Bob Dylan‘s new studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, has muscled its way to #1 on the U.K. albums chart after its first week of release. The 79-year-old folk-rock legend becomes the oldest male solo artist ever to top the country’s Official Albums Chart, as well as the oldest artist to reach the pinnacle of the tally with a collection of new original songs.

Rough and Rowdy Ways is Dylan’s ninth album overall to top the U.K. chart. It notched 34,000 in chart sales, 29,000 of which were CD copies.

The oldest male artist to previously have a #1 album in the U.K. was Rod Stewart, who was 74 years, 11 months old when You’re in My Heart, a collection of classic recordings with new orchestral arrangements added, reached the top of the tally in December of last year.

Paul Simon, meanwhile, was the oldest artist before Dylan to reach #1 in the U.K. with an album of original tunes. He was 74 years, eight months old when Stranger to Stranger topped the tally in 2016.

The oldest artist ever to ascend to the top of the Official Albums Chart was the late Dame Vera Lynn, who was 92 when her greatest-hits compilation We’ll Meet Again — The Very Best Of achieved the milestone in 2009.

Debuting at #2 on the U.K. albums chart is another folk-rock legend of a certain age, Neil Young, with Homegrown, which features previously unreleased recordings from the mid-’70s. This marks the highest spot the 74-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter has held on the tally since 1994, when Sleeps with Angels peaked at the same mark.

By Matt Friedlander
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