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image captionSir Tom Jones celebrates his fourth number one album
Sir Tom Jones has become the oldest man to top the UK album chart, after his new record Surrounded By Time went straight in at number one.
The 80-year-old Welshman has overtaken Bob Dylan, who topped the chart last June aged 79 with Rough and Rowdy Ways.
The late Dame Vera Lynn holds the overall record after her 2009 greatest hits collection went to number one when the Forces Sweetheart was 92. I am thrilled beyond words, Sir Tom told the Official Charts Company.
Setting a new chart record, he said, was tremendous, just unbelievable .
The oldest artist to ever top the UK album chart is the late Vera Lynn, with a greatest hits collection in 2009 aged 92, but Jones is the oldest artist to do it with a newly recorded album. He is also the first Welsh chart-topper in nearly a decade, the country’s last No 1 coming from Marina & the Diamonds in 2012.
Jones said the achievement was “tremendous, just unbelievable. I am so proud of everyone who helped me create this music, I had a ball working with them and to get this result is just incredible. It’s wonderful that the public has allowed me to be musically expressive at my time of life and have shown their support. I am forever grateful.”
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The late Dame Vera Lynn holds the overall record with her greatest hits collection We ll Meet Again – The Very Best Of, which reached the top spot in 2009 when she was 92.
Surrounded By Time is Sir Tom s fourth number one album and his first since 1999 s Reload.
He said yesterday: To hold these UK chart records is tremendous – just unbelievable. It s wonderful that the public has allowed me to be musically expressive at my time of life and shown their support.
Now 80 years and ten months old, the veteran star has surpassed singer-songwriter Dylan s achievement in topping the same chart at 79 years old last June with his album Rough And Rowdy Ways
Sir Tom Jones has topped the album charts (OfficialCharts.com/PA)
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Sir Tom Jones has become the oldest man to top the UK album chart.
The 80-year-old singer’s new release Surrounded By Time, his 41st studio album, sees him surpass Bob Dylan, who topped the chart at 79 last year with Rough And Rowdy Ways.
Sir Tom has also become the oldest artist to top the Official Charts Company rankings with an album of new material.
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