Musical icons ABBA have secured their tenth number one album with Voyage, the album debuted at the top spot this week. The release has become the fasted selling album for this year so far. OfficialCharts took to Instagram to announce the winner.
The disco legend’s new release is their first studio album in 40 years and their first chart entry since their 1981 album The Visitors. The group have experienced chart success prior with compilations and greatest hits albums, Voyage is their newest album of fresh material to enter the charts.
The group spoke with OfficialCharts.com concerning their win, “We are so happy that our fans seem to have enjoyed our new album as much as we enjoyed making it! We are absolutely over the moon to have an album at the top of the charts again!”
The band’s ninth studio album has accumulated over 204,000 chart sales within its first week. The album has grossed the biggest opening week in four years within the UK’s Official Album Chart. The previous record-holder was Ed Sheeran for his album Divide which was released in 2017. Voyage’s total sales include the 29,900 units sold on wax, making 90% of the album’s sales on physical formats. Due to this success, the album has also become the fastest-selling release on wax of this century. This title was previously awarded to Arctic Monkey’s, their album Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino sold over 24,500 vinyl sales within its first week in 2018.
The new release has also broken the sales record for an album by a group, Voyage has become the fasted selling album by a group in eight years. This title was previously held by One Direction for their 2013 album Midnight Memories. The Swedish singers are also the fourth group to secure over 200,000 chart sales in their initial week within this decade.
The Official Album Chart have also reported that the group have secured a total of 58 weeks as number one within the UK. Only two other acts within popular music have spent more weeks at the top spot, The Beatles and Elvis. The album has broken further records, the new release marks the tenth number one album for the quartet. Within chart history, only seven other acts have acquired more number-one albums than ABBA. These acts are The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, Robbie Williams, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie.
In other news within the charts, Ed Sheeran’s newest album = drops to number two. The 30-year-old singer’s fifth studio album enjoyed a week at number one when initially released on 29th October 2021. James Arthur secures his fourth number three album this week with his new release It’ll All Make Sense In The End. The album debuts at the third position after being released on 5th November 2021 via Columbia Records.
Fans will be able to see ABBA perform their new material next year when the band start their UK concert series as digital versions of themselves. Ticketholders will be able to experience the “Mamma Mia” singers in general admission seats, auditorium seats or within a personal dance booth. The group’s comeback concert entitled ABBA Voyage will be held at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The digitised group will perform within a custom build area and will be accompanied by a 10-piece live band.
Click here to purchase tickets.
