One Direction’s Four outselling the Top 5 combined

The group are currently on course for their third UK Number 1 album with their fourth LP, Four, which is currently outselling the rest of the Top 5 combined after shifting 94,000 copies at the midweek stage.

The record follows last year’s Midnight Memories, which topped the chart and went on to become the best-selling artist album of 2013.

Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran’s X is at 2, and last week’s Number 1, The Endless River by Pink Floyd, is at 3.

Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour is at Number 4 and Foo Fighters complete the Top 5 with Sonic Highways.

New entries

As well as One Direction’s Four (Number 1), there are 12 new entries on today’s Official Chart Update.

Nickelback are on track for their sixth Top 10 album this weekend with No Fixed Address, which is currently at Number 6, and David Bowie’s best of collection Nothing Has Changed lands at 7.

Bette Midler is on course for her first Top 10 album in 23 years this Sunday with It’s The Girls!. The record – on which she covers classic tracks originally performed by girl groups – currently sits at Number 9. Her last Top 40 entry was in 1990 with Some People’s Lives, which charted at Number 5.

Opera singer Alfie Boe lands at 10 with Serenata, Katherine Jenkins debuts at 11 with her tenth studio album Home Sweet Home, and Bryan Ferry’s Avonmore enters at 14.

Michael Ball is on track for his 18th Top 40 album this week with If Everyone Was Listening at Number 17, Shirley Bassey’s Hello Like Before starts at Number 20, and Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell is new at 22 with his live album Stand Beside Me.

Finally, Luther Vandross’ Greatest Hits (27), Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black (28), and U2’s Completer (34) are all on course to enter the Top 40 this Sunday.

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.