The UK Official Charts have announced this week’s number one album. Wet Leg have secured the top spot with their self-titled debut release. The indie duo’s album, Wet Leg, was released on 8th April 2022 and debuted at the top of the charts. The band took to social media to announce the album’s release and celebrate their win.
So today we found out that our debut album has placed at number one in the UK album charts!! It’s been such an unexpected journey for us hobbits so to find our shmalbum at number 1 is incredible!! We are lost for words and left feeling like we’re wearing our mums high heels pic.twitter.com/1KJJwMaGdA
— Wet Leg (@wetlegband) April 15, 2022
The band spoke with OfficialCharts.com concerning their win, “We just want to say thanks to all of our fans that have bought the record, and that means we can be Number 1. Thank you for this!”
The group’s inaugural release has outsold the remaining top 5 albums combined and has earned the title of the second biggest opening week for an album in 2022 so far. The top spot was awarded to British rapper Central Cee for his second studio album 23, released on 25th February 2022 the album also debuted at number one on the album charts. Wet Leg’s top-charting album has also achieved success in physical sales, and it has topped the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and the Official Record Store Chart.
Wet Leg’s number one album was released by independent label Domino Records and is the fourth indie-released album to top the charts this year. The London-based label is home to a roster full of beloved rock acts including Arctic Monkeys, Animal Collective and Franz Ferdinand. The duo was formed in the Isle of Wright and consists of band members Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. The pair started to make music together in 2019 after meeting in college, and first gained notoriety for their single “Chaise Lounge”. The track was their debut single and became a huge hit over social media.
This week’s chart placement is not just a win for Wet Leg but is also a huge landmark within the music industry. For the first time in over a decade, all top 3 albums are released via independent record labels. At number two on this week’s album charts is Chloe And The Next 21st Century by Father John Misty, the album has debuted at second place and was released via Bella Union. Closing the top three and scoring the hat track for indie labels is Jack White’s album Fear Of The Dawn, the Grammy award-winning musician’s fourth solo album was released by his own label Third Man Records.
This grade of chart success for indie labels last occurred in 2011, the top 3 included Adele’s 21 at number 1 and the singer’s debut album 19 at number 3. Both albums were released by British indie label XL Recordings. Founded in 1989, the label is home to artists such as FKA Twigs, Gil Scott-Heron and Radiohead. At number three was Fleet Foxes’ Helplessness Blues. The group’s second studio album was released via grunge pioneering label Sub Pop and British indie label Bella Union.
Speaking on the rarity of this event, chart analyst Alan Jones has given the following statement, “It is only the third time in the 1,162 weeks that have elapsed in the 21st century that indie records have occupied all of the top three places in the chart. The first time, in 2011, saw two albums from Adele (21 and 19) and one from The Strokes (Angles) shutting out the majors, and the second instance happened just six weeks later.”
Days before this chart record was announced, recorded music trade body BPI reported a spike in growth for indie label market shares for the fourth year running. The organisation also conducted a new analysis of the Official Charts Company’s data and stated that independent music was responsible for 26.9% of the UK music sales in 2021. The data also confirmed that 4 out of 10 Vinyl album sales were independent releases.
