Manic Street Preachers lose out to Sabrina Carpenter in number one album race

Manics’ fans brace yourselves. Unfortunately the boys from Blackwood have lost out to US pop star Sabrina Carpenter in the race for this week’s UK album number one.

The two were locked in a battle to decide who would score the number one album when the chart was announced earlier this evening.

There was encouraging news at the start of week with the announcement of the midweek chart, compiled by the Official Charts Company from Friday to Sunday sales, which saw the Welsh legends’ new long player Critical Thinking sitting at number one, with the US singer hot on their heels with her Short N’ Sweet album.

Unfortunately the American singer saw her album jump four places to the summit with her sixth studio album, bolstered by the release of a deluxe edition featuring five brand-new tracks including a reworking of former chart-topper Please Please Please with Dolly Parton.

Short N’ Sweet first topped the Official Albums Chart on its release in September 2024, and went on to become the third-biggest album of last year in the UK.

The Manics were aiming for their third UK number one album after previous chart-toppers, 1998’s This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours and 2021’s The Ultra Vivid Lament.

However, it wasn’t all bad news for our Welsh heroes. The Manics secured this week’s highest new entry with Critical Thinking, the band’s 15th studio album across a career spanning 34 years.

Most pleasingly their new long player secured number one in the Official Vinyl Albums Chart, shifting the most copies on vinyl over the past seven days.

Congratulations also go to South Wales alt-rock outfit Punk Rock Factory who have bagged their first-ever albums chart placing with All Hands On Deck, which debuted at number 22.

Find out more about Critical Thinking and how to order the album HERE

Check out Punk Rock Factory’s new album HERE