Editing Robbie Williams (section)

===1996–1998: ''Life thru a Lens'' and ''I've Been Expecting You''===
{{Main|Life thru a Lens|I've Been Expecting You}}
Williams launched his solo career in 1996 with a cover of [[George Michael]]'s "[[Freedom (Robbie Williams song)|Freedom]]", which reached number two in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="8notes">{{cite web|url=http://www.8notes.com/biographies/robbie_williams.asp |title=Robbie Williams |publisher=8notes.com |access-date=23 December 2009}}</ref> Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March 1997. Shortly after his introduction to songwriter and producer [[Guy Chambers]], Williams released "[[Old Before I Die]]", the first single from his debut album. The single reached number two on the UK Charts;<ref name="8notes" /> it was largely ignored on international charts. His debut album, ''[[Life thru a Lens]]'', was released in September 1997. The album launched with his first live solo gig at the [[Élysée Montmartre]] theatre in Paris, France. The album debuted at number eleven on the [[UK Albums Chart]].

"[[Angels (Robbie Williams song)|Angels]]", the fourth single, is Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom.<ref name="BPI">{{cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=27952 |title=Award Certification for "Angels" |publisher=BPI |access-date=4 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080103043315/http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=27952 |archive-date = 3 January 2008}}</ref> The song, apart from becoming a hit around Europe and Latin America, caused sales of his album to skyrocket. The album remained in the British top ten for forty weeks and spent 218 weeks there altogether, making it the 58th best selling album in UK history with sales of over 2.4&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=30745 |title=Award Certification for 'Life Thru A Lens' |publisher=BPI |access-date=4 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071231042816/http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=30745 |archive-date = 31 December 2007}}</ref> The album eventually managed to sell over three million copies in Europe.<ref name="ifpi2002">{{cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2002.html |title=IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2002 |publisher=IFPI |year=2002 |access-date=29 November 2008 |archive-date=20 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320014141/http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2002.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Williams and Chambers started writing the second album, ''[[I've Been Expecting You]]'', in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "[[Millennium (single)|Millennium]]", accompanied with a music video featuring Williams parodying [[James Bond]], complete with [[tuxedo]] and references to Bond films like ''[[Thunderball (film)|Thunderball]]'' and ''[[From Russia with Love (film)|From Russia with Love]]'', became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom.<ref name="UK Top 40 Database" /> It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, Latin America and Australia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Robbie Williams – Millennium |publisher=GfK Dutch Charts |url=http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Robbie+Williams&titel=Millennium&cat=s |access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref>

''[[I've Been Expecting You]]'' was released in late October 1998 and debuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart.<ref name="UK Top 40 Database">{{cite web |url=http://www.everyhit.com/ |title=UK Top 40 Database |publisher=everyhit.com |access-date=17 December 2015}}</ref> The album received more attention outside the United Kingdom, leaving its mark in the European and Latin American markets with hits such as "[[No Regrets (Robbie Williams song)|No Regrets]]", a collaboration with the [[Pet Shop Boys]]' singer [[Neil Tennant]] and [[the Divine Comedy]]'s [[Neil Hannon]]. "She's the One", a cover of a [[World Party]] track written by [[Karl Wallinger]], became Williams' second UK number-one single.<ref name="UK Top 40 Database" /> Williams finished the year with a European Tour late in 1999. ''I've Been Expecting You'' sold almost 3&nbsp;million copies in the UK and was certified 10× Platinum by the BPI.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=31787 |title=Award Certification for "I've Been Expecting You" |publisher=BPI |access-date=4 January 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071231042831/http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=31787 |archive-date = 31 December 2007}}</ref> In Europe, the album sold over 4&nbsp;million copies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2001.html |title=IFPI Platinum Europe Awards:2001 AWARDS |publisher=IFPI |year=2001 |access-date=29 November 2008 |archive-date=22 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222025506/http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/plat2001.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>