Madonna meets match in chart-topper Adele

Singer Adele has achieved yet more groundbreaking chart success, matching Madonna with nine weeks at No 1 - the longest for a female solo artist.

Her current album, 21, has now spent the same length of time at the top spot as Madonna's greatest hits, The Immaculate Collection.

Adele's debut album, 19, stayed at No 2. She has now held the top two positions in the album chart for three of the past five weeks.

The Londoner's emotionally charged track Someone Like You was back at No 1 in the singles countdown a week after being toppled by Nicole Scherzinger's Don't Hold Your Breath.

Adele still has two other singles in the top 40, Rolling in the Deep at No 9 and Make You Feel My Love at 36.

The singer-songwriter is also enjoying success Stateside, having regained the No 1 spot in the Billboard album chart in recent days.

A more surprising chart success was achieved by Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans, who performed an advert jingle for insurance website Go Compare.

His debut album, A Song in My Heart, went in at No 40 in the official album chart and No 1 in the classical chart.

Evans called his success "one of the most amazing moments of my career".