Alex Warren extends his run at the top of the singles chart to eight weeks. Pink Floyd get a seventh number one album with a live set recorded over half-a-century ago.

There is still no stopping Alex Warren as Ordinary gets an eighth week at number one in the singles chart. The last song to spend exactly eight weeks at the top was Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s Miracle in two separate runs in 2023. Afraid To Feel by LF System was the last song to have a single run of exactly eight weeks, in 2022. Warren’s album You’ll Be Alright Kid (Chapter 1) enters the top ten for the first time, at number nine.

Ravyn Linae’s Love Me Not climbs three places to number two. Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club finally vacates the number two spot after being three for the last six weeks. It is now at number three. Show Me Love by WizTheMC along with Bees & Honey slips one place to number four.

Normality has returned this week with just two new entries in the singles chart. The first is from Ed Sheeran who brings his tally of hits up to 64. Old Phone is about exactly that; yes, he really has written a song about finding an old phone. There was a time when even a song about such an odd subject would have gone straight to the top simply for being by Ed Sheeran. Old Phone enters at number seventeen. The release of a physical version of Sheeran’s Azizam is not enough to stop it falling one place to number five.

Jorja Smith made her UK chart debut as a featured artist on Drake’s Get It Together. She has had a further seven top forty hits since then although just one has made it to the top ten. This week she gets top forty hit number nine with The Way I Love You at number 39. 

Sombr’s two hits continue to climb. Back To Friends is up to number fifteen. Undressed enters the top ten, climbing seven places to number six. Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things gets a thirtieth week in the top ten. Thanks to Mrpopquiz on Buzzjack for the information that only six songs have spent longer there. Of the ten songs to have spent at least 26 weeks (six months) in the top ten, five have been released since 2018. Three of the others are Christmas songs which notch up extra weeks every year.

Although they didn’t become a massive name until the release of Dark Side Of The Moon in 1973, Pink Floyd had been releasing albums since 1967. Therefore, by the time they toured in 1971, they had plenty of material. They also chose to record a live film in the ancient Italian city of Pompeii. The film was recorded over four nights with some additional material shot in Paris. The film was released in 1972, but without an accompanying album. A DVD was released in 2002; a CD followed in 2016 as part of the Early Years boxed set which reached number nineteen in the albus chart. Now we have a remastered double-CD version to enjoy.

The first update, on Tuesday because of the May Day Bank Holiday, showed this new release at the top of the charge. However, the lead was relatively modest, making it uncertain whether it would stay there. Twenty-four hours later, the lead had been cut, but only narrowly. That left me more confident that it would hold on and, by the time the final chart was compiled, it was indeed still on top. Pink Floyd At Pompeii - MCMLXXII is theri seventh number one album. The list, which famously does not include Dark Side Of the Moon, began in 1970 with Atom Heart Mother.

That leaves Sabrina Carpenter's Short 'n' Sweet back in its regular slot at number two. The remainder of the top five are all compilation albums. Ed Sheeran’s Tour Collection is at number three. As it is also known as the Mathematics Tour, I would like to congratulate Maths graduate Robert Prevosdt on becoming Pope Leo XIV. Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years:Don’t Stop is at number four. The Weeknd’s Highlights is at number five.

The first thing to do when an Andy Bell solo album is announced is to check which Andy Bell it is. Is it the vocalist with Ride or the one from Erasure? With the two Andy Bells having very different voices, a listen is generally enough to find out. That brings us to ten Crowns, a new solo album from the Erasure Andy Bell, his first solo release since 2010. Ride’s Andy Bell is not likely to release such a strongly pop-sounding album. Bell’s two previous solo albums failed to reach the top 100. Ten Crowns is at number fourteen.

Live albums rarely make a major impact on the charts. It is particularly unusual to have two live albums entering in the same week. That, however, is what has happened this week. As well as Pink Floyd, James have a new live album out, albeit one recorded a lot more recently. The fact that Tim Booth was only eleven in 1971 may have played a part in that. Like the Floyd album, this was recorded at an ancient site, the Acropolis in Athens. As an extra treat, they played with an orchestra. James, Live at the Acropolis is at number 27.

Singer-songwriter Andrew Cushn scores his first top forty album with his second release Love Is For Everyone at number 35.