The Official charts have confirmed that the Red Hot Chili Peppers have secured this week’s UK number one album. Unlimited Love marks the band’s fifth UK number one album. The funk-rock icons recently released album sired high physical sales and subsequently topped the Official Vinyl Album chart.
Unlimited Love sees the band reunite with two previous creative partners; producer Rick Rubin who did not work on their previous album and former guitarist John Frusciante. Frusciante joined the band as a teenager and made his first appearance on the 1989 studio album Mother’s Milk. The musician would later depart in 2009 to focus on his solo career. The guitarist joins the present-day line-up consisting of frontman Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith.
Release on 1st April 2022 via Warner Records, Unlimited Love is the group’s twelfth studio album and was received well by critics. The album’s first single entitled “Black Summer” was released on 4th February 2022 and marked the first song in sixteen years which included Frusciante on guitar. The second track to be taken from the album was released on 31st March 2022, “These Are The Ways” was released with an accompanying music video that featured a cameo from Flea’s wife.
This year also marks twenty years since the release of their first top-charting album, By The Way. The band’s eighth studio album was released in 2002 and became the American rocker’s first UK number one album. Two years later the band would score a second number one with Live in Hyde Park, the album was recorded in 2004 over three acclaimed concerts held at Hyde Park and was the band’s first live album.
The band would secure their third number one album with Stadium Arcadium, released in 2006. The album sired many hit singles including “Dani Californa”, the track was a huge success and became the song of the Summer. I’m With You became their fourth number one album and was released in 2011. The album was the first release to feature guitarist Josh Klinghoffer who was hired after Frusciante’s departure.
Along with several high climbers, Grammy fever is also evident within this week’s album charts. Following her success at last week’s ceremony, Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour has jumped five places to chart at number three. The singer scored multiple wins at the prestigious event, including Best Vocal Album for her debut album Sour. Rodrigo was also crowned Best New Artist and was awarded Best Pop Solo Performance for her debut single “Drivers Licence”.
Another high climber within this week’s album charts is Harry Styles’ second studio album Fine Line, the 2019 album leapt twenty-two positions to place at number six. The ignited interest in Styles’ album can be attributed to his success within the UK singles charts; “As It Was” debuted at number one and broke a sales record previously held by Sir John, Ed Sheeran and Ladbaby.
Music fans were left in shock when the news of Tom Parker’s passing was announced last month; the 33-year-old singer had tragically lost his life to a brain tumour. Parker was best known as a member of the British boyband The Wanted and had been in the group since their inception. Due to the devastating news, the band’s greatest hits have re-entered the charts to place within the top forty. Most Wanted: The Greatest Hits has jumped an impressive eighty places to the position of number twenty-two and has been named this week’s highest climber.
