Dame Vera Lynn beat The Beatles and other artists to top the British charts on Sunday, and become the oldest living singer to have a number one hit album, at the age of 92.
Lynn's album outsold recent chart toppers Arctic Monkeys and Jamie T, which reached number two, as the 70th anniversary earlier this month of the outbreak of World War II revived memories of her heyday.
"We'll Meet Again -- The Very Best Of Vera Lynn", a compilation of 24 of her best-loved recordings, has been rising through the charts, 70 years on since she recorded the title track.
Lynn was dubbed the "Forces' Sweetheart" during the 1939-1945 conflict, bolstering spirits with optimistic songs such as "We'll Meet Again", which struck a chord with soldiers heading to war and the families they left behind.
The album was released to coincide with the 70-year anniversary of Britain's declaration of war on Nazi Germany on September 3.
Lynn trumped The Beatles' 12 remastered editions, plus its box sets, released to great fanfare on Wednesday, and four of which are in the top 10.
"I'm so surprised, I can't quite believe it. It really is amazing that this has happened after all these years," she said.
Asked why the album had become popular again, Lynn told the BBC: "I think it's because of the problems that are going on in various parts, and a bit of nostalgia, but I don't know, I'd like somebody to tell me."
Gennaro Castaldo, from music store HMV, said the album had been growing consistently in popularity in recent weeks.
"It's a really lovely surprise, that nobody could have imagined a few weeks ago, and it's ironic that it's taken one revered British icon to block the historic return of another to the top of the charts," he said.
Her album features songs such as "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover", and "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart", which was a number one hit in the United States in 1952.
Lynn was born on March 20, 1917 in east London and her singing career was already flourishing when war broke out in 1939.
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(Agencies)
上周日，（英國92歲高齡的女歌手）薇拉•林恩爵士擊敗披頭四樂隊和其他藝人，登上英國音樂大碟排行榜冠軍寶座，同時成為史上擁有冠軍大碟的最年長的在世歌手。
本月早些時候的「二戰」 爆發70周年紀念喚起了人們對林恩演唱生涯全盛時期的記憶，她的唱片銷量超過了新近的排行榜冠軍「北極猴子」和傑米•T。傑米•T目前排在第二位。
這張名為《我們會重逢——薇拉•林恩精選集》的專輯收錄了薇拉最喜愛的24首金曲。這張專輯在排行榜上一路上升，儘管如今距她錄製那首專輯同名曲已有七十年的歷史。
在1939年到1945年的戰爭期間，林恩被人們稱為「戰地甜心」，她所唱的一些樂觀向上的歌曲如《我們會重逢》鼓舞人心，給那些遠赴戰場的士兵和他們留在後方的家人帶去了安慰。
這張專輯於9月3日發布，當天正好是英國向納粹德國宣戰70周年的紀念日。
披頭四樂隊則於上周三大張旗鼓地發布了最新灌制的唱片兼盒裝全集，但最終還是不敵林恩。
林恩說：「我真的很驚訝，我簡直不敢相信。沒想到過了這麼多年我的唱片還能成為銷量冠軍，真是不可思議。」
在接受英國廣播公司採訪被問及為什麼她的唱片能再次流行時，林恩回答說：「我想是因為現在各個領域發生的事情讓人們產生了一些懷舊情緒，不過我也不清楚，我倒希望有人告訴我為什麼。」
HMV音像店的格納羅•卡斯塔爾多說，最近幾周林恩這張唱片的人氣一直呈上升趨勢。
他說：「這實在是個驚喜，幾周前誰也不會想到會這樣，而且一個受人尊敬的英國昔日偶像擋住了另一個老牌偶像的歷史性的回歸之路，真有點諷刺的意味。」
林恩這張專輯中的主打歌曲包括《多佛白崖上的知更鳥》和《別了，心上人》，後者曾於1952年成為美國音樂排行榜上的冠軍單曲。
林恩於1917年3月20日出生於倫敦東部，她的演唱生涯在1939年二戰爆發之前就已經有相當的發展了。
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（英語點津陳丹妮 姍姍編輯）