Michael Jackson tops album chart

Michael Jackson has topped the album chart and made six new entries in the singles top 40, six years after his last number one, as fan rushed to buy material following his death.

Michael Jackson tops album chart

Michael Jackson has topped the album chart and made six new entries in the singles top 40, six years after his last number one, as fan rushed to buy material following his death.

His Number Ones album, that features his biggest hits, raced up the charts from 121 to reach number one.

The same album earned Jackson his last number one hit when it was released in 2003.

Four of his other albums also made a reappearance in the top 20.

Eleven Michael Jackson or Jackson Five albums are in this week's Top 200 and 43 out of the Top 200 singles feature the singer.

Thriller, still the biggest selling album of all time, surged from 179 to seven, King of Pop reached 14, Off The Wall got to 17 and The Essential Michael Jackson came in at number 20.

Retailers said that although demand for Jackson's singles had been overwhelming, his extensive back catalogue meant no one song stood out in sales and he was narrowly denied an entry in the singles top 10.

Man in the Mirror re-entered at number 11, nearly 20 years after its original release and Jackson hits accounted for all but one of the new entries in the top 40 singles.

Billie Jean got to 25, Smooth Criminal to 28, Beat It reached 30 and Earth Song reached 38.

Jackson's chart return overshadowed newcomer La Roux's surge straight into the number one spot in the singles chart with Bulletproof.