BBC News | ENTERTAINMENT | Beatles album breaks world record

The Beatles' latest album, a hits compilation, has broken a world record by topping the charts in 34 countries.

Their record company, Apple Records, said the feat eclipsed U2, who had held the title with 1997's Pop, which was number one in 32 countries.

The album, called 1, was already the UK's biggest-selling album of 2000 after only five weeks in the shops.

As well as topping the US charts, it has also been number one in countries including Colombia, Poland and Chile.

But for the moment it remains an unofficial record, as Guinness World Records said it did not have a category for number one album in most countries.

Beatles album
The album has had fans clamouring for more
The album has also already gone down in the record books as one of the fastest to sell one million copies in the UK.

And by 21 December last year, it was selling six copies per second around the world, according to their record company EMI.

The Beatles redefined popular music and left a musical legacy as influential now as it was in the 60s and 70s.

They still have millions of fans across the world, and it appears their popularity is growing rather than diminishing, despite them splitting up 30 years ago.


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