Robin Campbell struggled to contain his joy as he reacted to the news that UB40’s latest record, UB45 has made the Top Five, alongside the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé

UB40 legend Robin Campbell has told the Mirror of his joy after the band secured their highest charting studio album for 31 years.

The band’s new album – now featuring Matt Doyle as lead vocalist, who joined in 2021 to replace Duncan Campbell after he left due to health – debuted at No.5 on Friday. The record, called UB45, marks their most successful studio release since Promises and Lies, which reached No.1 in 1993.

Robin told the Mirror how some bands struggle with a brand new singer – but they felt “reinvigorated” as a group. Robin said: “We’re pinching ourselves at being back in the Top Five – what a moment. There’s really no feeling like it. We are so humbled by this and grateful to each and every person who has bought or streamed UB45, and supported us over all these years. What an honour to still be standing strong as a band after more than four decades. It feels like a major milestone in the new era of UB40 for us to achieve our highest album chart position since the nineties, and with our singer Matt Doyle is pretty special.”

UB40 are proudly sitting in the Top 5(Image: Getty Images for the Birmingham 2022 Festival)

He added: “When there’s a change in the line-up, particularly with the singer, some bands struggle, but thankfully we haven’t experienced that. I think it’s because in many ways, Matt has reinvigorated us as a group. His voice fits us like a glove, he’s full of enthusiasm and he’s a great songwriter. When we all get together in the studio, something magical just happens between us. It still feels like it did in the early days.”

Robin said that the new music “came with a certain degree of pressure” given their legacy and vast catalogue of songs. But he said: “ We’re proud of our new songs, we feel they stand up and hold their own, alongside the classics which we’ve breathed new life into. To still be representing reggae music in the charts four decades later is incredible. We’ve seen many trends come and go, so to be flying the flag for this genre and to still have a receptive audience never stops being a privilege. We’re full of energy and looking forward to getting back on the road and performing these songs live.”

During a career spanning more than four decades, UB40 have brought reggae to the mainstream achieving a record 45 UK Top 40 singles, which is joint with The Rolling Stones. Previous lead singer Ali Campbell was replaced as frontman in 2008 by his older brother Duncan.