Liam Gallagher's As You Were Has Higher Sales Total Than Any UK No1 Album Since Ed Sheeran's ÷

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Liam Gallagher's debut solo album is flying off the physical and digital shelves and is on its way towards a huge debut on the Official Albums Chart. In today's Official Chart Update, an indication of things to come for this Friday's final chart, Liam's debut solo LP As You Were is in pole position, and is currently outselling the rest of the Top 20 combined with 79,000 units sold and streamed. That figure means that by the midweek stage, Liam already has a higher sales total than any Number 1 album since Ed Sheeran's ÷.

As You Were leads an all-new midweek Top 5, with the next highest new entry being Giggs' Wamp 2 Dem mixtape at Number 2. The Grime/hip-hop rapper previously peaked at Number 2 with his fourth studio album Landlord last year.

Elsewhere, The Darkness' fifth collection Pinewood Smile is at 3, Norwegian group a-ha are on course for Number 4 with acoustic album MTV Unplugged: Summer Solstice, and the recently injured Marilyn Manson is heading for a Top 5 entry with his 10thstudio record Heaven Upside Down (5).



New entries and high climbers:

JP Cooper's debut album Raised Under Grey Skies is set for a Top 10 finish at Number 7, two slots ahead of A Different Stage (9), the debut album from comedian and actor Jason Manford.

Grime MC AJ Tracey currently sits at Number 12 midweek with his new EP Secure The Bag!, one spot in front of The King; Elvis Presley and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's third album together Christmas with Elvis and the RPO is at Number 13. Also set for the Top 20 is Lana Del Rey's Lust For Life at Number 20. The former Number 1 album is up 89 places following its vinyl release.

Finally, two more albums have a chance at securing a Top 40 position on Friday. Daylight from ska group The Selecter is new at 32, and Richard Thompson's Acoustic Rarities could net him a second Top 40 album of 2017 (39).