'Popstars' Hear'Say make music history

Pop phenomenon Hear'Say

LONDON, England -- A pop band created by a television program has made history after becoming the first British group to top the single and album charts simultaneously with debut releases.

Hear'Say, whose members were unknown to the public or one another before appearing on the television program "Popstars," clocked up the biggest first week sales for a debut album, chart figures showed on Sunday.

Their debut single, "Pure and Simple," was also at number one for a third week running -- matching U.S. group Hanson -- the only other band to achieve similar debut number ones.

A spokesman for the quintet -- Myleene Klass, Danny Foster, Suzanne Shaw, Noel Sullivan and Kym Marsh -- said the band members were celebrating their double success by taking a couple of weeks off.

"The band are ecstatic, they found out earlier today. It's a great way to end the last few weeks," he said.

"It keeps getting better, that's what they were saying, they can't believe it."

The previous biggest first-week sales for a debut album in the UK was achieved by Craig David, who sold 225,000 copies in August of last year with "Born To Do It."

Hear'Say -- better known simply as Popstars -- sold 160,995 copies of their first single after its UK release.

That smashed the previous record held by Britney Spears with her 1999 hit, "Baby ... One More Time," which sold 127,970 copies on its first day and reached number one in both the UK and U.S. charts.

As part of the huge commercial venture, Hear'Say have already immortalised as miniature dolls, following in the footsteps of The Spice Girls.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Popstars smash Britney record
March 15, 2001
TV popstars favourite to top UK charts
February 2, 2001

HearSay
Popstars

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