Well, this is quiet.

1. Olivia Rodrigo – “Drivers Licence”

Eight weeks. As mentioned last week, it’s the longest run at number 1 since the tail end of 2019, when “Dance Monkey” managed 11 weeks. And once again, it’s a long way down to the highest new entry. In the meantime, there’s just a bit of position-switching among the established hits. “Friday” by Riton x Nightcrawlers climbs 7-5, and “Goosebumps” by Travis Scott & HVME climbs 9-8. “Your Love (9pm)” by ATB, Topic & A7S climbs 15-12. “Up” by Cardi B is up one place to 16, “Commitment Issues” by Central Cee up 1 place to 17. We hit a peak of excitement at number 19, which “My Head & My Heart” by Ava Max climbing a whole six places – which is still only the peak that her spring 2020 single “Kings & Queens” reached.

20. Joel Corry x RAYE x David Guetta – “Bed”

Ah, the old “factory-built sexbot” video. An old stand by of dance music which we haven’t seen in a while. It’s got… nothing much to do with the song and kind of undercuts it, to be honest. Mind you, Joel Corry may be the first successful male producer to cast himself in the vacant sexbot role and get away with it. (We are mercifully spared the sight of David Guetta joining in the gimmick for more than a couple of seconds.) Corry’s last three singles all went top 10, so he’s certainly established by now as a mass-audience dance-pop producer. As for Guetta, this is his highest chart position since 2018. RAYE’s only had one bigger hit than this – “Secrets”, with Regard, from last summer.

23. Digga D – “Bluuwuu”

Ah, gang affiliation. I don’t pretend to know what sort of licensing arrangements might exist with head office in Los Angeles, but it’s at least nice to see such rigorous mask-wearing. Might as well set a positive example. This is a final single from the album/mixtape “Made in the Pyrex”, which enters at 3 – his previous best was 11, for another mixtape in 2019. Last week’s single “Toxic” climbs 36-35.

“Believe Me” by Navos climbs 33-25, and “Little Bit of Love” by Tom Grennan climbs 32-27 (while his other single, “Let’s Go Home Together”, which entered higher last week, falls 28-34). “Astronaut in the Ocean” by Masked Wolf climbs 35-32.

33. Rag’n’Bone Man – “All You Ever Wanted”

Not what you’d call a prolific artist. The big hit “Human” was in 2016; a follow-up, “Skin”, got to number 13 the following year. And his only other singles chart appearance was guesting on Calvin Harris’ “Giant”, back  in 2019. The guy’s got a fantastic voice, but “Human” is one of those songs that instantly overshadows everything else. Still, this is a welcome change of pace in the current top 40 landscape.

And that’s it for the singles chart. The top end of the album chart is busier, with an all-new top five.

1. Architects – “For Those That Wish To Exist”

They’re a metalcore band, and this ninth album is their first top ten, let alone number one. It’s their eco-album, apparently, with songs such as “Do you Dream of Armageddon?”, “Dead Butterflies” and”An Ordinary Extinction”. It’s also arguably a tack towards radio-friendliness.

2. Maximo Park – “Nature Always Wins”

Their seventh studio album. Unlike Architects, they’ve been this high, but not for a while – it was with their second album “Our Earthly Pleasures” in 2007. More often they hover around the bottom end of the top 10.

Number 3 is the Digga D album.

4. Alice Cooper – “Detroit Stories”

His 21st solo studio album; he’s now in 73. Judging from the reviews it’s kind of a bit about Detroit, and a bit not.

5. Lucy Spraggan – “Choices”

The token actual songwriter in the 2012 season of X Factor, who dropped out of the series halfway through due to illness, has had a surprisingly enduring career on the album chart. This is her sixth studio album, all of which have charted. It’s her highest place to date, but the last two albums got to 12, so it’s not hugely surprising.

12. The White Stripes – “Greatest Hits”

Sure, why not? It’s been over a decade since they split up. Since then, Jack White has remained active, while Meg seems to have quit music.

18. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – “Way Down in the Rust Bucket”

Another live album, as part of the Neil Young Archives project. This was recorded in Santa Cruz in 1990.

27. PJ Harvey – “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea”

Vinyl reissue of her 2000 album (so it’s a… 21st anniversary release…?). It was her fifth album, and got to number 23 on its original release.

28. Madison Beer – “Life Support”

One of those people who gets billed as a pop star without actually having hits. She did sing on a Jax Jones single that got to number 10 in 2019, but that’s about it. Always a bit odd when pop records make the middle ranks of the album chart instead of the singles.