Coldplay’s Ghost Stories smashes through 100,000 sales in 48 hours

Coldplay are on track for their sixth UK Number 1 album with Ghost Stories, while former Beautiful South duo, Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, are hot on their heels

Coldplay look set to knock Michael Jackson off the top of the Official Albums Chart this weekend.

Up to midnight last night, the group’s new studio album, Ghost Stories, has sold over 105,000 sales since it was released on Monday (May 19), according to the Official Charts Company’s sales data.

The album is on track to become Coldplay’s sixth UK Number 1 on Sunday, following 2000’s Parachutes, 2002’s A Rush Of Blood To The Head, 2006’s X&Y, 2008’s Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends and 2011’s Mylo Xyloto, which have sold more than 11.1 million copies between them in the UK alone.

In related news, Ghost Stories will also become the UK’s fastest selling artist album of 2014. Based on its current momentum, Ghost Stories will overtake the opening week tally of current record holder, Caustic Love by Paolo Nutini (109,000) in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, recently re-united Beautiful South duo Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott are on track for this week’s second highest new entry with What Have We Become. It is the first time the pair have released an album together since Painting It Red, which peaked at Number 2 in 2000.

The 20th anniversary edition of Oasis’s debut album, Definitely Maybe (Number 3), has propelled the 1994 album back into the Top 5. Reigning chart topper Michael Jackson’s Xscape falls three places to Number 4 today, while Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction is down two to 5.

New entries and re-entries

In addition to Coldplay’s Ghost Stories (Number 1) and Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott’s What Have We Become (2), there are nine other new entries on today’s Official Albums Chart Update.

REM’s Unplugged: The Complete 1991 And 2001 Sessions, which was originally released as a vinyl only album for Record Store Day 2014, is new in at Number 11 today after going on general sale.

Anglo-American supergroup California Breed, who boast Deep Purple and Black Sabbath’s Glenn Hughes and Jason Bonham, the son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John, among their ranks, enter at 16 with their new self-titled album.

Meanwhile, Bob Blakeley’s Performance climbs two places to Number 18 after debuting at Number 20 on yesterday’s Official Albums Chart sales flash.

The 56 year-old warehouse worker shot to fame earlier this year after trying out for BBC talent show The Voice.  Despite delivering a show-stopping performance of the Ella Fitzgerald classic, Cry Me A River, viewers were shocked when the judges failed to put him through to the next round. Bob was subsequently offered a record deal with Dramatico Records by Katie Melua’s mentor, Mike Batt, live on BBC Breakfast back in Jaunary.

Bolton rockers Cherry Ghost are on track for their third Top 40 album this weekend with Herd Runners (19), while Cara Dillon’s A Thousand Hearts (21), Sabaton’s Heroes (25), The Sunshine Underground’s self-titled album (30), Conor Oberst’s Upside Down Mountain (33) and Afrojack’s Forget The World (40) complete this weeks new entries.

And finally, the digitally re-mastered version of Deep Purple’s iconic 1972 live album, Made In Japan, is at 28 today, while the 25th anniversary edition of Roy Orbison’s Mystery Girl is at 39.

The Official Albums Chart Update Top 40 is as follows. The Official Albums Chart Top 100 will be posted in full, here, on Sunday at 7pm.

© 2014 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.