Kasabian’s ‘Happenings’ Takes Lead for U.K. No. 1 Album

Kasabian are set to claim their seventh consecutive U.K. No. 1 album with their latest release, Happenings. The Leicester-formed rock band, consisting of Sergio Pizzorno, Chris Edwards, Ian Matthews, and Tim Carter, has taken an early lead in the race to top this week’s U.K. Official Albums Chart.

At the midweek mark, Happenings, the band’s eighth studio album, is outselling its closest competitor, Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, by a margin of 2:1.

Kasabian have achieved six U.K. No. 1 albums throughout their career, with all but their first studio album hitting the top spot. The band has seen major success despite lineup changes, including the departure of lead vocalist Tom Meighan in 2020, after which lead songwriter and guitarist Pizzorno became the de facto frontman.

Meanwhile, the chart action is heating up with several other notable entries. Rising pop sensation Chappell Roan is set to make a splash with her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, aiming for a top 5 position.

On the country front, Zach Bryan’s fifth album, The Great American Bar Scene, is eyeing a debut at No. 15. The record features star-studded collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and John Mayer, alongside Bryan’s recent Top 40 hit “Pink Skies.” This could mark Bryan’s highest-charting debut in the U.K.

Previously, Bryan’s self-titled album reached No. 22 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, while his third album, American Heartbreak, peaked at No. 1 on the Official Americana Chart in the U.K.

Rock band Enter Shikari’s Dancing On The Frontline is set to enter at No. 25. This will be the band’s ninth U.K. top 40 entry and comes after the St Albans-formed rock band snagged their first U.K. No. 1 with A Kiss for the Whole World in 2023.

Previously, the group scored top 10s with their 2007 debut album Take to the Skies (No. 4 peak), 2012’s A Flash Flood of Colour (No. 4), 2015’s The Mindsweep (No. 6), 2017’s The Spark (No. 5) and 2020’s Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible (No. 2).

Indie rockers The Rifles return after an eight-year hiatus with Love Your Neighbour, which is on track to become their fifth Top 40 album, debuting at No. 26. The alternative-folk trio Fink is also making waves with Beauty In Your Wake, approaching their first-ever entry on the U.K. Official Albums Chart at No. 35.

As we approach the end of the week, all eyes will be on the U.K. Official Albums Chart to see if Kasabian can secure yet another No. 1 album to add to their list.