Barbie: The Album makes history on Charts

Indeed, life in plastic seems to be genuinely fantastic! As we embarked on a journey to Barbieland with Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster movie « Barbie, » it appears that Barbie herself had her sights set on conquering the UK’s Official Singles Chart.

Barbie: The Album has achieved a remarkable feat by topping the Official Compilations Chart this week, and three tracks from the album have soared into the Top 5 simultaneously, making it the first film soundtrack in UK chart history to accomplish such a feat. These three songs are Billie Eilish‘s introspective « What Was I Made For » at number 3, Dua Lipa‘s infectious « Dance The Night » at number 4, and Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and Aqua‘s catchy « Barbie World » at number 5.

« What Was I Made For » climbed seven places from last week, experiencing a significant 71% increase in chart units since its debut at number 10. Likewise, « Dance The Night » jumped eleven places into the Top 10 for the first time, with an impressive 86% surge in chart units, marking Dua Lipa’s 13th Top 10 single.

For Aqua, « Barbie World » has granted them their first UK Top 5 hit in 25 years since « Turn Back Time » in 1998. The song saw a phenomenal 115% week-on-week rise in popularity, becoming Ice Spice‘s first, Nicki Minaj‘s 15th, and Aqua‘s sixth Official Top 10 entry.

Notably, the first film soundtrack to achieve three simultaneous Top 10s was « Saturday Night Fever » in 1978, while « Grease » accomplished the same feat in the same year. Disney‘s « Encanto » also made history by becoming the first animated film soundtrack to secure three simultaneous Top 10s last year.

The success of Barbie: The Album extends beyond the Top 5, with a total of six entries across the wider Official Singles Chart today. Charli XCX‘s « Speed Drive » re-entered the chart at number 19, marking her 14th Top 40 hit with an impressive 285% week-on-week uplift. Ryan Gosling achieved his first-ever Official UK Top 40 entry with the poignant ballad « I’m Just Ken » at number 25, and Lizzo’s lively track « Pink » debuted at number 39.

Additionally, Aqua’s influential « Barbie Girl, » which is not technically part of the Barbie soundtrack but directly sampled in « Barbie World, » re-entered the Top 40 after 25 years with a week-on-week surge of 91%. The song had previously topped the Official Singles Chart upon its release in 1997, holding the number 1 spot for four consecutive weeks and becoming one of the best-selling singles in the history of the Official Chart. Barbie-mania is undoubtedly making a significant impact on the UK music scene!