The first recording made by legendary opera singer Luciano Pavarotti has gone straight to the top of the classical artist album charts six years after he died.

The posthumous release features an aria recorded by Pavarotti 50 years ago but which lay unheard in the tenor’s personal archives for five decades before it was unearthed by his widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, and remastered for release.

It is one of 50 tracks, including Nessun Dorma – made famous by its use in the coverage of the 1990 World Cup in Italy – and a string of duets with stars including Frank Sinatra, Bono and Eric Clapton that make up the album, Pavarotti – The 50 Greatest Tracks.

British audiences first saw the singer, who died of cancer in 2007, when he appeared on Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Bruce Forsyth in 1963.

The posthumous release features an aria recorded 50 years ago

He went on to become a worldwide star with his performances as part of the Three Tenors, enjoying huge commercial success and making him one of the most successful opera singers of all time.

The first recording of his voice was an aria from Puccini’s La Bohème called Che Gelida Manina, which translates as “your tiny hand is frozen”.