Paul McCartney passes Barbra Streisand, Cliff Richard and George Michael in the U.K. with an eighth solo No. 1 album. PAUL McCARTNEY, bei einem seiner ersten Auftritte mit den ‘Beatles’, 1962 / Überschrift: THE BEATLES / Band, Musiker. (Photo by kpa/United Archives via Getty Images)
kpa/United Archives via Getty Images
Once again, just as he has been doing for more than half a century, Paul McCartney claims the No. 1 album in the United Kingdom. The superstar leads the charge once again with his latest solo effort, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which immediately debuts in first place on almost every tally it reaches across the Atlantic.
As McCartney scores another No. 1 on the Official Albums chart, which lists the most-consumed EPs and full-lengths in that country, he advances on the list of solo acts with the most champions.
Paul McCartney Scores His Eighth Solo No. 1 Album
The Boys of Dungeon Lane is McCartney’s eighth No. 1 under his own name on the Official Albums chart. That collection includes completely solo affairs, those credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, as well as the group Wings, as many of the band’s studio efforts were officially attached to Paul McCartney and Wings.
Beatles singer and guitarist Paul McCartney with his wife, Linda (1941 – 1998), circa 1970.
Bettmann Archive
Here are all of Paul McCartney’s No. 1s on the Official Albums chart.
- Band on the Run with Wings
- Flowers in the Dirt
- Give My Regards to Broad Street
- McCartney II
- McCartney III
- Ram with Linda McCartney
- The Boys of Dungeon Lane
- Tug of War
Paul McCartney Passes Three Superstars
McCartney now stands alone and claims the fourteenth-most No. 1s among solo artists in the history of the Official Albums chart, according to the Official Charts Company’s tally. Just days ago, before The Boys of Dungeon Lane debuted at the ranking’s summit, he was tied for that honor with three other solo superstars. Cliff Richard, George Michael and Barbra Streisand are comfortable with their seven champions as McCartney advances.
Robbie Williams recently reset the record for the most leaders among all acts, as he has now seen 16 projects under his own name hit No. 1. That figure excludes his work with the boy band Take That, which has also ruled.
PARIS, FRANCE – DECEMBER 13: Robbie Williams attends the “Better Man” special screening at Le Grand Rex on December 13, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Taylor Swift is up to 14 leaders, while Elvis Presley sits in third with a lucky 13 No. 1s on the Official Albums chart. If, or perhaps when, McCartney earns another leader, he will move up once more. Bob Dylan and Ed Sheeran are currently tied with nine No. 1s apiece, a figure that the former Beatle could reach if he continues his current pace.
Here is the ranking of solo acts with the greatest number of No. 1s on the Official Albums chart.
- 16 – Robbie Williams
- 14 – Taylor Swift
- 13 – Elvis Presley
- 12 – Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
- 11 – David Bowie, Eminem, Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart
- 10 – Elton John, Michael Jackson
- 9 – Bob Dylan, Ed Sheeran
- 8 – Paul McCartney
- 7 – Barbra Streisand, Cliff Richard, George Michael
Paul McCartney’s Total Grows With His Beatles Albums
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1966: The Beatles, English music group Pop (1962-1970). Standing : Paul MacCartney and John Lennon (1940-1980). Seat : Ringo Starr and George Harrison (1943-2000). August 1966. (Photo by Roger Viollet Collection/Getty Images)
Roger Viollet via Getty Images
When taking into account the music he released as one of four members of The Beatles, McCartney’s total grows dramatically. In fact, he claims the most No. 1s of all time on the Official Albums chart across his many musical projects. The Beatles sent 15 titles to the penthouse, a sum that was only recently bested by Williams.
Between his solo work, the music he created as a member of Wings and, of course, the 15 champions The Beatles racked up during the decade the band was together and in the many years since its split, McCartney is responsible for 22 No. 1 albums in the U.K.
Paul McCartney Reaches 40 Top 100 Albums
Looking at the full Official Albums chart, which features 100 spaces, McCartney has now sent a milestone 40 projects to the ranking. Just over half of those, 23, have cracked the top 10, and only about a third of those have ruled.
The Boys of Dungeon Lane Rules Four U.K. Charts
The Boys of Dungeon Lane launches on five charts in the U.K. this week, and it dominates all but one of them. McCartney fails to lead the Official Album Downloads tally, where he’s beaten by Boards of Canada. The ambient electronic duo sends Inferno from No. 26 to No. 1. The Boys of Dungeon Lane does manage to sit at No. 1 on the Official Albums, Official Albums Sales, Official Physical Albums and Official Vinyl Albums charts.