Lewis Capaldi’s comeback single is his sixth number one. Lorde gets her first number one album. Both singers have benefitted from playing at Glastonbury last weekend.

Whatever you may think of Lewis Capaldi’s music, it is surely hard as a fellow human being not to sympathise with him for his experience at Glastonbury two years ago. His Tourette’s syndrome forced him to abandon his set. This year, he chose to play his first live show since then at the same venue and he wowed the audience in a way many of his critics may be reluctant to acknowledge. Oh, and his first cousin once removed, former Doctor Peter Capaldi, joined Franz Ferdinand for Take Me Out in a genuine surprise appearance. Just for the record, Capaldi had enjoyed a highly successful acting career before becoming the twelfth Doctor.

Where was I? I seem to have got distracted, just for a change. Ah yes, Lewis Capaldi.  His Glastonbury appearance just happened to coincide with the release of a new single, Survive. Isn’t it amazing how these things work out? Coverage of his first live appearance for two years and a bunch of CD copies have combined to give Capaldi a sixth number one single. His debut album, Divinely Inspired To A Hellish Extent is back in the top forty at number fifteen. It was released in 2019, spending ten weeks at number one, and was last in the top forty in April last year. This is its 248th week inthe top forty.

Dior by MK featuring Chrystal is still at number two. Sabrina Carpenter’s manchild falls to number three after a second non-consecutive week at number one. Ravyn Lenae is down one place to number four with Love Me Not. Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club is still at number five. It has been in the top five since the middle of February, a run of 21 weeks.

Alex Warren’s first new song to be released after Ordinary’s marathon run at number one was ended by the application of chart rules might have been expected to be a high new entry. However, On My Mind enters at a rather modest number 37. It features Rosé which could have been bad news. Thankful, this song is a vast improvement on Apt.

It is many years since I went to the cinema. The last film I saw there was The Imitation Game. One of the types of film least likely to tempt me back would be a K-Pop film. It is safe to say that I am not part of the target audience for K-Pop Demon Hunters. The song How It’s Done by Huntr/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami does nothing to change that. The number of people who disagree with me and have streamed it makes it a new entry at number 40.

How It’s Done is not the only thing from K-Pop Demon Hunters to enter the chart this week. There is more. Eek. Your Idol by (take a deep breath) Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee (yes, really) and K-Pop Demon Hunters Cast is at number 34. I assume Uncle Tom Cobley and all were unavailable. Huntr/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami do their lack of magic again on Golden which is at number 31. With all of the BTS members having completed their compulsory military service, they have promised a new album for next year. Oh joy.

Among the many non-movers in the top forty this week is Lola Young’s One Thing. It has spent four of the last five weeks at number nineteen. 

It has become part of the Glastonbury tradition that there will be a few slots across the weekend designated either as TBA (To Be Announced) or by the use of an obviously fake band name. Some of the acts are a genuine surprise, while other names have been widely guessed before the festival gets underway. For example, it was no surprise that the band billed as Patchwork turned out to be Pulp. Note that the “denials” were very much along the lines of the “We have no plans to…” non-denial used by politicians. Obviously, Pulp were brilliant. Lewis Cpaldi’s set was also not on the original schedule.

The earliest non-surprise was an appearance by Lorde, a riff from whose song Green Light was used to introduce the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage some years ago. She used her appearance to play her new album, Virgin, in full, an unusual way to use a festival appearance. It is more common to use it as a chance to do something akin to a greatest hits set, but why waste a golden opportunity to plug a new album?

As with Lewis Capaldi, the free promotion of a Glastonbury slot has benefitted Lorde immensely. Although her previous three releases have all reached the top five, Virgin becomes her first album to top the chart. What Was That, a single from the album re-enters the top forty at number 35. It reached number eleven in May.

Many people used the enforced extra spare time given by measures to protect thee population against Covid to learn new skills. Bruce Springstten used the time to trawl through his vast archive of unreleased songs. He released one such collection back in 1998 which covered material recorded before 1983. His new collection, Tracks II: The Lost Albums covers the period from 1983 to 2018. As the title suggests, the seven-CD set is not just a random collection of songs. Springsteen has arranged the songs effectively to create seven separate albums. Despite the inevitably high cost (although a single-CD highlights collection is also available), the album has made it to number two.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Short ‘n’ Sweet is at number three in its 45th consecutive week in the top five. It was already the longest consecutive run in the top five for a studio album. Now it is also the longest run for a solo album, beating Elvis Presley’s GI Blues soundtrack album. Ed Sheeran’s Tour collection is at number four.

London-born, US-based, self-proclaimed Scot Rod Stewart filled Glastonbury’s popular Legends slot on Sunday afternoon. Guess what? He just happened to release a new hits compilation last week. What are the chances? Despite the fact that hits compilations are a bit redundant in the streaming age, Ultimate Hits is at number five.

Oasis’s long-awaited live comeback starts this weekend in Cardiff. Their hits compilation Time Flies is at number six. Definitely Maybe is at number 26 and (What’s The Story) Morning Glory is at number fourteen.

Veteran singer Barbra Streisand just about sneaks a 30th top forty album. The Secret Of Life: Partners Volume Two is at number 40. It is a collection of duets featuring singers such as Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey and Sting.