Robbie Williams Ties Elvis Presley For The Most No. 1 Albums Among Solo Stars In The U.K.

Last week, Robbie Williams debuted his new full-length The Christmas Present at No. 2 on the U.K. albums chart, coming in second to Coldplay after a tough battle for the highest rung. For most musicians, that would be the end of the story, but Williams is no ordinary musician.

This week, the pop star’s latest rises to No. 1 in a rare showing, becoming his thirteenth leader on the tally in the process. Claiming one more chart-topper helps Williams advance on the list of the artists with the most appearances in the peak position, and now he’s tied with one of the greatest of all time.

With 13 No. 1 albums to his credit (at least as Robbie Williams), the superstar ties Elvis Presley’s record for the most leaders among soloists. The King of Rock and Roll also landed 13 such smashes, and while he is no longer collecting them like he used to (he’s not necessarily done though), Williams is still going strong, and there’s a good chance he may collect a fourteenth ruler in the coming years.

Now that he’s scored 13 chart-owners, Williams breaks out of a tie with fellow pop icon Madonna, who holds where she is with a dozen No. 1s on the U.K. albums tally.

Leading the way among all acts are The Beatles, who scored 15 No. 1 albums in their home country. The quartet is also not collecting any new chart-toppers anytime soon, so their record may one day become Williams’.

The pop star may now claim 13 No. 1 albums on his own, but his total career output is actually higher than that. Williams got his start as a member of British boy band Take That, who quickly became massive figures in their country, but this specific piece of history deals with solo musicians sharing albums under one name, which Williams has excelled at for a long time.