Rolling Stones Shine at No. 1 In U.K. With ‘Hackney Diamonds’

The unstoppable force that is the Rolling Stones reigns over the latest U.K. chart, with Hackney Diamonds (via Polydor).

Mick Jagger and Co. debut at the summit of the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Oct. 27, with Hackney Diamonds, which clocks 72,200 chart units in its first week, the Official Charts Company reports.

That’s the third biggest week of sales for an album of 2023 so far, according to the OCC, behind only Lewis Capaldi’s Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent, and Ed Sheeran’s – (subtract).

The outright leader at the midweek stage, Hackney Diamonds outsells the rest of the top 5 combined to snag the Stones’ 14th U.K. No. 1.

With 11 different studio collections reaching the chart summit, the Rolling Stones are now part of the club of acts with the most studio albums to reach No. 1, joining the Beatles, Robbie Williams, and Bruce Springsteen.

Including greatest hits albums, reissues and live albums, the Stones are now equal with Williams on 14 No. 1 albums, a list that’s led by the Beatles with 16.

Hackney Diamonds is also the best-seller on wax to lead this week’s Official Vinyl Albums Chart.

Featuring collaborations with Lady Gaga, Elton John Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, and contributions from former bass player Bill Wyman and the group’s late drummer Charlie Watts, Hackney Diamonds is the Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years– since A Bigger Bang, which peaked to No. 2 in 2005

Meanwhile, Blink-182 enjoys a No. 2 debut with One More Time…(Columbia) the reunited pop-punk band’s ninth studio album. One More Time…, which sees original guitarist and singer Tom DeLonge return to the fold, with singer/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker, becomes their career peak in the U.K. for the classic lineup, improving on the No. 4 for 2001’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. The trio did lead the Official U.K. Albums Chart in 2016 with California, which featured Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba as the replacement for DeLonge.

Completing an all-new top three is Bombay Bicycle Club’s My Big Day (AWAL/MMM), new at No. 3. My Big Day is the British indie band’s fifth top 10 appearance on the albums tally, a list that includes a leader with 2014’s So Long, See You Tomorrow.

Further down the list, new releases from Barry Can’t Swim (When Will We Land? at No. 12 via Ninja Tune), Richard Hawley (Now Then: The Very Best of Richard Hawley at No. 15 via BMG), Sampha (Lahai at No. 21 via Young) and NSG (AREA BOYZ at No. 28 via NSG Entertainment) land top 40 debuts.