The recent avalanche of major rock releases combined with Father's Day gift buying to steer the album market to its second highest level of the year last week, writes Alan Jones.

With sales increasing week-on-week by 18.4% to 3,284,529, the overall tally was the highest for 15 weeks, being beaten only in the 24 weeks of 2005 so far completed by the 3,633,914 they registered in the seven days immediately prior to Mother's Day in March.

With Coldplay's X&Y album ...