In a video message, McCartney says the honor, “feels unbelievable, because when you write your songs you don’t count how well they’re doing. I remember when Please, Please Me went to number one, that was our first number one record, and it’s a beautiful feeling to suddenly get this [award].”
The Official Charts Company notes that McCartney also has spent the most total weeks atop the albums chart, 191, while the Fab Four’s first album, 1963’s Please Please Me, was #1 for more weeks, 30, than any other debut effort.
Following McCartney on the list of artists with the most #1 U.K. albums are his three Beatles band mates: John Lennon at #2 with 18; George Harrison at #3 with 17; and Ringo Starr tied at #4 — with pop star Robbie Williams — with 15. Elvis Presley, Phil Collins and Madonna are tied for sixth place on the list with 12 chart-topping albums, while David Bowie is #9 with 11.
McCartney receives his award on the 60th anniversary of the publication of the first Official Albums Chart.
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