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Artist News
Sam Smith debut album stays top five for one whole year
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 1 June 2015
Sam Smith is basically the new Beatles, I think that’s something we all agree on. And proof of that now exists, because he’s equalled one of their chart records. It’s an open and shut case, your honour.
Smith’s ‘In The Lonely Hour’ is only the second debut album to spend a full year in the top five of the UK album chart, after The Beatles’ 1963 album ‘Please Please Me’. Although the Official Charts Company says that ‘Please Please Me’ only managed to stay top five its first 51 weeks on sale, which I’m pretty sure isn’t a whole year. So Sam Smith is better than the Beatles.
The only other act to spend 52 weeks in the chart’s top five is Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ in 1970, which went on to stay there for 84 consecutive weeks in total. Then they split up, which Art Garfunkel is still bitter about. At least Sam Smith doesn’t have to worry about that, what with him being a solo artist and all.
Smith told OfficialCharts.com: “Seeing this statistic genuinely makes me feel very weird, but also insanely happy and just so thankful to everyone who has purchased the album. Not so lonely anymore!”
But don’t they always say it’s lonely at the top? I’m pretty sure that’s the rule. Sam Smith has misunderstood this entirely.
