Manic Street Preachers triumph in UK album chart battle with Steps

Manic Street Preachers have scored their first Number 1 album since ‘This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours’ in 1998 with their new studio album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament.’

According to the Official Charts Company, Manic Street Preachers' critically acclaimed 14th album picked up 27,000 chart sales in the last seven days to claim the top spot, 91% of which were physical.

6,300 of the physical sales of ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ were on vinyl meaning the record tops the Official Vinyl Chart alongside the Official Album Chart.

Steps were just 2,000 sales behind Manic Street Preachers and ultimately ended up in second spot with their seventh album ‘What The Future Holds Pt. 2.’

Incredibly, it’s the second time Steps have come second to the Manics on the Official Album Chart. ‘This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours’ trounced Steps' ‘Step One’ by a whopping 95,000 sales in 1998.

Commenting on their chart triumph with 'The Ultra Vivid Lament', Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore said: “It's amazing to be back at Number 1 after 23 years – it was a titanic chart battle, and we are absolutely over the moon. Thanks to all our fans, supporters and Sony for keeping the faith.”

Elsewhere on the album chart, The Stranglers are at Number 4 with ‘Dark Matters’ and The Vaccines are at fifth spot with ‘Back In Love City.’

Featuring the Absolute Radio playlisted anthems ‘The Secret He Had Missed’ and ‘Orwellian’, ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ was once again produced by the band’s long-term collaborator Dave Eringa.

Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield joined Absolute Radio’s Danielle Perry for a chat this week when he marvelled at Nicky Wire’s “fine set of pins”:

James also explained why a piano, inherited from a 105-year-old woman, was so important in making ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’:

Huge congratulations to the Manics!

Manic Street Preachers at Absolute Radio:

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