Coldplay lead vocalist Chris Martin Photo: CFP

British band Coldplay's new album Ghost Stories went straight to No.1 in the charts on Sunday, the Official Charts Company said, becoming the fastest-selling album of the year.

The group's sixth studio album and sixth successive British No.1 album, it sold 168,000 copies since going on sale on May 19, a figure the Charts Company called "staggering."

"A new Coldplay album always makes a huge impact, and Ghost Stories is no exception," Martin Talbot, chief executive of the Official Charts Company, said in a statement. "The boys have made it a perfect six No.1s out of six albums today. That is some achievement!"

Coldplay knocked last week's No.1 album, Xscape, a collection of previously unreleased songs by the late US singer Michael Jackson, off the top perch into second place.

In the singles chart, "Stay With Me," a new track by English singer-songwriter Sam Smith, debuted at No.1, unseating last week's chart topper "Waves" by Dutch artist Mr Probz.