Cilla Black tops UK albums chart for first time following her funeral

As a result, she’s dealt the crucial blow towards Welsh metallers Bullet For My Valentine who were looking for their first UK number one album with their latest effort Venom.

Black – who died aged 72 following a fall at her home in Marbella on August 1 – topped the UK Albums Chart with The Very Best Of compilation, a day after a host of stars attended her funeral in Woolton, Liverpool.

It seems unusual, considering her enormous pop success, but the Liverpudlian legend has never actually had a chart-topping album – until now. That really is the cherry on top of the cake and totally fantastic. “It’s something she always wanted”.

Anyone Who Had A Heart was her first No 1 single and has also made a chart comeback recently, following her untimely death in Spain.

On Thursday just 600 copies separated the top three with Bullet for My Valentine marginally ahead in the race.

The Very Best Of knocked Dr Dre album Compton off top spot.

Before this week, the singer-turned-TV personality’s highest chart spot was four back in 1966, with Cilla Sings a Rainbow.

The compilation includes number ones Anyone Who Had A Heart (the biggest selling single of the 1960s by a female artist) and You’re My World, as well as Top 10 hits You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ and Step Inside Love.

Cilla’s family said in a statement: “We have all been touched by the public’s outpouring of love for our mother this week, and now to give her a number one album today is absolutely ideal”.

It was originally released in 1983 but only managed to make it to number 20 the first time round.

Cilla has had six albums in the Top 40 and 11 Top 10 singles – the second highest number for any British Female after Shirley Bassey and Petula Clark, who have had 12.