Courteeners ahead in race to claim first Number 1 album with 15th anniversary re-issue of St Jude

Courteeners could secure their first-ever Number 1 album this week, thanks to the 15th anniversary re-issue of their debut record St Jude.  

Originally released in 2008, St Jude peaked at Number 4 on the Official Albums Chart and contained three Top 40 singles, launching Courteeners’ career as indie-rock peers of the likes of Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks. 

In total, the band have logged seven Top 10 albums, including all six of their studio albums; 2010’s Falcon (6), 2013’s Anna (6), 2014’s Concrete Love (3), 2016’s Mapping The Rendezvous (4) and 2020’s More. Again. Forever. (2). Discover Courteeners’ Official Charts history in full here. 

This week’s highest new entry is pacing to be former Supergrass guitarist Gaz Coombes, looking to secure his first solo Top 10 with his fourth album Turn The Car Around (2). 

The now-iconic front cover of St Jude, featuring a portrait of Audrey Hepburn by frontman Liam Fray (Image: Polydor)

Rapper Clavish, hailing from North London, is also out for a Top 10 debut with his impressive 28-track debut mixtape Rap Game Awful (4), featuring high-profile collaborations with the likes of D-Block Europe, Fredo and MoStack. 

The indie rock revival on this week’s Official Albums Chart continues apace with Circa Waves possibly securing their fourth Top 10 album with Never Going Under (9), while Scottish indie-pop band Belle & Sebastian zone in on their sixth UK Top 10 with Late Developers (10). 

Outside the Top 10, rising alt-pop star Joesef’s debut album Permanent Damage heads for a Top 20 debut (16), while George Ezra’s three nominations at this year’s BRIT Awards send his third album Gold Rush Kid digging for a Top 40 re-entry (31).  

Two acts could also make their Official Albums Chart Top 40 debut this week; Bristolian singer-songwriter Billy Nomates issues her second album Cacti (34), and finally, US country singer Margo Price is set to round off the chart with fourth LP Strays (40). 

See the full Official Albums Chart Update here from 5.45pm.