Datafile - Sales: 01.09.07.

Although no individual music title managed to sell more than 30,000 copies, combined album sales last week improved marginally for the second time in a row, edging up 1.9% to 1,998,253.

In the absence of any major new releases, the top five artist albums simply shuffled about, with Newton Faulkner emerging as the new chart champ, with his debut album Hand Built By Robots.

It is a notable achievement for Faulkner, whose debut hit single Dream Catch Me ends a three-week residency in the Top 10 this week, slipping 10-11 on sales of 9,797. Faulkner's next single, All I Got, is not scheduled for release until October 22 but another track from the album - Teardrop - makes its Top 75 debut this week, entering at number 60 on sales of 1,770 downloads. Featured prominently in TV advertising for Faulkner's album, it is his cover of Massive Attack's 1998 number 30 hit.

Many established albums enjoyed increased sales last week, including the year's two biggest sellers, Back To Black by Amy Winehouse and Life In Cartoon Motion by Mika. But the biggest increase, in percentage terms, came from Snow Patrol's Eyes Open, which surges 40-17 on sales up 98.6% at 8,349. The album has been absent from the Top 20 for 20 weeks and its return was facilitated by Woolworth's, where sales of Eyes Open were more than eight times the previous week.

Singles sales were down slightly, falling 1% to 1,428,345. Kanye West ...