The Greatest Showman soundtrack batted away competition from indie rockers The Wombats to claim a sixth straight week at the top of the album chart.
The marsupial band’s fourth studio album, Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, entered at third in the chart despite threatening to clinch top spot earlier this week as it fell behind Ed Sheeran’s award-winning album, Divide.
The Greatest Showman’s cast recording – featuring stars Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and Zendaya – scored its strongest week yet as it outsold its nearest rivals by more than three copies to one with 51,000 combined sales.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! Our new album is OUT NOW!! Follow the link below to download your copy now! 🎉 🎉 🎉https://t.co/k31b9Xe0fJ pic.twitter.com/3utZ7jpha8
— The WOMBATS (@thewombats) February 9, 2018
Divide’s second-place finish rounded off the record’s 50th week in the top 10, days before it goes up for the best album prize at the Brit Awards.
The Wombats were joined by two more new entries in the top five with Birmingham rapper Mist’s Diamond In The Dirt and London rapper Fredo’s Tables Turn at fourth and fifth respectively.
Scottish alt-rockers Franz Ferdinand’s Always Ascending comes in at sixth while Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN leaped 15 positions to number 21 following his UK tour this week.
Drake extended his reign in the Official Singles Chart to four weeks with his God’s Plan track, with Rudimental forced to settle for a second week at number two with latest single These Days.
Liam Payne and Rita Ora’s collaboration on the final instalment of the Fifty Shades film, For You, reached a new peak at number eight.