September 30, 2012 17:51

Mumford And Sons score Number One with 'Babel', 2012's fastest-selling album

PSY's 'Gangnam Style' gallops to top of Official UK Singles Chart

Photo: Andrew Whitton/NME

Mumford and Sons' new album 'Babel' has gone straight in at Number One in the Official UK Album Chart.

The London-based band's second album has done one better than their debut 'Sigh No More' and is the group's first Number One, racking up an impressive sales tally of 159,000 copies to become 2012's fastest-selling album, according to the Official Charts Company.

The level of sales sees the band surpass Lana Del Rey's 'Born To Die' which achieved nearly 117,000 sales in its first week of release earlier this year, and also Emeli Sande's 'Our Version Of Events' which sold just over 113,000 in its debut week.

Speaking to NME about bagging the Number One slot, multi-instrumentalist Ted Dwane said: "Number Two was the best we got with 'Sigh No More' so it would be amazing. Obviously no-one's going to wish against a Number One record but I know Green Day have an album out and they're a pretty big hitter. If you told me in the '90s that I’d be in a chart battle with Green Day, I probably would have just laughed at you."

Green Day could only manage the Number Two slot in the UK Album Chart with the first of their three album trilogy 'iUno!', the second highest new entry in this week's charts.

Elsewhere, Pink's 'The Truth About Love' is at Three, while last week's chart topper The Killers' 'Battle Born' has dropped down three places to Number Four. Jonathan & Charlotte, the operatic duo from this year's Britain's Got Talent, complete the Top 5 with debut album 'Together'.

In the Official UK Singles Chart, PSY finally conquers the UK as his YouTube hit 'Gangnam Style' gallops to the top of the chart. Sales this week surged by 73% to push the Korean dance phenomenon all the way to the peak, toppling The Script, who are at Number Two with 'Hall Of Fame', by a comfortable margin of 26,000 copies.

Flo Rida is at Number Three with 'I Cry'; Taylor Swift is down two spots to Number Four with 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' while Ne-Yo completes the Top 5 with 'Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love)'.

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