Take That have secured the biggest opening week for a British act on the albums chart in 2023. And they have done it in some style.
This Life (EMI) has become the Music Week cover stars’ ninth No.1 after debuting at the summit with sales of 116,163, according to the Official Charts Company.
That’s an increase on the 105,721 week one sales for their previous album release, No.1 greatest hits reworkings collection Odyssey, in 2018. This Life also improved on the 113,211 opening sales for 2017’s Wonderland, which peaked at No.2 in March of that year. In fact, it’s the biggest opening weekly sale for Take That since seventh studio album III debuted at the summit with 144,538 sales in December 2014.
With their ninth studio album, Take That moved 112,779 physical copies (97.1% of the total) in the past week, along with 1,987 downloads and 1,397 sales-equivalent streams.
The sales performance by Take That helped boost physical music releases to a 23.6% share of the albums market, compared to 17.2% in the prior week and 15.7% a fortnight ago.
EMI were comfortable market leaders in the past week, based on the crucial All Albums – All Music metric, with a 14.4% share. This Life is the band’s first album with the label.
Take That are at No.5 on the RadioMonitor airplay chart with the album’s title track, although it has surprisingly not made the OCC singles chart so far.
This Life surpasses 2023’s previous fastest-selling record by a British act, Lewis Capaldi’s second album Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent (EMI), which opened with 95,882 sales in May.
Of course, EMI also secured the biggest overall week one sales this year with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift, which opened with 184,965 sales last month.
This Life is Take That’s third chart-topper as a trio. During their career, they have secured previous No.1 albums with Everything Changes (1993), Nobody Else (1995), Greatest Hits (1996), Beautiful World (2006), The Circus (2008), Progress (2010), III (2014) and Odyssey (2018).
As revealed in Alan Jones’ charts analysis, Take That’s biggest ever first week sale came in 2010 when Progress opened with 518,601 sales, the third highest of the 21st century behind Adele’s 25 (800,307, 2015) and Ed Sheeran’s Divide (671,542, 2017). Their biggest seller is 2006’s Beautiful World, which had first week sales of 168,954, which surged to 443,070 three weeks later in the pre-Christmas chart week. It has since gone on to accumulate 2,940,045 sales.
The group have now drawn level with Bob Dylan, Coldplay and Kylie Minogue on the list of acts with the most UK No.1 albums, each with nine. The Beatles are out in front with 15.
Subscribers can read our Music Week cover story with Take That online.
The December issue starring Take That is available to buy here.
PHOTO: Dave Hogan
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