Adele currently outselling rest of the Top 40 combined as 30 heads for Official Albums Chart Number 1

Can 30 triumph over ABBA's Voyage to become the fastest-selling album of the year? Also further new entries from Oasis, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus and Elbow.

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Adele’s 30 has made a massive first impact on the Official Albums Chart - currently outperforming the rest of the Top 40 combined on its journey towards Number 1.

As it currently stands at the midweek mark, 30 has logged 167,000 chart sales. The superstar’s fourth studio album has its sights set on the biggest opening week of 2021 so far, currently held by ABBA’s Voyage with first-week chart sales of 204,000. 

The release of 30 is also impacting on the Official Singles Chart, with three tracks from the album vying for Number 1. 

Elsewhere in the Top 10, Oasis’ live recording of their historic Knebworth 1996 gig looks set for a Number 2 debut. The band’s greatest hits Time Flies 1994-2009 also gets a boost, currently up six to Number 39. Rock icon Robert Plant and bluegrass singer-songwriter Alison Kraus also eye up a new entry at Number 3 with Raise The Roof, their second collaborative album. 

MORE: Adele's Official Chart history in full

At Number 6, Elbow could be another new entry with Flying Dream 1, which could net the band their eighth UK Top 10 album. Further possible new entries in this week’s Top 10 include James Blunt, currently at Number 7 with greatest hits collection The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004-2021). The musician will discuss the album on this week’s episode of The Record Club in association with Bowers & Wilkins, our livestream series with Record Store Day and National Album Day.

Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen’s live album The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts is at Number 8, and rap collective D-Block Europe start at Number 9 with their new mixtape Home Alone 2. 

Outside the Top 10, glam rockers The Darkness eye up a Number 11 debut with Motorheart, while Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra join forces for Happy Together which is currently pacing to enter at Number 13. Sting could also gain his 21st Top 40 album in the UK with The Bridge at Number 16, while the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s classical take on Motown - A Symphony of Soul could debut at Number 17, their highest-charting collection as a solo entity since 2004.

MORE: The Christmas songs of 2021 hoping to become modern classics

And it looks like Christmas is well and truly coming to the Official Albums Chart - heralded by the re-entry of Michael Buble’s classic Christmas covers album, currently up 38 places to Number 18 following a 10th anniversary reissue, while Jamie Cullum’s The Pianoman at Christmas could be a re-entry at Number 34 following a deluxe edition release. 

US duo TwentyOne Pilots’ third record Scaled and Icy could re-enter the chart this week at Number 21 thanks to its vinyl release - it previously peaked at Number 3 earlier this year. And finally, U2’s ninth record Achtung Baby is also looking to re-enter the chart thanks to its 30th anniversary boxset release. Currently at Number 31, it originally peaked at Number 2 in 1991. 

The Official Albums Chart is revealed every Friday at 5.45pm on OfficialCharts.com and on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart with Scott Mills from 4pm.  

View the Top 100 Official Albums Chart Update

Check out the Top 100 Official Singles Chart Update

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Sarah

1

30 has already sold more than 500,000 copies in just 3 days in the US and already the Top Selling Album for 2021 plus also claimed 2021’s biggest individual sales week.
She will surpass Abba sales for sure- that is not even ???? able to me.
Adele will also remain at # 1 for more than a week, and to think otherwise is silly.

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Alfred Lock

1

Because right now she still has the strongest selling power(ditto streaming) of any act..Adele for Xmas no.1 album after the amount of one week wonders this year..I can barely name more than the digits on my right hand of artists who topped the charts(far too many!)

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crunch2k

1

Honestly surprised how low these sales are, album sales in general have took a dip due to the gain of streaming but still I thought she would of hit at least 300k midweek

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thierry henon

-1

I am probably sure that ADELE will sell by Friday between 300k-500k copies easily...but still surprised she only sold 167k so far!

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RCH

0

I don't think she will be over 300k if she is at 167k midweek.

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Alfred Lock

2

She'll be the biggest seller of 2021 by years end?

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RCH

0

Without any doubt, she will be the top seller at the end of the year.

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Sarah

1

According to reports 30 is well on its way to overtaking the 2021 opening week UK sales of Abba's Voyage.
Kind of knew it would'-'