Manic Street Preachers' Futurology set to claim highest new entry

The critically acclaimed Futurology is set to give Manic Street Preachers their highest charting UK album in almost seven years his weekend.

While Ed Sheeran’s X is on track to spend a third week at Number 1 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart this weekend, Manic Street Preachers look set to score this week’s highest new entry. The Welsh rockers’ critically acclaimed twelfth studio album, Futurology, is new in at Number 2 on today’s Update. Should it maintain its sales momentum, it will become the band’s highest charting UK album since Send Away The Tigers in 2007.

Futurology was produced by Cardiff-born, Berlin-based producer Alex Silva, who helmed the band’s seminal 1994 album, The Holy Bible, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Futurology was recorded at Berlin’s Hansa Tonstudio, the now iconic studio used by the likes of Davie Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop back in the 1970s.

Meanwhile, Dolly Parton’s Blue Smoke climbs one place to Number 3 today, and Sam Smith is also up one to Number 4 with In The Lonely Hour.

Live Life Living by Example is new in at Number 5. It is the London MC’s first album release since signing to major label Epic Records last year, and is set to become his third UK Top 5 album to date.

New Entries And High Climbers

Sia is on track for her first ever solo UK Top 10 album this weekend. The reclusive Australian star, who has previously penned songs for everyone from Katy Perry to Kylie Minogue, and Beyonce to Britney Spears, is at Number 9 today with her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms Of Fear. The record features latest single, Chandelier.

21-year-old Oxfordshire singer/songwriter Lewis Watson enters at 15 today with his debut album, The Morning, while German folk duo Milky Chance are new in at 21 with their debut album, Sadnecessary.

This week’s new entries are completed by Homecoming by Nicola Benedetti (23), Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s latest live album, CSNY 1974 (26), and Midge Ure’s Fragile is at 37.

And finally, Sex Pistols’ 1977 debut album, Never Mind The B******s, Here’s The Sex Pistols, re-enters the mid-week Top 20 at Number 19, while Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is back in at 36 today.

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.

1	X	ED SHEERAN
2	FUTUROLOGY	MANIC STREET PREACHERS
3	BLUE SMOKE - THE BEST OF	DOLLY PARTON
4	IN THE LONELY HOUR	SAM SMITH
5	LIVE LIFE LIVING	EXAMPLE
6	WANTED ON VOYAGE	GEORGE EZRA
7	5 SECONDS OF SUMMER	5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
8	GHOST STORIES	COLDPLAY
9	1000 FORMS OF FEAR	SIA
10	48:13	KASABIAN
11	CAUSTIC LOVE	PAOLO NUTINI
12	ULTRAVIOLENCE	LANA DEL REY
13	A PERFECT CONTRADICTION	PALOMA FAITH
14	GIRL	PHARRELL WILLIAMS
15	THE MORNING	LEWIS WATSON
16	IF YOU WAIT	LONDON GRAMMAR
17	MUTINEERS	DAVID GRAY
18	+	ED SHEERAN
19	NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS	SEX PISTOLS
20	MEET THE VAMPS	VAMPS
21	SADNECESSARY	MILKY CHANCE
22	THE HUNTING PARTY	LINKIN PARK
23	HOMECOMING	NICOLA BENEDETTI
24	LOVE IN THE FUTURE	JOHN LEGEND
25	HALCYON	ELLIE GOULDING
26	CSNY 1974	CROSBY STILLS NASH & YOUNG
27	LIQUID SPIRIT	GREGORY PORTER
28	WHISPERS	PASSENGER
29	AM	ARCTIC MONKEYS
30	BAD	MICHAEL JACKSON
31	NEW EYES	CLEAN BANDIT
32	TURN BLUE	BLACK KEYS
33	LAZARETTO	JACK WHITE
34	THE 1975	1975
35	XSCAPE	MICHAEL JACKSON
36	THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2	EMINEM
37	FRAGILE	MIDGE URE
38	TRIGGA	TREY SONGZ
39	SHEEZUS	LILY ALLEN
40	YOU RAISE ME UP	JOHN BARROWMAN