Avril Skates To No. 1 In The U.K.

Avril Lavigne's debut Arista album, "Let Go," having already shipped 600,000 units in the U.K., received a major international boost yesterday (Jan. 5) when it hit No. 1 on the U.K. album chart for the first time. The album is in its 18th chart week and was buoyed by the Canadian teenager's continuing success with her second hit, "Sk8er Boi," which rebounded 9-7 yesterday on the U.K. singles chart. "Let Go" has risen 7-4-1 over the holiday and new year period to displace Robbie Williams' "Escapology" (EMI) at the top of the chart.

Girls Aloud top the singles chart for a third week with "Sound of the Underground" (Polydor) in another quiet sales week for the format, with the Cheeky Girls' "Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)" (Multiply) again at No. 2. There were two new entries to the top-20: Erick Sermon & Redman's "React" (RCA) at No. 14 and Milk Inc's "Land of the Living" (EMI) at No. 18. The latter cut is the follow-up to the Belgian dance act's "In My Eyes" and "Walk on Water," which reached No. 9 and No. 10 in May and September, respectively.

Another European-based dance act, CK and the Supreme Dream Team, entered the chart at No. 23 with a club version of Supertramp's 1975 hit "Dreamer." The trio comprises Dutch producer Remy Martinez, Belgian dance veteran Serge Ramaekers and American DJ Clive King. This follows German hitmakers
Scooter's No. 2 U.K. success last summer with a Eurotrance version of Supertramp's "The Logical Song."

A further club crossover, "Am I On Your Mind" by Oxygen featuring Andrea Britton (Switch/Virgin), entered at No. 30. But there was no top-40 place for Peter Gabriel's "More Than This" (Real World/Virgin), which could only manage a No. 47 debut.

Las Ketchup's "Asereje/The Ketchup Song" (Columbia) and Robbie Williams' "Escapology" (EMI) hold sway on Music & Media's first European Top 100 Albums and Eurochart Hot 100 Singles charts of the year, respectively.