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Sam Smith BRIT Awards 2015

Sam Smith capped the week of his double Brit Award victory by claiming another piece of history, as In The Lonely Hour (Capitol/Universal) topped the first U.K. album chart to incorporate streaming data alongside downloads and traditional sales. As the new data was unveiled yesterday (March 1), Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” (Polydor/Universal) claimed a fourth week atop the singles chart.

Smith’s combined chart sale was 41,000, according to the Official Charts Company, of which 2,900 were streams. That was enough for it to return 2-1, with his fellow double BRIT winner Ed Sheeran’s X (Asylum/Warner Music) climbing 3-2 with 38,000 combined sales, including 3,400 streams. The OCC is now adding streaming activity into the album chart computation by converting track streams into albums at a rate of 1000:1.

The BRITS had their customary sales impact on several other titles, notably best British group winners Royal Blood, who raced 18-3 with their self-titled Warner Bros set. George Ezra’s Wanted On Voyage (Columbia/Sony Music) was up 6-4, while international female solo artist Taylor Swift’s 1989 (EMI/Universal) improved 8-5.

Led Zeppelin’s augmented reissue of Physical Graffiti (Rhino/Warner Music) came in at No. 6 (the album had led the chart early in the week), with Fan Of a Fan the Album (RCA/Sony) by Chris Brown & Tyga new at No. 7. Also on RCA, British female solo artist winner Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction raced 33-8; Gregory Porter’s Liquid Spirit (Blue Note/Universal) climbed two places to a new peak of No. 9, while Hozier’s self-titled Universal Island album fell 7-10.

Last week’s new entry at No. 1, Imagine Dragons’ Smoke + Mirrors (Interscope/Universal), fell to No. 12, and there were top 20 new entries for Public Service Broadcasting’s The Race For Space (Test Card Recordings) at No. 11 and Black Star Riders The Killer Instinct (Nuclear Blast) at No. 13. The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack (Republic/Universal) started a third week at the compilation chart summit.

Goulding’s fourth week at the top of the singles survey was part of an unchanged top five. Hozier’s “Take Me To Church” started a third week at No. 2, as Mark Ronson’s former No. 1 “Uptown Funk” (Columbia/Sony), featuring Bruno Mars stayed at No. 3. The Weeknd’s “Earned It” (Republic/Universal) and “FourFiveSeconds” (Roc Nation/Universal) by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney completed the top five.

David Guetta’s “What I Did For Love” (Parlophone/Warner Music), featuring Emeli Sandé, raced 20-6, while Kelly Clarkson’s “Heartbeat Song” (RCA/Sony) arrived at No. 7. Critics’ Choice BRIT Award winner James Bay’s “Hold Back The River” climbed five places for a new peak of No. 8.

[Billboard]