Avenged Sevenfold sell 21K to land first No.1 album in UK

After selling more than 100,000 copies of each of their last three albums – a tough ask in the current climate – Avenged Sevenfold land the big prize, debuting at number one with Hail To The King. Ending the four week residency of Richard & Adam’s The Impossible Dream – which was overwhelmed by a flurry of new releases and dips to number four on sales of 13,403 copies – Hail To The King is Avenged Sevenfold’s sixth album, and their first number one, after selling 21,147 copies last week.

The California hard rockers previous best chart placing came in August 2010, when Nightmare debuted at number five (19,802 sales). Formed in 1999, Avenged Sevenfold failed to make the Top 200 with 2001 debut Sounding The Seventh Trumpet or 2003 follow-up Waking The Fallen, though they have subsequently achieved to-date sales of 40,828 and 62,485, respectively.

Third album City Of Evil secured the band its chart debut in 2005, peaking at a modest number 63, though it has now sold 140,105 copies. That’s only slightly fewer than their biggest seller, a self-titled 2007 set, which reached number 24, and has sold 141,978 copies. Although their highest charting album hitherto, Nightmare is their third biggest selling album to date, with sales of 118,868.

For all their album sales, the band has never managed to land a Top 40 single – the title track of their new album didn’t even make the Top 75, although it came close, peaking three weeks ago at number 76. Their 2005 single Beast And The Harlot remains their highest-charting hit, at number 44. Their biggest selling single, Afterlife, was lifted from their eponymous album in 2008, and peaked at number 197, although it has subsequently sold 46,856 copies.

Source: Music Week