James Tastes ‘Yummy’ No. 1 In U.K.

After 42 years, James finally lands a U.K. No. 1 studio album with Yummy.

The leader at the midweek point, Yummy (via Nothing But Love Music) completes the chart week at No. 1.
It’s the second leader for Tim Booth and Co., following their 1998 career retrospective The Best Of, and 19th U.K. top 40 appearance.

Beyoncé’s former leader Cowboy Carter (Columbia/Parkwood Ent.) holds at No. 2 while Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler enjoys a No. 3 entry with One Deep River (EMI). That matches Knopfler’s solo career high, which he achieved with 2015’s Tracker, and becomes his ninth top 10.

As a member of Dire Straits, Knopfler scooped four No. 1s and 11 top 10s.

Linkin Park lands a first top 5 album in seven years, and first since the death of frontman Chester Bennington, with Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023) (via Warner Records), new at No. 4, while British rock outfit Kris Barras Band nab a career high with Halo Effect (Earache), new at No. 5.

Meanwhile, Leeds, England four-piece English Teacher nabs a top 10 entry at the first attempt with This Could Be Texas (Island), their debut recording. It’s new at No. 8. Also, Glasgow, Scotland rock act GUN blasts to a first top 10 LP in 30 years with Hombres (Cooking Vinyl), new at No. 10. According to the Official Charts Company, GUN last hit the top 10 back in 1994 with Swagger, which peaked at No. 4.

Future and Metro Boomin just miss out on a second top 10 in under a month. The U.S. hip-hop stars’ latest collaborative album We Still Don’t Trust You (Epic/Freebandz/Republic) bows at No. 11, following the release last month of the collab We Don’t Trust You, which peaked at No. 2 on the March 29 chart.

A handful of new releases impact the latest Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, April 19, including Maggie RogersDon’t Forget Me (No. 12 via Polydor), Nia Archives’ Silence Is Loud (No. 16 via Island) and Girl in Red’s I’m Doing It Again Baby (No. 37 via Columbia).

Lars Brandle

Billboard