Noel Gallagherbeat Matt Cardle to albums No.1

Noel Gallagher has beaten Matt Cardle to the top of the UK album chart with his first solo record.



Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds clocked up first week sales of over 120,000 copies, 40% more than the total mustered by the X Factor champion's own debut Letters.

Noel's figures are almost double what his brother and former Oasis bandmate Liam Gallagher managed with his new group Beady Eye and their album Different Gear, Still Speeding in March.

Last week's number one Steps fall to three with their Ultimate Collection, Adele's 21 slips outside the top three for the first time in 39 weeks of release at four and Ed Sheeran's + completes the top five after being bumped from second place.

Elsewhere, veteran performer Daniel O'Donnell notches up his 14th UK Top 10 with The Ultimate Collection at seven, while Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Maroon 5 all make a return to the best-sellers.

Perry - who performed on The X Factor results show last week - sees her August 2010 album Teenage Dream jump to eight from last week's 27, Doo Wops & Hooligans by Mars climbs five to nine and Maroon 5 gain an impressive 13 places with their third studio LP Hands All Over at ten.

Also climbing are Adele's 19 and Loud by Rihanna, which climb seven and 17 spots respectively to reach 11 and 12. By contrast, Evanescence's self-titled third LP crashes nine places to 13 in its second week on the chart and Cee Lo Green drops eight to 16 after a brief return to the Top 10 with The Lady Killer.

David Guetta hops three to 17 with Nothing But The Beat, while the final two places in the top 20 are occupied by falling artists Tony Bennett and Katherine Jenkins, down six and 14 respectively with Duets II and Daydream.

The Top 10 in full:
1. (-) Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds: 'Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds'
2. (-) Matt Cardle: 'Letters'
3. (1) Steps: 'The Ultimate Collection'
4. (3) Adele: '21'
5. (2) Ed Sheeran: '+'
6. (5) James Morrison: 'The Awakening'
7. (-) Daniel O'Donnell: 'The Ultimate Collection'
8. (27) Katy Perry: 'Teenage Dream'
9. (14) Bruno Mars: 'Doo Wops & Hooligans'
10. (23) Maroon 5: 'Hands All Over'

Source: Official Charts Company