This week's no. 1 record holds a special place among no. 1 records across the pond: It was also the 1000th no. 1 record in U.K. history history. And considering the Isles' role in the history of music, it's only fitting that the most recent top album would be by a big name artist (six of Rolling Stone magazine's Top 10 albums of all time were bourn in England). The winner? Robbie Williams.
The name might not set off fireworks at first consideration, but it's a fitting option for at least two reasons: 1) Williams' victory with Swing Both Ways is the vocalist's 11th time topping the chart, which forces a tie between himself and Elvis Presley for the most no. 1 albums from a solo artist in the history of the chart and 2) He's British, and it'd be a damn shame if a Brit didn't top the chart for the 1000th instance (Eminem and Lady Gaga had the last two weeks' spots).
A third reason, while we're thinking of it: The original no. 1, although not by a European, fell into the general theme of swing that comes with Williams' current album. Frank Sinatra topped the chart with Songs for Swingin' Lovers during July, 1956. It was long believed that the original chart was topped by the soundtrack for South Pacific during November 1958, but the Sinatra-topping chart from a 1956 issue of Record Mirror was discovered less than ten years ago.
Williams was less celebratory, suggesting that the album will be "forgotten by Tuesday."
Lily Allen enjoys a somewhat less ceremonious win this week, but a win nonetheless. Her single "Somewhere We Only Knew" (a Keane cover) jumped from no. 2 to no. 1 on the U.K. singles chart.
