Four scores One Direction a third consecutive Official Albums Chart Number 1

The fab five have done it again – following on from scoring the biggest selling album of 2013 with Midnight Memories, the unstoppable One Direction have landed their third consecutive chart-topping album.

Four – the band’s fourth album, funnily enough – has romped to Number 1 with huge sales of 142,000, outselling its nearest rival by over 90,000 copies.

And it looks like there's more to come! Speaking exclusively to Scott Mills on Radio 1 and scotching those split rumours, 1D's Liam Payne confirmed: "We're already thinking about the next album".

It’s a 22nd week in the Top 10 for Ed Sheeran and x at Number 2, while Sam Smith’s debut In The Lonely Hour advances one place to Number 3.

Last week’s Number 1 from Pink Floyd, The Endless River, drops three places to Number 4, and Foo Fighters’ Sonic Highways also slips three to round off the Top 5.

New entries and high climbers

Along with One Direction’s Four going straight in at Number 1, there are ten new entries on today’s Official Albums Chart.

Bette Midler makes a return to the chart, with It’s The Girls going straight in at Number 6 and giving the star her first Top 10 studio album in almost 24 years. Nothing Has Changed – The Very Best of David Bowie lands at Number 9 and it’s an eighth Top 10 for classical singer Katherine Jenkins, as Home Sweet Home is new at Number 10.

Nickelback are new at Number 12 with No Fixed Address, their seventh Top 40 long-player, and tenor Alfie Boe nabs a fifth Top 40 album with Seranata (14).

Bryan Ferry’s Avonmore is new at Number 19, while Daniel O’Donnell’s live album Stand Beside Me lands at Number 20. Michael Ball goes in at Number 21 with If Everyone Was Listening and Luther Vandross’s Greatest Hits (22) and Dame Shirley Bassey’s Hello Like Before (24) complete a cluster of new entries.

Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black returns to the Top 40 at Number 30, and Kasabian climb 32 places to make a return at Number 33 with 48:13. Rod Stewart’s Merry Christmas Baby also makes gains to break back in at Number 40.

The Official Albums Chart Top 10 is below. View the Official Albums Chart Top 100 in full after 7pm.

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