Arctic Monkeys challenge Daft Punk for fastest selling album of 2013

Arctic Monkeys’ AM takes on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories for the title of fastest selling album of 2013!

Arctic Monkeys could be on course for the fastest selling album of 2013 with their fifth studio release, AM, according to Official Charts Company data.

Over 97,000 copies of AM have been purchased in the UK so far this week. And, if sales continue at their current rate, the Sheffield band could feasibly overtake current record holders Daft Punk whose highly anticipated Random Access Memories album clocked up sales of more than 165,000 during its first week on sale in May.

AM, which is released on the Domino label,will also be Arctic Monkey’s fifth consecutive Number 1 studio album. Should Alex Turner and Co maintain their lead, it would mean Arctic Monkeys are the first independent act to achieve such a feat in British chart history.

Following on from the success of their Top 40 singles Wasting My Young Years and Strong, British indie pop trio London Grammar are set to score this week’s second highest new entry. The trio’s debut album, If You Wait, is new in at Number 2 today.

Goldfrapp are heading for their fourth Top 10 album on Sunday with Tales Of Us (Number 3), while current Official Albums Chart champs The 1975 fall three places to Number 4 with their eponymous debut album. Today’s Top 5 is completed by young Irish band The Strypes’ debut album, Snapshot (5).

New Entries

In addition to Arctic Monkeys (Number 1), London Grammar (2), Goldfrapp (3) and The Strypes (5), there are eight other new entries on today’s Official Albums Chart Update.

Abel Tesfaye, AKA The Weeknd, is set for his highest charting UK album to date on Sunday. Kiss Land, the follow-up to last year’s Trilogy album, is new in today at Number 7. Janelle Monae, who featured on Fun’s million-selling single We Are Young, is also headed for the Top 10. Her new album, The Electric Lady is at Number 9.

Composer Murray Gold’s Doctor Who Series 7 soundtrack is at Number 13. Rod Stewart’s Rarities album is at 15 while The Clash’s new Best Of Collection, The Clash Hits Back, is at 17.

US jazz vocalist Gregory Porter is set to score his second UK Top 40 album on Sunday with Liquid Spirit, while Madonna’s new live album, MDNA World Tour (37), and The Clash’s Sound System box set (38), complete this week’s new entries.

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.

© 2013 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.