Paul McCartney secures 24th number one album with The Boys of Dungeon Lane
By Calum Skuodas, Press Association
Paul McCartney has secured a record 24th number one album after his latest release debuted at the top spot in the UK official album charts, according to the Official Charts Company.
The former Beatles star has continued his record as the most successful albums act with his new record, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, landing him a total of 24 chart-topping releases in his career.
The haul includes six number one albums as a solo artist.
McCartney's latest release comes more than six decades since he first topped the charts with the Beatles debut album, Please Please Me, which came out in 1963.
He has scored 15 number ones as a member of the Beatles, two with Wings, one alongside then-wife Linda McCartney, making him the most prolific albums chart-topper in history.
Released on May 29th, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane draws on his memories of growing up in Liverpool.
The album is named after a road in the Speke area of the city, near where McCartney and Beatles guitarist George Harrison grew up. The road borders Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which was renamed in 2001.
Elsewhere in the charts, the late Michael Jackson’s music continues to ride a wave of popularity from the recent biopic of his life as The Essential, a compilation of his greatest hits, sits at number two.
Boards of Canada have claimed their highest ever chart ranking as Inferno, the Scottish duo’s first album in 13 years, debuts at number three.
The rest of the top five is made up of rapper Drake’s recent release Iceman at four, while Olivia Dean’s chart-topping The Art Of Loving remains near the top and sits at number five.
Over on the UK singles chart, Ariana Grande has captured the number one spot with her latest offering, I Hate That You Made Me Love You, the lead single from her upcoming album, Petal, which will be released next month.
The track is her eighth UK number one and, as the pop star prepares to release new music, her chart-topping, 2016 record, Dangerous Woman, has re-entered the Top 20 and sits at number 17.
Grande has also knocked British powerhouses, Dean and Sam Fender, from the top spot and into number two as she denies their hit, Rein Me In, from its sixth week at the summit.
US pop star Olivia Rodrigo sits at three with The Cure, the latest single from her third studio album – titled You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love – which is set for release next week.
Rapper Drake is also in the top five, sitting at number four with Janice Stfu while the 1983 track Billie Jean, by Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, sits at number five.
