For once, a genuinely busy week on the singles chart. And if it’s largely the result of two album releases, at least they’re not obvious candidates to have that sort of impact.

1. Jamie Miller – “Babydoll”

This wasn’t in the script. This was supposed to be Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan’s week, with the single version of “Expectations” coming out, and a bunch of pre-ordered physical singles giving it a first-week boost. In the event, the top three turns out to be an unusually tight race and, even with the benefit of those physical singles, “Expectations” winds up third.

“Babydoll” is the first hit single for Jamie Miller, who was previously best known in this country for coming third in The Voice UK in 2017. That show has a rather dismal track record for discovering actual stars – Miller now becomes only the second Voice contestant to have a number 1 single. The first was Becky Hill, who was the featured singer on Oliver Heldens’ “Gecko (Overdrive)” in 2014.

Apparently “Babydoll” got some attention on TikTok, and it also benefits from the version with Antonio Cipriano on vocals. I don’t much care for it – it seems that Miller has spotted a gap in the market for Ronan Keating. Mind you, there probably is a space for that, but it’s still a record that makes Alex Warren look edgy. It takes the top spot by the equivalent of just over 500 sales – and somehow racked up download sales this week of nearly 6,000.

2. Tate McRae – “Housewife”

This is the lead single from her next album. There aren’t many acts who can still debut a single this high up the chart, and to be honest it’s a little surprising to find Tate McRae among them – I don’t think this is a particularly great song, but she does have consistent hits, and evidently her name value means something. Number 2 is her highest ever chart position, but only marginally – she made number 3 with “You Broke Me First” (2020), “Greedy” (2023) and “Sports Car” (2025).

7. Zach Bryan featuring Lana Del Rey – “Lies”
33. Zach Bryan – “Lodi When”

These are both tracks from “Young Manhood and Other Disposable Organs”, a 30 minute collection which is officially billed as an EP, but nonetheless enters the album chart at number 11. His full album “With Heaven on Top” reached number 3 earlier in the year. A third track from the album, “Robot Killed the Working Man”, is just outside the top 40. Given that it isn’t an official single and massively outperforms the other tracks, “Lies” seems to be something of an organic hit, and it’s a good ballad. Lana Del Rey obviously has name recognition, but she’s not someone who regularly charts this high – though she can on a good day, with “Say Yes To Heaven” making the top 10 in 2023. “Lodi When” is a  straightforward Americana folk track which you wouldn’t expect to find anywhere near the UK singles top 40, making it all the more welcome.

12. Fontaines DC – “Marianne”
14. Fontaines DC – “Japan”
18. Fontaines DC – “Demolition”

The maximum three tracks from their album “Dopamine Chamber”, which enters at number 1. It’s their second number 1, following 2022’s “Skinty FIA” – the 2024 album only got to number 2 because they had the misfortune to release it against Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’Sweet”.

“Marianne” is a re-entry, and previously got to number 19. The other two are new tracks. Until they started promoting this album, Fontaines DC had never placed a single above number 39, so their sudden ability to get multiple hit singles into the chart is something of a breakthrough. In fact, “Dopamine Chamber” has the third biggest release week of the year, after Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo.

“Japan” is the official release week single, but the presence of “Demolition” as the third track is something of a surprise, as they also promoted “Where Is Gone?” as a single, and that features Rosalía.

25. Kettama & Prospa – “Think Of You”

A third hit single for Prospa, this time without Cloonee. Their previous single “Good Girl” is still on the chart at number 30. Kettama is a DJ from Ireland, and this is his first hit – though his previous single “Comes and Goes” has been hanging around the lower reaches of the top 100 for months.

31. Justice featuring Tame Impala, SZA and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Flower in a Hurricane”

This is from Justice’s soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto 6, and brings us quite the unlikely parade of contributors. Justice themselves are a French duo whose only previous UK hit single was “We Are Your Friends, which reached number 20 in 2006. Tame Impala has obviously had a breakthrough year, and SZA is also a fairly regular presence in the singles chart. It’s the first UK hit for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, an Australian rock band who have been around for ages and released their 28th album in August.

39. Michael Jackson – “Thriller”

Well, it’s Hallowe’en next week. Some people are getting in early.

The greatest hits album is at number 3, which is nothing to do with Hallowe’en.

This week’s climbers:

• “Expectations” by Olivia Rodrigo & Chappell Roan – as the credit now reads – climbs from 35 to 3.

Ah, that was easy. The nine tracks leaving the top 40 are:

• “Self Aware” by Temper City, which never got above number 23 but hung around on the top 40 for 24 weeks before being hit by the ACR rule.
• “Pure” by Sienna Spiro, with an eight-week run that peaked at number 28. She still has “Great Expectation” at number 5 and “Die on This Hill” (which is over a year old now) at number 16.
• “Training Season” by Dua Lipa, with a seven-week run that peaked at number 5.
• “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis, after a five-week run which peaked at number 29.
• “Draw You Out” by Noah Kahan, which entered at 16 two weeks ago.
• “Cos of You” by Morrisson, which peaked at 36 and had two weeks.
• “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn, which re-entered at number 36 last week.
• “Mr Brightside” by The Killers, which re-entered at number 39 last week.
• “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, which re-entered at number 40 last week.

On the album chart:

1. Fontaines DC – “Dopamine Chamber”

See above.

9. Rachel Chinouriri – “I Think I Spoke Too Soon”

Her second album – the first one got to number 17.

11. Zach Bryan – “Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs”

Again, see above.

19. Tears for Fears – “The Seeds of Love”

An expanded re-release, for any Tears for Fears completists who weren’t already satisfied by the 30th anniversary reissue a few years back. This reached number 1 on release in 1989.

26. Ash – “1977”

25th anniversary re-issue for Ash’s first album, which reached number 1 in 1996.

31. Nieve Ella – “How Long Will It Take”

Debut album. She’s a singer-songwriter from Shropshire.

40. Richard Thompson – “Hippies Thugs & Heroes”

20th solo album by the co-founder of Fairport Convention, who is now 77 years old. He was last in the album top 40 in 2018, though he’s only released one other album since then.