Streisand scores US chart topper

Streisand recently performed live for the first time on UK TV

Singer Barbra Streisand has scored her ninth number one album in the US.

The 67-year-old was expected to be beaten to the top spot by Mariah Carey or pop band Paramore.

The success of Love is the Answer extends Streisand's run as the female artist with the most chart-topping albums, according to Billboard.

The new release, which sold 180,000 copies, scored unexpectedly robust sales through the singer's website and retailers including Starbucks.

Disappointing

Streisand's new release also secured her best first week of sales for more than a decade.

Paramore landed at number two behind the veteran star with Brand New Eyes, securing their highest-charting US album with sales of 175,000.

But the performance of Mariah Carey's latest album, which sold 168,000 copies, was disappointing compared to the debut of her 2008 record E=MC2, which shifted 463,000 copies and set a record for the star.

Streisand was recently the special guest of BBC chat show host Jonathan Ross.

The singer's appearance also included her first live performance on UK television in a career that has spanned five decades.