Yard Act close the gap on Years & Years as this week's Official Albums Chart race heats up

This week's race for Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart is heating up, as the gap between Years & Years and Yard Act narrows.

Yesterday, the Official Chart Update revealed that Years & Years' Night Call was on track to give Olly Alexander his second UK Number 1 album, but now British newcomers Yard Act are inching ever closer to Number 1 with their debut album The Overload. 

As of today (25 January), fewer than 400 chart sales separate Olly from the Leeds post-punk outfit. If Yard Act do manage to ascend to Number 1 this Friday, they would be the first act this year to open at Number 1 with their debut album.

Yard Act's chart sales are leaning heavily towards physical sales, with 93% of their current total made up of CDs, vinyl and cassette copies. While The Overload is outselling Night Call on physical formats, Night Call is performing strongly across digital download and streaming.

MORE: Years & Years' Top 20 biggest songs in the UK

Plus, a third act still cannot be counted out: Meat Loaf. Following the news of the rock legend's sad death last week aged 74, an influx of his most famous works have begun to re-enter the Official Albums Chart.

As it currently stands, Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell is looking to re-enter the Official Albums Chart at Number 3. It originally peaked at Number 9 during its original release window, so this would represent a new chart peak.

Meat Loaf's greatest hits collection, Hits Out Of Hell, is at Number 4 today, and is so far the most-streamed album of the week in the UK.

The Official Albums Chart is revealed every Friday at 5.45pm on OfficialCharts.com and on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart with Scott Mills from 4pm.