Michael Jackson Surges to Top of Uk Album Chart

Michael Jackson's untimely demise has propelled him to the top of the UK album chart six years after his last number one, the UK's official charts compilers have revealed.

Jackson's greatest hits album, Number Ones, is set to hit the top spot after a surge in sales in the days since his death on Thursday, according to the Official Charts Company. "Up to half a dozen" of the singer's other albums are expected to feature in the new Top 75.

Jackson is also likely to feature in the singles chart as fans download tracks from his back catalogue. The songs currently climbing fastest up the charts are Man in the Mirror, Billie Jean and Thriller, but a charts spokesman said fans seemed to be stocking up on Jackson's albums rather than individual songs.

Jackson's sales have rocketed around the world with his albums taking every place in the top 10 albums on both Amazon.co.uk, with Off the Wall at number one, and US Amazon.com, where Thriller is currently at the top spot.

The singer's albums were also dominating Apple's iTunes download charts with a Jackson album topping the chart in 13 different countries. In the UK his albums took eight of the top 10 places on both the album and individual song charts.

Gennaro Castaldo, of music retailer HMV, said: "All the anecdotal evidence and feedback I am getting from our stores does suggest that there will definitely be some Jackson songs in the top 10".

He said Jackson could take even more places in next week's charts once people had a chance to check out his back catalog in high street stores and online.

Castaldo added: "We always find where a great icon dies that there's a massive uplift in their music sales as fans want to connect and express their grief through the records.

"We've seen this with people like John Lennon, Elvis, Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra over the years. With Michael Jackson in particular, he was just on the cusp of a big comeback anyway and we were already beginning to see a lift in sales."