The new album knocks Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heartclub Band from the number two spot and is less than a million sales away from knocking Queen from the top spot.
Abba's greatest hits collection, Gold, edged past the The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band this weekend to become the second highest selling album in UK history. The band have now sold over 5.1million copies of their greatest hits album, with the Official Charts Company indicating over the weekend that the album has surpassed Sgt. Pepper's by 15,000 sales.
The album now only sits behind another best of collection, Queen's Greatest Hits, which has so far sold 5.9million copies. The rest of the top five consists of Adele’s 21, which is 4th having sold 4.6million copies, with Oasis’ 1995 sophomore release (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? completing the top five, selling slightly less than Adele. Speaking to OfficialCharts.com, ABBA founder and songwriter Björn Ulvaeus spoke of his shock at the achievement, saying, 'It’s feels unreal - outselling the greatest record of all time!'
Björn Ulvaeus couldn't believe the news of Gold's success
Gold's chart success couldn't have come at a more fitting time either, with the Eurovision Song Contest; the competition that launched ABBA to international stardom, returning to the group's native Sweden this weekend. The weekend also marked a return to the U.K. charts form former ABBA singer Agnetha Faltskog, whose comeback album A reached number six in the charts following Sunday's (May 19) update.
The rest of the weekend's chart was made up of some surprises, with Vampire Weekend's third album failing to enter the chart at number one. Instead, the indie group's Modern Vampires In The City fell behind Gabrielle Aplin's debut record, English Rain, and Rod Stewart's first number one album in close to forty years, Time.
Agnetha Faltsko's new album is her most successful solo release to date