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HITS Daily Double
Rihanna becomes the first female artist to score simultaneous album and single chart-toppers twice in a calendar year

RIHANNA DOUBLE-PLAY IN THE U.K.

Lands #1 Album, Single on British Charts
Rihanna is making waves across the Atlantic.

The Barbados-born singer lands the #1 single and album for the second time this year in the U.K., with her new album Talk That Talk, earning first-week sales of 163k, while her single, “We Found Love,” enjoys its sixth week at the top.

Meanwhile, EMI’s Now 80 set a record of its own, debuting atop the compilation chart with sales of 296k, the biggest opening sale for any album in the U.K. this year. Last year’s Now 77 bowed with 333k at this time last year.

Rihanna becomes the first female artist to score simultaneous album and single chart-toppers twice in a calendar year, after the Loud album and "What's My Name" track, featuring Drake, were both #1 last January. It's the first time any artist has secured that honor for close to 40 years: T. Rex did it in May 1972 with the album Bolan Boogie and single "Metal Guru," six months after leading the way with both Electric Warrior and "Telegram Sam."

Rihanna is also the first solo female to score two different #1 albums in a calendar year. Loud maintains a top 30 place in its 54th week, dipping #23-27. Drake's "Take Care" single (Cash Money/Universal Island), on which Rihanna appears, climbed #12-9 (his album of the same name dropping #5-20). Three "Talk That Talk" album tracks made the new Top 75: the title song, featuring Jay-Z, at #25, "You Da One" at #39 and "Where Have You Been" at #61.

The artist album chart also saw a #2 debut for pop band One Direction's Syco/Sony album Up All Night, with 138k sales. Michael Bublé's Reprise album, Christmas, last week’s chart-topper, is now #3, followed by Sony Irish group Westlife at #4 with its new Greatest Hits set, which arrives after its recently announced split. The quartet, whose worldwide sales are estimated at 44 million, will call it quits after a farewell tour next May.

Kate Bush’s latest EMI comeback effort, 50 Words for Snow, her second new album of the year following May's Director's Cut, debuted at #5, three places behind the previous release. Nickelback's Roadrunner release Here and Now became their fifth consecutive U.K. Top 10 album, entering at #10.