereophonics’ run of five straight number one studio albums also comes to a halt, but more jarringly, with new album Keep Calm And Carry On debuting at number 11 (42,771 sales).

Three disparate Americans return to the chart with new albums, two of them under-achieving badly: 50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct debuts at number 22 (21,252 sales) – his last album, Curtis, debuted at number two in 2007; Norah Jones’ three previous albums have all reached number one, selling a combined 3.84m copies in the UK, but new set The Fall debuts at number 24 (18,887 sales); John Mayer has never been higher than number 46 before but his new set, Battle Studies, debuts at number 35 (11.781 sales).

On the singles chart the X Factor Finalists’ recording of Michael Jackson’s 1995 chart-topper You Are Not Alone debuts at number one on sales of 193,176 copies – the second highest tally of the year, trailing only the 292,845 copies that Cheryl Cole’s Fight For This Love sold when debuting at the summit four weeks ago. Black Eyed Peas’ Meet Me Halfway falls 1-2 (76,739 sales), while recent US chart-topper Jason DeRulo’s debut single Whatcha Say enters at number three (66,737 sales).

Singles sales increase 4.8% week-on-week to 2,743,427 – their third highest level of the year, and 32.40% above same week 2008 sales of 2,072,035. Album sales climb 12.4% week-on-week to 3,276,929, their second highest level of the year, and 1.49% above same week 2008 sales of 3,228,964.