Alabama Shakes set to ruffle up the Official Albums Chart big guns

Up-and-coming US rockers Alabama Shakes make a shock entrance in pole position on today’s Official Albums Chart Update. Formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009, the Americana outfit released debut album Boys & Girls this week, featuring the critically-acclaimed single Hold On, and have already stormed ahead of mega stars Adele and current chart topper Nicki Minaj in the race for Number 1.

The band spoke to OfficialCharts.com about the prospect of topping the Official Albums Chart this weekend: “Considering where we were just eight months ago, it is hard to contemplate our album being in the top 200 let alone Number 1. It truly is an honor. We are just mostly happy that our album is finally released and people are getting to hear it in its entirety. We are really proud of it. Thanks for all of the support!"

Adele’s 21 climbs one place to Number 2, while Nick Minaj’s Pink Friday – Roman Reloaded looks set for a Number 3 on Sunday. Jessie J’s Who You Are climbs four places to Number 4 and Emeli Sande’s Our Version Of Events completes the Official Chart Update Top 5.

New entries

Counting Crows lead the rest of the new album entries today with Underwater Sunshine – Or What We Did in at 11, while West End star Ramin (12) takes a jump into the chart world this week. Ramin might be a new face on the Official Charts, but he is known to millions the world over. The Iranian-born Canadian singer and actor has performed in such massive productions as Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon, Bluebird, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies, and more recently as Jean Valjean in Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables in London’s West End.

Ramin released his debut self-titled album earlier this week, which not only draws from his theatrical background, but also his rock roots with covers of Bryan Adams' Everything I Do (I Do It For You) and Muse’s Guiding Light. Ramin the album looks set to make a splash on the Top 20 of this week’s Official Albums Chart, therefore we feel it’s high time you were introduced! Watch an interview with him below:

Elsewhere, MTV Unplugged – Florence & The Machine is new at Number 17 and Halestorm’s The Strange Case Of (34) completes today’s Top 40 new entries.

See the Official Albums Chart Update Top 40 in full below:

Official Albums Chart Update Top 40
01 BOYS & GIRLS - ALABAMA SHAKES
02 21 - ADELE
03 PINK FRIDAY - ROMAN RELOADED - NICKI MINAJ
04 WHO YOU ARE - JESSIE J
05 OUR VERSION OF EVENTS - EMELI SANDE
06 NOTHING BUT THE BEAT - DAVID GUETTA
07 BORN TO DIE - LANA DEL REY
08 MUSIC ROX - MOSHI MONSTERS
09 ELECTRONIC EARTH - LABRINTH
10 + - ED SHEERAN
11 UNDERWATER SUNSHINE - OR WHAT WE DID ON - COUNTING CROWS
12 RAMIN - RAMIN
13 TUSKEGEE - LIONEL RICHIE
14 MAKING MIRRORS - GOTYE
15 MDNA - MADONNA
16 19 - ADELE
17 MTV UNPLUGGED - FLORENCE & THE MACHINE
18 MYLO XYLOTO - COLDPLAY
19 SORRY FOR PARTY ROCKING - LMFAO
20 STEREO TYPICAL - RIZZLE KICKS
21 UP ALL NIGHT - ONE DIRECTION
22 TALK THAT TALK - RIHANNA
23 IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW - OLLY MURS
24 IN MY DREAMS - MILITARY WIVES
25 THE SCRIPT - SCRIPT
26 DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS - BRUNO MARS
27 TEENAGE DREAM - KATY PERRY
28 NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING
29 WEAPONS - LOSTPROPHETS
30 HOME AGAIN - MICHAEL KIWANUKA
31 EL CAMINO - BLACK KEYS
32 NOAH - NOAH STEWART
33 HANDS UP - THE ALBUM - JUSTIN FLETCHER
34 THE STRANGE CASE OF - HALESTORM
35 EVERY KINGDOM - BEN HOWARD
36 WRECKING BALL - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
37 BEST OF - DECADE IN THE SUN - STEREOPHONICS
38 CEREMONIALS - FLORENCE & THE MACHINE
39 SCIENCE & FAITH - SCRIPT
40 LONELY ARE THE BRAVE - MAVERICK SABRE

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