The hot streak of Jason Iley‘s Sony U.K. just got hotter, with Columbia accounting for a 45% chart share of this week’s U.K. Top 10, including its half of the debuting Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga duets album, although the Official Charts Company credits the release solely to Interscope. The outright Columbia bow is from the coolest octogenarian on the planet, Leonard Cohen.
Sony’s biggest rival is the indie sector, which collectively placed three debuts on the big board. This diverse assortment comprises electronic auteur the Aphex Twin, American blues virtuoso Joe Bonamassa and, at #1 alt-J, the latest British art-rock band to draw comparisons to Radiohead (whose Tom Yorke has a new solo album of his own, radically distributed through BitTorrent; see 9/26 Rumor Mill item).
As we pointed out on Friday, alt-J’s home label is Infectious Music, the hip indie found by celebrated A&R man Korda Marshall. Earlier this month, Infectious was bought by BMG Chrysalis U.K., with Marshall, who’s widely referred to over there as a “godfather of the indie scene,” and his staff joining BMG as part of the deal in a coup for the German company. But Marshall previously licensed alt-J to Atlantic in the States, which prevents BMG from releasing the critically acclaimed and briskly selling This Is All Yours over here.
Barbra Streisand holds the second slot in its second week, exhibiting legs on both sides of the pond. The same is true of Capitol’s Sam Smith, whose debut album continues to see like fish and chips. Columbia newcomer George Ezra is still going strong as well; he’s been in the U.K. Top 10 for 13 weeks, five fewer than Sam.
The Anglo-American one-off posse of Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj has crashed the party in style, as “Bang Bang” twerks its way to the top perch on the singles chart, rubbing elbows—and presumably other body parts—with nine incumbents.
ALBUMS
1. alt-J, This Is All Yours (Infectious)*
2. Barbra Streisand, Partners (Columbia)
3. Sam Smith, In the Lonely Hour (Capitol)
4. George Ezra, Wanted on Voyage (Columbia)
4. Leonard Cohen, Popular Problems (Columbia)*
6. Ed Sheeran, x (Asylum)
7. The Script, No Sound Without Silence (Columbia)
8. Aphex Twin, Syro (Warp)*
9. Joe Bonamassa, Different Shades of Blue (Provogue)*
10. Cheek to Cheek, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga (Interscope)*
SINGLES
1. Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj, “Bang Bang” (Lava/Republic)*
2. Sigma f/Paloma Faith, “Changing” (3 Beat/AATW)
3. Taylor Swift, “Shake It Off” (EMI)
4. Calvin Harris f/John Newman, “Blame” (Columbia)
5. Lilly Wood & Robin Schulz, “Prayer in C” (Atlantic)
6. Sam Smith, “I’m Not the Only One” (Capitol)
7. George Ezra, “Blame It on Me” (Columbia)
8. Professor Green f/Tori Kelly, “Lullaby” (Virgin)
9. Iggy Azalea f/Rita Ora, “Black Widow” (EMI)
10. Magic!, “Rude” (RCA)
*Debut
