Leona’s Spirit soars as Arctics get left in the cold

The record for the fastest-selling British debut album in chart history was confirmed by The Official Charts Company (OCC) on Sunday, as Leona Lewis trounced the Arctic Monkeys’ 2006 debut album.

The newly released Leona Lewis debut album “Spirit” (SyCo) sold over 375,000 copies in just seven days, surpassing the Nationwide Mercury Prize winners’ debut “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” (Domino) by over 12,000 units according to The Official Charts Company.

“Leona has secured her place in chart history in terms of debut albums” said OCC Marketing Manager, Darren Haynes. Leona still has some way to go before beating the fastest-selling album of all time, however.

“In 1997, ‘Be Here Now’ by Oasis sold 695,761 in its first three days of release and went on to sell over 813,000 copies in seven days” said Haynes.

“In the general fastest-selling albums list, Leona jumps straight in to the No.4 position, above ‘Intensive Care’ by Robbie Williams and just short of Dido’s 2003 album ‘Life For Rent’ confirmed OCC Marketing Manager, Darren Haynes.

THE FASTEST-SELLING DEBUT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME (data provided by The Official Charts Company)

1. Spirit (2007) – Leona Lewis
2. Whatever People Say, That’s What I’m Not (2006) - Arctic Monkeys
3. Popstars (2001) - Hear'Say
4. Robson & Jerome (1995) - Robson & Jerome
5. G4 (2005) - G4

THE FASTEST-SELLING ALBUMS OF ALL TIME

1. Be Here Now (1997) - Oasis
2. X&Y (2005) - Coldplay
3. Life For Rent (2003) - Dido
4. Spirit (2007) – Leona Lewis
5. Intensive Care (2005) - Robbie Williams
6. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006) - Arctic Monkeys
7. Rattle & Hum (1988) - U2
8. Bad (1987) - Michael Jackson
9. (What's The Story) Morning Glory (1995) - Oasis
10. Immaculate Collection (1990) - Madonna

More chart trivia, facts and stats are available at Theofficialcharts.com.