U.K. MIDWEEKS: TAKE THAT CHALLENGE SHEERAN

Take That—minus Robbie and Jason—are challenging Ed Sheeran’s reign on the U.K. Official Albums Chart with their eighth studio album Wonderland (Polydor) shifting a mighty impressive 96k combined sales during its first three days on sale. How much more do they need to take the lead?

Sheeran’s ÷ (Atlantic) is 27.5k sales ahead at midway stage. If Take That manage to gather a midweek sales surge, Wonderland could be their seventh consecutive #1. Rag’n’Bone Man rises to three with Human (Columbia) and James Blunt is the second highest new entry as fifth album The Afterlove (Atlantic) enters at #4. Vera Lynn slides to #5 with 100 (Decca).

Other new entries include Jesus and Mary Chain with Damage and Joy (Parlophone) at #9—the Scottish band’s first Top 40 in over 22 years— while Southampton punk outfit Creeper start at #12 with Eternity in Your Arms (Warner Bros.).

Over on the Official Singles midweek update, Sheeran could knock himself off the top spot as “Galway Girl” sits just 1.2k equivalent sales behind “Shape of You.” New Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson track “Symphony” (Atlantic) climbs three places to #3 during its second week on sale.

Drake stays at #4 with “Passionfruit” (Island), and Sheeran rounds out the Top 5 with “Castle on the Hill.”