Beyonce Knowles: Debut album hits the top

Dangerously In Love knocked Evanesence's Fallen from the top of the chart in its first week of release.

Knowles launched a solo career last year after her father, Destiny's Child manager Matthew Knowles, announced the R&B trio were to "take a little break".

Her debut solo single Work It Out was released last summer, and she followed that earlier this year with Crazy In Love.

TOP FIVE ALBUMS 1. Dangerously In Love - Beyonce 2. Fallen - Evanescence 3. You Gotta Go There... - Stereophonics 4. The Very Best Of... - George Benson 5. Best - S Club 7 Source: The Official UK Charts Company

The album's release date was brought forward two weeks because of concerns about internet piracy.

The 21-year-old has also launched a film career, starring in the Austin Powers film Goldmember last year, and alongside Cuba Gooding Jr in the forthcoming film The Fighting Temptations, due for release in September in the US, and February 2004 in the UK.

Evanescence on top

In the singles chart, Evanescence stay at number one with Bring Me To Life. It is the fourth week at the top of the chart for the four-piece from Little Rock, Arkansas.

TOP FIVE SINGLES 1. Bring Me To Life - Evanescence 2. Fast Food Song - Fast Food Rockers 3. We Just Be Dreamin' - Blazin' Squad 4. Ignition Remix - R Kelly 5. No Letting Go - Wayne Wonder Source: The Official UK Charts Company

Novelty pop song Fast Food Song by Fast Food Rockers stays at number two, while there is a new entry at number three for boy band Blazin' Squad's We Just Be Dreaming.

Metallica's St Anger debuts at number nine, while Moloko, who performed at this weekend's Glastonbury Festival, entered at number 17 with Forever More.

Former Sugababes singer Siobhan Donaghy's first solo single, Overrated, makes a low-key entry into the chart at number 19.

She also performed at Glastonbury, appearing on the new bands stage while the Sugababes played the main stage.

Donaghy left the group in acrimonious circumstances in September 2001, but kept her deal with London Records while the Sugababes lost theirs.