29.01.2006 20:43
ARCTIC MONKEYS SMASH ALBUM SALES RECORD
Rock group Arctic Monkeys today smashed the
record for the fastest selling debut album of all time.
The Sheffield band's Whatever People Say I Am,
That's What I'm Not was only released on January
23, and has sold more than 360,000 copies.
It has easily beaten the previous record held by
Hear'Say's Popstars album, which sold 306,631
copies in March 2001.
A HMV spokesman said: "In the space of just a few
weeks the Arctic Monkeys have gone from being
relative newcomers to becoming a household name.
“People rightly draw comparisons with Oasis, but in
terms of sheer impact, where a band has come from
virtual obscurity to achieve huge, overnight chart
success, we haven't seen anything quite like this
since The Beatles."
The group, which is signed to independent label
Domino, has already had two number One singles in
the UK with I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
and last week with When The Sun Goes Down.
But that record was knocked off the singles top spot
to number two this week by the Notorious BIG,
Diddy and Nelly with Nasty Girl, so denying the band
simultaneous number ones in both charts.
“Because the album was released this week many
fans realised they could get When The Sun Goes
Down by buying the album and didn't have to buy
the single so the band has failed to take number one
in both charts,” the spokesman said.
The Arctic Monkeys easily beat Richard Ashcroft's
latest album Keys To The World which sold 75,000
copies - a total that would have normally guaranteed
the top spot.
The fastest selling British album of all time is Oasis'
third album, 'Be Here Now', which came out in
August 1997 and sold 655,000 copies in its week of
release.
The album top ten now has a split between
traditional rock bands like Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser
Chiefs and solo artists such as Will Young and James
Blunt.
In the singles charts X Factor winner Shayne Ward
spends his fifth week in the top ten but has slipped
again this week down to number six.
The JCB song, by folk-pop duo Nizlopi, has now
enjoyed two months in the charts and remains at
number 7.
Eighties band A-HA has also got into the top ten
with their new entry Analogue (All I Want).
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