Bob Dylan should complete his comeback with a U.K. No. 1.
The master songwriter’s new album Rough and Rowdy Ways (Columbia) leads the midweek U.K. chart by a handy margin.
According to the Official Charts Company, Dylan’s 39th studio album is outselling the rest of the top 5 combined by a margin of three-to-one, and is the best-seller across CDs and downloads.
Should Rough and Rowdy Ways hold its spot when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published this Friday (June 26), it’ll give Dylan his ninth U.K. No. 1, and his first since 2015’s Shadows In The Night.
Also, Rough and Rowdy Ways will become his landmark 40th top 10 in a chart career spanning 56 years, the OCC reports.
The best-seller on vinyl belongs to another Hall of Famer, Neil Young, whose “holy grail” ’70s album Homegrown (Reprise) starts at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update. Homegrown, recorded in 1974 and early 1975 but unreleased until now, could give the Canadian rocker his highest charting album in the U.K. for more than a quarter century (his Sleeps With Angels set with Crazy Horse from 1994 also peaked at No. 2).
Meanwhile, L.A. indie artist Phoebe Bridgers is on track for her first U.K. top 10 with Punisher (Dead Oceans), her sophomore set. It’s new at No. 3 on the midweek chart.
Metal veterans Lamb of God are tracking for a second top 10 with their self-titled tenth studio album (via Nuclear Blast), which bows at No. 7.
Following her death last week at the age of 103, Dame Vera Lynn’s 100 (Decca) is targeting a return to the top 10 this week. It reenters the midweek survey at No. 1. The “Forces Sweetheart” made history with the compilation back in 2017 when it entered the weekly survey at No. 3, making her the oldest artist, and first centenarian, to impact the U.K. Official Albums Chart.
Meanwhile, the U.K. singles chart race is led by “Rockstar” (Interscope) by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch, which leads the Officials Singles Chart Update ahead of Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s “Rain on Me” (Interscope) and Topic’s “Breaking Me” (Positiva) featuring A7S.
