Sam Fender and Olivia Dean equal a chart record. Muse get their eighth number one album.

Rein Me In’s fourth run at the top (itself a record for a single chart run) continues for a second week, bringing its total run up to fifteen weeks. It matches Wet Wet Wet’s Love Is All Around as the longest run at number one by a British act. Not so long ago, number one songs by British acts had become a rarity, apart from Wham’s annual spell and a Beatles song.

Olivia Rodrigo is still at number two with her Stupid Song. Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean is at number three. Harry Styles’ American Girls continues to rise back up the chart, climbing four places this week to number four.Ariana Grande is back up to number five with Hate That I Made You Love Me. Four of this week’s top five have been to number one, albeit over four decades ago in one case (no that isn’t when Rein Me In first topped the chart even if it feels like it to some).

Gracie Abrams gets her second hit single of the year with Look At My Life at number 39. The song sounds like one Taylor Swift threw away. Sombr gets his third hit of 2026 in the form of My Body Isn’t Ready at number 27.

French DJ Florent Hugel gets his first top forty hit at the age of 38 with Movin’ To The Sun at number 31. It has to be said that 93 million miles is a very long way to move. The removal costs would be immense. Hugel, as he is known, is joined by Imael Agent, another chart debutant, and by Ultra Nate who had two top ten singles in the 1990s.

Anita Ward's Ring My Bell was one of the most annoying number ones of the 1970s thanks to the incessant use of a syndrum. Thankfully that has been removed from Aitch’s RMB (Ring My Bell). It still isn’t great, but it is a good deal better than Ward’s version. It is a new entry at number 40.

Maybe one day Muse will record an album of quiet, gentle ballads, even if they do it just for the shock effect. That day hasn’t arrived yet and The Wow! Signal is very much what we have come to expect from the band.  Most of the album is written by Matt Bellamy, with or without the rest of the band. However, Hush has a number of co-writers, including Theo Hutchcraft of Hurts. It also features vocals from Ellie Goulding and is one of the album’s stand-out tracks.

Muse’s debut album Showbiz, released in 1999, performed modestly in the charts, peaking at number 26. Origin Of Symmetry, released in 2001 did much better, getting to number three. That album included signature songs Plug In Baby and New Born as well as a brilliant version of the soul classic Feeling Good, most associated with Nina Simone.

After those first two albums, it has been number ones all the way for their studio albums. That run continues as The Wow! Signal becomes their eighth success number one with a studio album.

Olivia Rodrigo slips to number two with You Look Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love after two weeks at the summit. The Essential Michael Jackson is still at number three. Harry Styles stays at number four with Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally. Olivia Dean keeps her top five place for a 40th week with The Art Of Loving at number five. All of the top five albums have been to number one.

The Pretty Reckless have had mixed fortunes with their albums. Three of them made the top ten although none of them quite made it to the top five. The exception was 2016’s Who You Selling For which got no higher than number 23. Album number five Dear God enters at number six, their third album to peak in that position.

Bad Bunny played live shows at the home of almost-relegated Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. As a result, his album Debi Tirar Mas Fotos returns to the chart at number 27.

Metallica released their seventh studio album Reload in 1997 when it reached number four. It has now been reissued as a boxed set of 15 CDs and four DVDs. die-hard fans with deep pockets can enjoy live recordings, demos and other bits and bobs. The reissued Reload enters at number 39.

Next Friday, I will be on a day-trip to France with a group of Year 7 students, so Popchartfreak will be filling in for me. If I survive the trip, I will return for a week before handing the reins back to Popchartfreak while I go back to France for a holiday. Be nice to him.