David Gilmour’s ‘Luck and Strange’ on Course for Third Solo No. 1 in U.K.

Gilmour told Billboard that Luck and Strange is “the best album I’ve made since Dark Side of the Moon, since 1973.”

David Gilmour joins Richard Thompson on stage at his 70th Birthday Celebration Show the Royal Albert Hall on Sept. 30, 2019 in London, England.

Gus Stewart/Redferns

Ex-Pink Floyd singer and guitarist David Gilmour is on track to claim the No. 1 spot on this week’s U.K. Official Albums Chart midweek update with his latest release, Luck and Strange.

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If the album maintains its lead, this would be Gilmour’s third solo chart-topper, following Rattle That Lock in 2015 and On an Island in 2006.

As a member of Pink Floyd, Gilmour has already secured six No. 1 albums in the U.K. His return to the top of the charts with Luck and Strange would mark his first solo No. 1 in nine years.

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Speaking to Billboard last month, Gilmour commented that his new album is “the best album I’ve made since Dark Side of the Moon, since 1973.”

“The album feels like a solid body of cohesive work,” Gilmour explained. “It’s the cohesiveness of the whole thing — the writing, the work, the thrill it still gives me to listen to it all the way through as an album. There’s a consistency of thought and of feeling that runs through it that excites me in a way that makes me make those comparisons.”

Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet holds its ground at No. 2 on the chart blast, eyeing a second consecutive week in that position. The pop sensation’s latest release continues to draw attention, remaining a strong contender in the U.K. charts.

Indie favorite Rex Orange County is also making waves, with his new album The Alexander Technique currently sitting at No. 5. This marks his third Top 5 entry, following the success of Pony (2019) and WHO CARES? (2022).

Veteran new wave band The The is making a significant comeback with Ensoulment, their first album in 25 years.

The record is tracking to debut at No. 6, potentially becoming their highest-charting album since Dusk peaked at No. 2 in 1993. South London’s Fat Dog is set to make an impressive debut with WOOF, their first full-length release, currently positioned at No. 7.

Fred again.. is aiming for a Top 10 debut with ten days, which is tracking at No. 8, while Ultravox’s 40th-anniversary edition of Lament is also set to re-enter the charts at No. 11.

Linkin Park’s greatest hits collection Papercuts is climbing to No. 13, while their classic debut Hybrid Theory is seeing a resurgence, currently at No. 45 midweek.

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