Age, it appears, is no barrier to topping the UK charts

At 70 Tom Jones is unstoppable, set to become shortly the oldest man to become top of the British album charts. Back in 1999. he held that position at the comparatively youthful age of 59 with his pop duets set, Reloaded. However,last year it was Bob Dylan who rose to the top with Together Through Life and he is now shortly to be replaced by Tom with his Gospel Music Praise and Blame.

Last year the oldest person to fill the position was the legendary Dame Vera Lynn, 92, with a compilation album recorded in her name.

It's now no longer the case that ageing rockers are thought too old to be top of the charts in the UK. At one time it may have been felt and voiced that ageing artists were too old for such an honour. That brings to memory, critics making fun of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, the Glimmer Twins as "the zimmer frame twins". However it turns out that rock music is something artists like to continue with until they drop and so is definitely for life.

It is middle-aged consumers who are sustaining the music industry which is why over half all CDs are bought by over 30s. Under 20s don't buy much music at all; they tend to get theirs free in the form of illegal downloads which comprise 95 per cent of the music market. There is a generation divide with older people favouring CDs, and under 20s using a completely different technology.

Tom Jones certainly deserves his well won success with his raw, passionate, new gospel album, wrongly dismissed as "hymns" by the president of his own company Really it is a record of a dialogue between a sinner and God and the devil with all his own angst.

He has shown much courage and adventure in going to new places and experimenting with new things, culminating in Reload which put him back in the charts. In 2002 he collaborated with Wyclef Jean, candidate for Haitian presidency, in making Mr Jones a brave and bold work of hip hop. In 2008 his album 24 Hours included some deeply emotional songs although it never made the top 30. The one that stands it is The Hitter which is about a fighter who will just not give up; a hitter not a quitter. That seems to sum up Tom Jones'life just nicely.

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