Oasis on course for ninth Number 1 album with The Masterplan

A 25th anniversary reissue of Oasis’s The Masterplan could see the record reach Number 1 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart for the first time.

Currently tracking to top Friday’s Official Albums Chart, the collection originally released in 1998 from Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher and co. takes an early lead towards Number 1. A collection of b-sides from the group’s first three projects – 1994’s Definitely Maybe, 1995 LP (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? and 1997’s Be Here Now – The Masterplan originally peaked at Number 2 in 1998. 

Should it hold on, it’ll become the band’s first chart-topping LP in 13 years; since 2010 hits compilation Time Flies… (1994-2009). 

MORE: See where every Oasis song and album has charted in the UK

BTS star Jung Kook looks set to score the highest-charting solo album from a BTS member in the UK so far as his debut record GOLDEN starts out at Number 3 this week. Including the Top 10 singles Seven (featuring Latto) (and 3D (featuring Jack Harlow), the LP

Cliff Richard eyes a 48th Top 10 record with Cliff with Strings – My Kinda Life (4). Celebrating a career spanning 65 years, the collection features some of Cliff’s biggest hits, reworked with orchestral arrangements by Chris Walden. 

Manchester-born indie icon Johnny Marr hopes to secure his fifth Top 10 album with Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr this week (6), while American indie-pop savant Caroline Polachek is looking towards her first UK Top 10 album with her second LP Desire, I Want To Turn Into You (7) thanks to a new physical release. Van Morrison’s Accentuate The Positive is expected to give the Northern Irish icon his 17th UK Top 10 Albums Chart entry (9).  

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2023 so far revealed

Further down, it’s the start of festive season as Gregory Porter’s Christmas Wish cruises toward a Number 13 debut.

As The Beatles make a spectacular return to the midweek Singles Chart, ’ greatest hits collection 1 is heading for a big re-entry into the Top 20 this week (19), having previously peaked at Number 1 for 9 consecutive weeks at the turn of the millennium. It comes hot on the heels of the debut of the ‘last’ Beatles song, Now And Then, which could become the Fab Four’s record-breaking 18th UK Number 1 single later this week. 1 is tracking to re-enter the Top 20 this week (19), having previously topped the chart for 9 consecutive weeks at the turn of the millennium. It comes hot on the heels of the debut of the ‘last’ Beatles song, Now And Then, featuring all four band members, which could become the Fab Four’s record-breaking 18th UK Number 1 single later this week.

Scottish singer King Creosote is a new entry midweek at Number 23 with I Des, while Dire Straits aim to claim their first Official Albums Chart entry in three years with Live 1978-1992 (25).  

And finally, The Struts will be looking to secure a second Top 40 album with their fourth record, Pretty Vicious, currently riding at Number 39 on the Official Chart Update.

Image: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images