The release marks a historic milestone for the group, joining the ranks of Demon Days (2005) and Cracker Island (2023). Shifting 30,000 chart units, The Mountain is the biggest independent release of 2026 so far and the first to be released under the band’s own KONG label. To sweep the boards, the project also claimed the Number 1 spot on the Official Vinyl Chart.
In celebration of the band’s achievement during the 70th anniversary year of the Official Albums Chart, bassist Murdoc Niccals was depicted in a bespoke Jamie Hewlett illustration clutching the iconic gold award. Ever the humble victor, Murdoc commented: “I’ve only gone and done it again, haven’t I? Number 1! I couldn’t have done it without me. Cheers!”
The album’s success is a testament to its experimental depth, incorporating Indian classical instrumentation and features spanning five different languages. It managed to hold off stiff competition from Olivia Dean, whose The Art of Loving took the second spot, and Bruno Mars, whose comeback solo effort The Romantic debuted at Number 3.
The BRITs Effect: Manchester Ceremony Ignites the Charts
The charts this week were also heavily influenced by the first BRIT Awards held outside of London. The Manchester-based ceremony provided a massive “BRITs Effect” for winners and performers alike.
The night’s biggest beneficiary was PinkPantheress, the first woman to win Producer of the Year. Her album Fancy That experienced a staggering 569% sales uplift, catapulting back into the Top 5. Similarly, Sam Fender saw his album People Watching climb 22 places to Number 28 following his win for Song of the Year.
Other notable moves included Harry Styles, whose lead single “Aperture” surged 44% following his show-opening performance, and ROSALÍA, who saw sales of her album LUX rocket over 300% after a spectacular genre-bending collaboration with Björk.
