Rod Stewart And Jools Holland Eye U.K. No. 1 With ‘Swing Fever’

Swing Fever is gripping the U.K.

When the calendar flips over to March, expect to see Rod Stewart and Jools Holland at No. 1 on the U.K. chart with Swing Fever (via Rhino), a covers collection gathering songs from the big band era.

Swing Fever leads the midweek chart, and is set to become Stewart’s 11th No. 1 album, and first since You’re In My Heart led the tally back in December 2019. Holland has never nabbed top spot on the Official U.K. Chart.

Should it stay on target, Swing Fever would see Stewart move up to 10th on the U.K.’s list of artists with the most career No. 1s, and into equal fifth among solo acts with the most leaders.

Meanwhile, Scottish rock act the Snuts slot in at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update with Millennials (Happy Artist), their third album. Millennials should give the Snuts a third consecutive top three debut, following 2021 chart leader W.L. and 2022’s Burn The Empire, which peaked at No. 3.

Liverpool’s Red Rum Club could be raising a glass this Friday. The alternative sextet’s new album Western Approaches (Modern Sky) is set to enter the national tally at No. 3, for what would be the group’s first top 10 appearance. The band previously cracked the top 40 with 2021’s How To Steal The World, which hit No. 34.

Completing an all-new top four on the chart blast is Barking, England rapper Potter Payper with Thanks For Hating (36TL), new at No. 4. The homegrown hip-hop artist has two previous top 10 appearances, with 2020’s Training Day 3 (No. 3 peak) and 2021’s Thanks For Waiting (No. 8).

Further down the list, Tyneside, England singer and songwriter Nadine Shah is on the brink of her first top 10 appearance with Filthy Underneath (EMI North), her fifth album. It’s new at No. 8 on the chart update. Filthy Underneath should comfortably set a new career best for Shah, besting the No. 29 peak for 2020’s Kitchen Sink.

All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, March 1.

Lars Brandle

Billboard