Kaiser Chiefs have bounded back into the UK albums chart, debuting at No 1 for the first time since 2007. Buoyed by frontman Ricky Wilson's popularity on The Voice, the Leeds rockers narrowly outsold X Factor winner Sam Bailey.
"Congratulations everyone... I'm exhausted and happy. Thank you," Wilson tweeted last night. The Chiefs' chart victory was certainly far from certain: their last album, 2011's The Future Is Medieval, reached No 10, and as of Friday night, Education, Education, Education & War had only sold 44 more copies than Bailey's The Power of Love. The Kaiser Chiefs finally pushed ahead "at the 11th hour", according to the Official Charts Company, ending 2,000 units ahead of last week's number one and nudging George Michael's Symphonica to No 3.
New in at No 4 is an unlikely voice from the past: Johnny Cash, scoring his highest-charting studio album in UK history. Out Among the Stars consists of songs the late singer recorded with Billy Sherrill about 30 years ago, which were recently discovered by Cash's son. "To achieve this incredible chart position is a real tribute to my dad and I know he would be honoured and excited with this result," John Carter Cash said in a statement.
Over on the singles chart, Aloe Blacc has landed his first solo No 1 with The Man. Though he was an uncredited vocalist on Avicii's 2013 smash, Wake Me Up, Blacc's last solo hit, the 2011 breakout I Need a Dollar, peaked at No 2. It was also a big week for John Martin, who is best known for singing on club tracks by Swedish House Mafia, Tinie Tempah and Sebastian Ingrosso & Tommy Trash. Martin's song Anywhere For You debuts at No 7 – his first solo top 10.
The singles chart also registered fans' sorrow over the death of house music legend Frankie Knuckles. The DJ's 25-year-old single Your Love, which reached No 59 in 1989, was in this week at No 29.
Official singles chart top five:
1. Aloe Blacc - The Man
2. John Legend - All of Me
3. Duke Dumont ft Jax Jones - I Got U
4. Route 94 ft Jess Glynne - My Love
5. Faul & Wad Ad vs Pnau - Changes
Official albums chart top five:
1. Kaiser Chiefs - Education, Education, Education & War
2. Sam Bailey - The Power of Love
3. George Michael - Symphonica
4. Johnny Cash - Out Among the Stars
5. John Legend - Love in the Future
