U.K. MIDWEEKS: ELTON & ED SPREAD CHEER

Ed Sheeran and Elton John are heading for the top of the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart with their “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic). Over on albums, Adele’s 30 (Columbia) is set for a third week at #1.

“Merry Christmas” has more than double the sales of its closest competition, Adele’s “Easy on Me,” at #2. It leads a legion of festive tunes in the Top 20 this week; George Ezra’s Amazon Original “Come on Home for Christmas” is up 31 places to #5, followed by The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl’s “Fairytale of New York” (Warner Music U.K.) at #6.

Shakin’ Stevens’ “Merry Christmas Everyone” (Sony) is #7, Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” is #8 and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Universal) bops in at #9.

On the U.K.'s Official Albums midweeks, JLS is Adele’s closest competitor, with its first album of original material in eight years, 2.0 (BMG) starting at #2.

Elsewhere in the Top 10, Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise) is up one place to #5. Indie band The Lottery Winners could secure their first U.K. Top 10 entry, with Something to Leave the House For (Modern Sky) at #6.

Following the announcement that Little Mix is set for an extended hiatus to pursue solo projects, the band’s greatest hits collection, Between Us (Sony), is up one to #8.

Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra could enter the Top 10 for the first time with Happy Together (Universal), up three to #9. Servant of the Mind (Universal) from Danish rock band Volbeat is eyeing a new entry at #13.