David Bowie’s music is expected to take over the UK charts this week, following the news of his death from cancer. His album Blackstar was already on course for the No 1 slot.
Early sales indicators suggest Bowie will score a number of new chart entries, with fans eager to pay tribute to the singer. According to Martin Talbot, chief executive of the Official Charts Company: “Today is an awful day for all lovers of music. But we are expecting a huge surge for a wide range of Bowie albums in this week’s official albums chart. Bowie made so many great albums, constantly reinventing himself, that everyone has their own favourites and fans are clearly reminding themselves of his massive contribution to popular music by buying these great, iconic works.”
At the time of publication, Blackstar had combined sales of 43,000, with Elvis Presley’s If I Can Dream 25,000 sales behind in second place. Adele’s 25 was at No 3, with Justin Bieber’s Purpose and James Bay’s Chaos and the Calm making up the top five.
Providing Blackstar holds firm, it will be the star’s 10th album to top the UK charts. The final placings will be announced on 15 January at 5.45pm.
