will.i.am bags 10th number one single in British charts

[July 14, 2014]  LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. rapper will.i.am secured his 10th number one in the British singles charts on Sunday, going straight in at the top spot with "It's My Birthday", the Official Charts Company said.

will.i.am, whose track features 17-year-old U.S. singer Cody Wise, earned his first UK chart topper in 2003 as part of The Black Eyed Peas. He had four more number one singles with the group, a track record he has now matched as a solo artist.

U.S. singer-songwriter Ariana Grande's "Problem", featuring Iggy Azalea, dropped one place to number two, with former TV talent show contestant Ella Henderson also sliding one spot to number three with "Ghost".

In the albums chart, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran topped the bill for a third week running with his album "X", while Welsh band Manic Street Preachers were the highest new entry, at number two, with "Futurology".

Fresh from her appearance at the Glastonbury music festival last month, Dolly Parton climbed one place to number three with "Blue Smoke", making it the highest charting UK album of the U.S. singer's career.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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