Cascada overtakes Michael Jackson to top singles chart

LONDON (Reuters) - Euro-pop act Cascada have topped the singles charts with "Evacuate the Dancefloor" this week, preventing total domination by Michael Jackson, the Official Charts Company said on Sunday.

It is the first number one for the group, who have scored eight hit singles and two hit albums in Britain since making their debut in 2006.

The single overtook Michael Jackson's Man In The Mirror and La Roux's Bulletproof to reach the top spot.

In the albums chart, Jackson's The Essential greatest hits package moved to the top, pushing La Roux by La Roux into second place. Number Ones, Jackson's own number one album from last week, moved into third.

Interest in Michael Jackson's music has surged following the singer's death just over a week ago and could increase as fans around the world say goodbye in a manner not seen since the funeral of Elvis Presley in 1977.

The album chart includes six Jackson titles in the top 20 and 12 in the top 200. The singles chart has five in the top 20 and 49 in the top 200. The combined total amounts to close to 600,000 record sales in just a week, the Official Charts Company said.

(Reporting by Christina Fincher; Editing by Jon Boyle)