Sam Smith achieves British music charts double

LONDON (REUTERS) - British singer-songwriter Sam Smith secured a British music charts double on Sunday, topping both the singles and album chart simultaneously, the Official Charts Company said.

Smith's collaboration with John Legend, Lay Me Down, in aid of charity Comic Relief, debuted at number one in the singles chart, his fourth chart-topping track in less than two years.

Meanwhile his debut album In The Lonely Hour returned to the top of the charts for an eighth week, making it the first album by a male solo artist in charts history to achieve six different spells at number one.

It finished more than 12,000 sales ahead of this week's highest new entry, second-placed Rebel Heart by Madonna. Ed Sheeran's X was a non-mover in third.

In the singles chart, British electronica trio Years and Years slipped one spot to second place with King, while Flo Rida featuring Sage the Gemini was a new entry at three with GDFR.

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