A new Band Aid single featuring stars One Direction, Bono and Chris Martin stormed to the top of the UK singles chart on Sunday after its release.
Recorded to raise money for anti-Ebola charities, the Band Aid 30 track “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” became the fastest-selling single in 2014 as it sold over 312,000 copies, according to the Official Charts Company.
Organiser Bob Geldof said he was proud of the single’s success.
It was the fourth time a version of the song had reached the number one spot in the charts.
The new release marks the 30th anniversary version of the original charity single, and features artists including Bastille, Ellie Goulding and Emeli Sande.
The first single, recorded in 1984, raised money for famine victims in Ethiopia.
The new version features altered lyrics that refer to the Ebola outbreak, which has claimed over 5,000 lives since last December, according to the World Health Organization.
The single’s success comes amid controversy over its lyrics, which have been criticised as condescending towards Africa.
Sande announced on Twitter that she had tried to change the lyrics when she sang for the recording, and believed a new song was needed.
A spokesman for the Official Charts Company said it was possible that the new single could be this year’s Christmas number one after a physical version of the track is released in December.
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