Sam Smith heading back to albums top spot

Soul singer Sam Smith is on course to claim his fifth non-consecutive week atop the albums chart this week.

Sam Smith is heading back for the top spot on this week’s Official Albums Chart.

The soul singer’s debut collection In The Lonely Hour is currently in pole position on today’s Official Chart Update. The LP – which recently passed the million sales mark in both the UK and US – last hit Number 1 for two weeks in September 2014.

If Sam holds on to his current placing, it will mark his fifth non-consecutive week at the top of the chart.

Meanwhile, last week’s Number 1 George Ezra falls to 2 with Wanted On Voyage, and Ed Sheeran’s X is at 3.

Rounding off the Top 5, Taylor Swift’s 1989 holds steady at Number 4, and Olly Murs’ Never Been Better is currently at Number 5.

New entries and high climbers

Despite a lack of new entries on this week’s album Chart Update, several records have made large gains or re-entered the Top 40.

OneRepublic’s Native, which includes the hit singles Counting Stars and Love Runs Out, leaps 20 to Number 6, and Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love climbs three places to complete the Top 10.

Sia jumps a massive 60 places to Number 12 with 1000 Forms of Fear, Rudimental re-enter the Top 40 at 14 with their debut album Home, and The Vamps move 38 to 15 with Meet The Vamps.

Elsewhere, J Cole is on course to reach a new peak with 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which shifts from 76 to 19, Michael Jackson’s Xscape re-enters the Top 40 at 31, and Frank Sinatra’s Best of The Best moves up 48 places to Number 38.

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

1	IN THE LONELY HOUR	SAM SMITH
2	WANTED ON VOYAGE	GEORGE EZRA
3	X	ED SHEERAN
4	1989	TAYLOR SWIFT
5	NEVER BEEN BETTER	OLLY MURS
6	NATIVE	ONEREPUBLIC
7	A PERFECT CONTRADICTION	PALOMA FAITH
8	FOUR	ONE DIRECTION
9	CHAPTER ONE	ELLA HENDERSON
10	CAUSTIC LOVE	PAOLO NUTINI
11	MOTION	CALVIN HARRIS
12	1000 FORMS OF FEAR	SIA
13	III	TAKE THAT
14	HOME	RUDIMENTAL
15	MEET THE VAMPS	VAMPS
16	THE ENDLESS RIVER	PINK FLOYD
17	NO SOUND WITHOUT SILENCE	SCRIPT
18	HOZIER	HOZIER
19	2014 FOREST HILLS DRIVE	J COLE
20	PARTNERS	BARBRA STREISAND
21	ROYAL BLOOD	ROYAL BLOOD
22	SONIC HIGHWAYS	FOO FIGHTERS
23	GHOST STORIES	COLDPLAY
24	ROCK OR BUST	AC/DC
25	LOVE IN THE FUTURE	JOHN LEGEND
26	BLUE SMOKE - THE BEST OF	DOLLY PARTON
27	LOST IN THE DREAM	WAR ON DRUGS
28	I FORGET WHERE WE WERE	BEN HOWARD
29	FOREVER	QUEEN
30	AM	ARCTIC MONKEYS
31	XSCAPE	MICHAEL JACKSON
32	NEW EYES	CLEAN BANDIT
33	THE GREATEST HITS	LUTHER VANDROSS
34	THE BALCONY	CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN
35	GREATEST HITS	QUEEN
36	TIME FLIES - 1994-2009	OASIS
37	IT'S THE GIRLS	BETTE MIDLER
38	SINATRA - BEST OF THE BEST	FRANK SINATRA
39	LISTEN	DAVID GUETTA
40	AQUOSTIC - STRIPPED BARE	STATUS QUO