Rod Stewart claims final UK Number 1 album of 2019 with You're In My Heart

The music legend sees off competition from Michael Buble's Christmas album to claim a third week at Number 1.

Rod Stewart rounds out the final Official Albums Chart of 2019 as his latest collection You’re In My Heart holds on to the Number 1 spot.

Rod’s 10th UK chart-topping album extends reign at the top for a third week, notching up 47,500 chart sales

There’s a big contrast between this week’s Top 2 albums: 96% of Rod’s sales were physical copies, while 66% of sales from Bublé’s 2011 festive album came from streaming

Rod Stewart peels potatoes on Christmas Day with turkey on his head as he thanks fans for No 1 album support

Rod Stewart: I Went To CND Marches In The 1960s So That I Could Sleep With Women

Rod Stewart: I joined Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament marches in the 1960s so I could sleep with women

By James Desborough for the mail on Sunday

Published: 22:59 GMT, December 21, 2019 | updated: 23:01 GMT, December 21, 2019

"It was just rebellion, that was all," he told BBC2 & Reel Stories. "You had to stink. You had to wear corduroy pants for months and it really smelled. Do not change your underpants. It was disgusting. & # 39;

The lack of pride in his personal appearance, however, did not extend to his famous hair.

"We all went there on the tube with our bouffant hairstyles, because when you go down the escalator, the train comes in and a terrible wind blows.

So [there would be] six or seven of us all holding our hair. Even then I had combed it back.

The 74-year-old also thought about his friendship with Sir Elton John, whom he met in the 1960s, but with whom he has now dropped out after he branded a three-year money-grabbing opportunity on the Rocket Man singer's retirement tour.

"We were really friends at the time," he told presenter Dermot O & # 39; Leary. "Really good friends. We no longer talk today. He now has the bump with me. "

Asked if the gap could be healed, he replied: "Yes, we can, but we are both very stubborn, so we don't call each other."

Sir Rod, who recently became the oldest male artist at the top of the album's charts, insisted that he never announce a retirement tour.

"I think that's when you start thinking," I have nothing to do "… I don't want a pension. I refuse to use the word.

He hopes to reunite with the faces with whom he enjoyed success in the 1970s for a concert on the occasion of their 50th anniversary, and revealed that he is always taking photos of former bandmates Ian McLagan and Ronnie Lane at carries on.

McLagan died of a stroke in 2014, 69 years old, and Lane died of pneumonia while in the final stages of progressive multiple sclerosis in 1997, he was only 51 years old.

"Every time I do a concert, I have pictures of them on stage because I owe them," he said. "They were my dear friends, they helped me get started because the beginning of my career was a bit of a stop-start – joining one band and then joining another, then joining another, but with the faces really started. "

Rod Stewart sees off Stormzy and Harry Styles to score Christmas Number 1 album

You're In My Heart hangs onto the top spot ahead of big new entries Heavy Is The Head and Fine Line.

Congratulations to Rod Stewart, who fights off strong competition from big new releases by                                        Stormzy and Harry Styles to jingle all the way to the top, claiming 2019’s Official Christmas                                      Number 1 album with You’re In My Heart.The album, which features Rod’s classic vocal tracks                                enhanced by new arrangements from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, scores a second week                      at the top with over 71,000 chart sales including 68,000 physical sales – more physical copies than last                                          year’s Christmas Number 1 album, The Greatest Showman.                                                                                          You’re In My Heart is Rod’s tenth Number 1 album. He’s only the fifth British act in UK chart                                        history with 10 or more Number 1 albums, overtaking the likes of Queen (9), Oasis (8) and                                      Coldplay (8). The Beatles, Robbie Williams, The Rolling Stones and David Bowie are the only                                              acts with more Number 1 albums. See full list of acts with the most chart-topping albums.

Watch Rod accept his Number 1 Award while rehearsing onstage for his final show in a three                                    night stint at the O2:

Rod Stewart claims tenth Number 1 album with You're In My Heart and sets a new chart record

The results are in – and the other big win of the week belongs to Rod Stewart, who celebrates his 10th UK chart-topping album with You're In My Heart.

Unlike the General Election, the contest for Number 1 album was a close three-way race, with leaders switching throughout the week. But at this final count, there areonly 750 copies between the Top 3 – Rod's orchestral reimagining of his biggest hitsclimbs one place to the top, while nearest rivals Robbie Williams' The Christmas Present and The Who's WHO, settle for Numbers 2 and 3 respectively.

Rod also finds himself not only with a tenth Number 1 album, but a new UK chart record! While it's almost impossible to believe, the ageless Rod the Mod is now the oldest male solo artist to top the Official Albums Chart. At 74 years and 11 months old, Rod beats previous record-holder Paul Simon by three months. 

Speaking to OfficialCharts.com, Rod said: "A new government and and a new Number 1 for Sir Rod. Thank you once again to my legions of fans who I will never take for granted. Bless you all and a Merry Christmas. Well done Robbie, well done Boris, no hard feelings Pete Townshend."

Rod Stewart Scores Career First With New Album 'You're in My Heart,' With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

He earns his first Classical Albums No. 1, almost 50 years into his chart history.

Nearly 50 years into his Billboard chart career, Rod Stewart achieves a first, as his new album, You're in My Heart, with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, becomes his first No. 1 on the Classical Albums survey.

In his initial visit to the chart (dated Dec. 7), the set starts with 5,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen Music.

The honor arrives just over a week shy of the 50th anniversary of Stewart's Billboard chart debut, as he made his first appearance on any ranking with The Rod Stewart Album, which entered the Billboard 200 (at No. 200) on the list dated Dec. 13, 1969.

In the half-century since, Stewart, 74, has earned four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and four No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. His breakthrough smash, "Maggie May" (backed by B-side "Reason to Believe"), topped the Hot 100 for five weeks in 1971 and he earned subsequent leaders "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" (eight, 1976-77), "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (four, 1979) and "All for Love," with Bryan Adams and Sting (three, 1994).

Stewart also boasts three No. 1 songs on Adult Contemporary and one each on Dance Club Songs ("Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?," 1979), Mainstream Rock Songs ("Downtown Train," 1990) and Pop Songs ("All for Love," 1994), along with a leader each on Top Rock Albums and Top Holiday Albums.

Rod Stewart superfan left 'shaking' after giving rocker special award for his Glasgow shows

It's the first time an award of this kind has been handed out.

Since opening the venue in 2013 with a four-night stint, the superstar has returned for a further six shows, delighting over 125,000 fans with his performances and an unmistakeable back catalogue of sing-along hits.

On receiving his SSE Live award, Rod said: "I can’t believe that was our tenth show here already.

"I’ve got fond memories of opening the venue and the fans have continued to come back and support me since, so it’s very special to receive the Ultimate Performer Award from SSE."

Helen, who travelled from Northfield in Aberdeen to be at the gig along with son Jamie, daughter Megan and daughter-in-law Michelle, has been a fan of Stewart all her life, having been brought up listening to his music before sharing her love for the former Faces frontman with partner Alec.

An emotional Helen said: "I can’t quite believe what’s happened. Rod’s music has been such a big part of my life so to get the chance to meet him and present this special award is just a dream come true.

"I was shaking a little but Rod was really nice and calmed me down right away. His shows are always amazing and I just hope he comes back to The SSE Hydro another ten times at least."

Seán O’Meara joins Rod Stewart on stage

‘Grace’ composers Seán and Frank O’Meara were invited by Rod Stewart to take to the stage at the 3 Arena last night. The O’Meara brothers became part of the pop superstar’s sell-out concert by joining a troupe of leggy blonde performers while Stewart bellowed out ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ to wild applause. Seán O’Meara is the former MD of Young Advertising.

The two brothers composed ‘Grace’ in 1985, Seán writing the lyrics and Frank the melody.

Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster rock the night away as they share update on singer's health

The couple threw a fundraising evening for Teenage Cancer Trust

Cancer is still a highly emotive and raw subject in the home of Sir Rod Stewart and his wife Lady Stewart – better known as Loose Women's Penny Lancaster – and their sons Alastair and Aiden. It is less than three months since the legendary rocker, who turns 75 next month, announced publicly that he had beaten prostate cancer, having been diagnosed in February 2016 during a routine check-up.

Sir Rod had told guests at a fundraising evening with his former Faces bandmates Kenney Jones and Ronnie Wood: "No one knows this, but I thought this was about time I told everybody. I'm in the clear, now, simply because I caught it early."

Rod performed at the inaugural Memories that Matter fundraising gala

Last week the singer – who HELLO! can exclusively reveal will finally be clear of cancer drugs at Christmas – and Penny had a chance to give something back. And they did so in style, at the inaugural Memories that Matter fundraising gala, which they hosted at London's Rosewood hotel. They had meticulously planned the event, at which Sir Rod performed, and the "memorable night" raised an impressive £1.1m for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

"We started working on this project 12 months ago," Penny told HELLO!. "From the simple things, like designing the table layouts, to the tablecloths and the little napkins, meeting with the florist, deciding on every fine detail, working with the sponsors, the drinks distiller and designing the Rod and Penny cocktails."

The couple spent 12 months working on the project

She told guests: "To represent our house in Florida, we had palm trees. To represent the house in Scotland, we had purple thistles. Wherever we go for dinner, Rod calls ahead to make sure they have white tablecloths, otherwise he doesn't attend. So there were white tablecloths. We have a special dessert called Rags to Riches, because as most people know Rod started as an ordinary lad and his favourite dessert was bread-and-butter pudding. But later in life when he became successful… actually when we got married our wedding cake was millefeuille."

Penny added: "We wanted people to feel like they were coming to a dinner party of ours that we had personally created, rather than just Rod being the performing artist. Only in our dreams did we think we would reach over a million pounds. We've been to a lot of charity events, and even with double the amount of people it's hard to raise that kind of money."

Penny looked stunning in a black and gold dress from Boudi Fashion

The enthusiasm with which Penny, who looked stunning in a black and gold dress from Boudi Fashion, bounced around the room chatting to the 180 guests, including singer Ellie Goulding, former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, helped swell the coffers.

Among the lots was a dinner date with Penny and Sir Rod at the Ritz, Penny's favourite restaurant, which sold for £75,000. A similar dinner date was offered again – this time with Penny and Rod promising to dance with the successful bidders – which went for the incredible sum of £100,000. Other lots included ringside seats at next year's Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder boxing match, a guitar owned and signed by pop star Ed Sheeran, and artwork by Ronnie Wood, which was bought by Kirkcudbrightshire-born David, who told HELLO!: "Great event for a wonderful cause. A million pounds raised with Scottish influences!"

Penny with Aggie Kasicka, who was diagnosed with cancer aged 20

Ahead of the auction, an emotional speech from 22-year-old Aggie Kasicka, who was diagnosed with cancer aged 20 and spoke about the "amazing" support offered by the Teenage Cancer Trust, brought the purpose of the evening into sharp focus. Two rip-roaring sets from Sir Rod and his band – including hits Maggie May and Sailing – later saw all the guests on their feet. At one point Penny joined her husband on stage and cheekily grabbed his bottom as he performed.

The couple had cocktails named after them

Talking to HELLO! after the event, Lady Stewart said: "Walking around the room in the evening, it seemed like everyone knew each other. There was a great atmosphere and a warmth. It felt more like a dinner party than a charity gala, which made it more personal for everyone involved to create a memory that wouldn't be forgotten, but also to raise incredible funds – and I think they saw how genuine Rod and my involvement was.

"The speech by Aggie was so beautiful and composed. She was so brave and I have absolute admiration for her. Cancer has also affected my sister-in-law, who was diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago. She's going to be celebrating ten years of being clear next year. The Teenage Cancer Trust allows the young people to continue as normally as possibly and have fun during the sad times, which really strengthens the mind and helps them get through it."

The event was held at London's Rosewood hotel

Speaking about Rod, she said the prognosis is good. "Lucky he's been given the all-clear. He has had his last hormone injection, which suppresses testosterone – which is basically the food of prostate cancer. That's kind of a slow-releasing drug in the form of an implant and it lasts for about three months. So at pretty much Christmastime, his body will be free of all the drugs and hopefully he will just move on with good health.

"He's always in top health and fitness. Having been given that warning as well, it makes you even more on top of your game. Since hearing Rod's news, so many people have gone to be tested. Some people have said: 'I've got it, but thanks to you I've caught it early.' When he was diagnosed he took it on the chin, carried on working, carried on touring. He stayed really positive. A lot of the battle isn't physical but the mental attitude you have to fight something like this."

Penny with Memories that Matter founder and organiser Mark Aldridge

The gala is the brainchild of Memories that Matter founder and organiser Mark Aldridge, a Teenage Cancer Trust patron and friend of Penny's, who approached her with the idea a year ago. Mark is hoping to host the event annually, enlisting the support of different stars to organise it each year. "Memories that Matter is all about the importance and power of memories," he said. "This is a truly unique concept, where a global artist curates the entire experience."

Celtic superfan Jay Beatty meets up with Rod Stewart at Belfast concert

CELTIC superfan Jay Beatty met up with another well-known Hoops supporter - Rod Stewart.

The popular youngster, who is a Celtic FC Foundation Ambassador, attended the singer's concert in Belfast last night and shared a picture of the meeting on his social media. 

Market Deeping Model Railway Club featured on TV with Sir Rod Stewart

Singer Sir Rod Stewart has become an honorary member of Market Deeping Railway Club after coming to its rescue in the aftermath of devastating vandalism.

The singer donated £10,000 to help the club get back on its feet after their exhibition was trashed at a Stamford School in May.

On Monday, Sir Rod and club chairman Peter Davies were side by side on the sofa on BBC1's The One Show.

Peter said afterwards: "It was truly wonderful to be able to thank Sir Rod in person for donating £10,000 to aid our club's recovery, and to explain our ongoing plans, as well as to thank all those who donated so generously both financially and with donations of stock."

When Peter walked across the studio to join Sir Rod, the pair embraced.

Sir Rod has been a railway fan all of his life, relating on The One Show his disappointment when his father bought him a guitar rather than a model railway.

He also recounted how he used to have a second hotel room on tours where he could make model railway layouts.

Sir Rod is the cover story on December's issue of Railway Modeller, which features an exclusive interview with the singer who spent 23 years creating a model of a US city with a railway at its heart.

Peter said: "Sir Rod's own layout is a true example of dedication to the hobby, showing as it does the minute detail he has managed to achieve, not just in running trains but in all the scenic effects he, alone, created.

"It's an inspiration to us all."

Peter gave Sir Rod an honorary membership of the Market Deeping club as a "thank you gift" for his support.

The repair bill following the vandalism was estimated at £30,000 but more than £100,000 - including Sir Rod's donation - was given by model railway enthusiasts at home and abroad.

Rod Stewart would love a movie made of his life and his sons to play his early days

The former Faces frontman is open to a big-screen biopic just like old pal Elton John’s Rocketman or Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Rock star Sir Rod Stewart has admitted he would love to see his life story made into a film.

And he wants his youngest sons to play the early years in his 55-year career.

The former Faces frontman is open to a big-screen biopic just like old pal Elton John’s Rocketman or Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Rod, who has just completed a three-night run in Glasgow and plays Belfast tonight and Aberdeen on Saturday, said: “I’d welcome it with open arms.”

The 74-year-old Celtic and Scotland fan, who recently revealed he had beaten prostate cancer, said: “I can’t make someone make a film about me. But my two boys have offered to play me in my younger years, especially the little one who is a dead ringer of me.”

Aiden Patrick, eight, and Alistair Wallace, 14, are dad-of-eight Sir Rod’s sons with third wife Penny Lancaster who he wed in 2007. Rod describes himself as “a veteran” joking that while Robbie Williams is middle-aged: “I’m a grandaddy.”

His new album You’re In My Heart celebrates his career in a reflective run through some of his greatest hits. He said: “It’s really been a remarkable career and there aren’t that many of us around now.

“They’re either dead, or there’s me, Elton, The Rolling Stones and a few others.

“We all started at the same time and we’re still at it. The others are on the wrong side of the grass.

Rod has put the wild side of life behind him and now enjoys a couple of glasses of wine every night with dinner.

He said: “I refuse to drink water with a beautiful dinner that my chef cooks.

“If I’m an alcoholic, then I’m an alcoholic.

“I know people who have 10 cups of coffee a day, but they don’t call them a coffee addict.”