The Strokes have returned to the upper end of the UK sales charts with Reality Awaits, entering the Official Albums Sales Chart at No.4 for the week beginning 31 July 2026.
Charli XCX’s Music Fashion Film opened at No.1 on the sales ranking, followed by Snow Patrol’s Eyes Open at No.2 and Shania Twain’s Little Miss Twain at No.3.
Guitar records remain visible in physical sales
Reality Awaits also entered the Official Album Downloads Chart at No.4, giving The Strokes a prominent end to the month across two purchase-led rankings.
The continued presence of guitar records near the top of physical and download charts is worth separating from the wider streaming picture. These rankings reflect listeners actively choosing to buy a record rather than simply accumulating plays.
As July closes, it is another reminder that the audience for albums as objects — and albums as complete pieces of work — is still very much there.
