U.K. CHARTS: KANYE DEBUTS AT #2

Kanye West has settled for second place on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart with Ye (Virgin EMI), which means that the Greatest Showman soundtrack (Atlantic) has been #1 for 18 out of the 23 chart weeks this year—in other words, nearly 80% of 2018 to date. Has the top of the albums chart ever been this stagnant?

The Greatest Showman sold a combined 38k over the last seven days to deny West the #1 spot. However, Ye was the most played album on streaming services, where it earned 82% of its sales.

Ben Howard is the second highest new entry with his third Top 10 album, Noonday Dream (Island), hitting #4. Further down, Roger Daltrey is new at #8 with As Long As I Have You (Polydor) and Swedish rockers Ghost have a career-best at #10 with Prequelle (Spinefarm).

Just outside the Top 10, Father John Misty lands at #12 with God’s Favourite Customer (Bella Union) and the self-titled album from Laura Marling and songwriter Mike Lindsay, who go by the name of Lump (Dead Oceans), debuts at #14.

On the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart, “One Kiss” (Columbia/Warner Bros.) by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa is #1 for an eighth consecutive week with 5.5m plays on streaming services.

Jess Glynne has the most downloaded track of the week with “I’ll Be There” (Atlantic) rising three places to reach a new peak of #2.

The highest new entry is Kanye West with “Yikes” at #10, followed by “All Mine” at #11 and “Ghost Town” at #17. The 1975’s lead single from their third album, “Give Yourself a Try” (Dirty Hit/Polydor), has started at #22.

Tracks on the rise include “Solo” (Atlantic) by Clean Bandit and Demi Lovato at #6, “Better Now” (Atlantic) by Post Malone at #7 and “Shotgun” (Columbia) by George Ezra at #8.