Ed Sheeran's X challenges Coldplay for fastest selling album of 2014

Nearly 100,000 copies of Ed Sheeran’s new album, X, have been purchased in the UK in the last 48 hours.
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Nearly 100,000 copies of Ed Sheeran’s new album, X, have been purchased in the UK in the last 48 hours.

Ed Sheeran is on course to debut at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart this weekend with his second studio album, X.

According to the Official Charts Company’s latest sales data, X (pronounced multiply) has already clocked up nearly 100,000 UK sales during its first 48 hours of release. At this midway stage, the album has also nearly equalled the entire first week sales tally of his 2011 debut +, which sold 102,000 copies in its opening week (1.8 million copies to date).

If its sales momentum continues, X, looks set to challenge Coldplay for the fastest selling album of 2014. The current record is held by the band's latest album, Ghost Stories, which sold more than 168,000 copies during its first week of release in May.

X features Ed’s recent singles One and Sing; the latter of which was produced by Pharrell Williams (Happy, Blurred Lines, Get Lucky) and became the 23-year-olds’s first Number 1 UK single earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Sam Smith’s former chart-topping album, In The Lonely Hour, climbs one place to Number 2, while reigning chart queen Lana Del Rey slides two places to Number 3 with Ultraviolence.

Coldplay’s Ghost Stories and Kasabian’s 48:13 complete today’s Top 5, remaining static at Number 4 and 5, respectively.

New Entries

In addition to Ed Sheeran’s X, there is one other new entry, and one re-entry on today’s Official Albums Chart Update.

US metallers Mastodon are on track for their highest charting UK album to date with Once More ‘Round The Sun. The Atlanta behemoths’ sixth studio album is currently at Number 7, beating their previous best of Number 19 set by 2011’s The Hunter.

And finally, Stevie Wonder’s 1976 classic, Songs In The Key Of Life, re-enters the Top 40 at Number 12 today. The album’s track, Another Star, is currently being used in the BBC’s World Cup coverage, while Stevie is set to play the Calling Festival in London this weekend.

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 IN THE LONELY HOUR SAM SMITH
3 ULTRAVIOLENCE LANA DEL REY
4 GHOST STORIES COLDPLAY
5 48:13 KASABIAN
6 BLUE SMOKE - THE BEST OF DOLLY PARTON
7 ONCE MORE 'ROUND THE SUN MASTODON
8 THE HUNTING PARTY LINKIN PARK
9 CAUSTIC LOVE PAOLO NUTINI
10 + ED SHEERAN
11 A PERFECT CONTRADICTION PALOMA FAITH
12 SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE STEVIE WONDER
13 WHISPERS PASSENGER
14 LIQUID SPIRIT GREGORY PORTER
15 LAZARETTO JACK WHITE
16 XSCAPE MICHAEL JACKSON
17 LOVE IN THE FUTURE JOHN LEGEND
18 AM ARCTIC MONKEYS
19 BORN TO DIE LANA DEL REY
20 GIRL PHARRELL WILLIAMS
21 WHILE(1<2) DEADMAU5
22 IF YOU WAIT LONDON GRAMMAR
23 MEET THE VAMPS VAMPS
24 NEW EYES CLEAN BANDIT
25 STAY GOLD FIRST AID KIT
26 MECHANICAL BULL KINGS OF LEON
27 WHAT HAVE WE BECOME PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT
28 TURN BLUE BLACK KEYS
29 NATIONAL TREASURE - ULTIMATE COLLECTION VERA LYNN
30 STOCKHOLM CHRISSIE HYNDE
31 THE 1975 1975
32 SALUTE LITTLE MIX
33 ALL THE LITTLE LIGHTS PASSENGER
34 HALCYON ELLIE GOULDING
35 HANK HANK MARVIN
36 SELECTED WORKS 1972-1999 EAGLES
37 PRISM KATY PERRY
38 TAPESTRY CAROLE KING
39 BAD BLOOD BASTILLE
40 A TOWN CALLED PARADISE TIESTO

© 2014 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

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