U.K. MIDWEEKS: MURS, MARIAH LEAD

Olly Murs is on course to claim his fifth U.K. #1 album with Marry Me (EMI). Over on singles, Mariah Carey leads this week’s race by a hair.

Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains (Republic) is also new in today’s albums Top 5, at #4. Elsewhere, Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise) could climb back into the Top 5 at #5.

Electronic music duo Leftfield are set to claim their third Top 10, with This Is What We Do (Virgin) at #8.

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (Warner Records) has a 200% sales surge week-on-week following the death of Christine McVie, leaping 15 spots to #9. The group’s hits collection, 50 Years–Don’t Stop, jumps nine places to #14.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles midweek chart, Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (Columbia) could return to #1 on Friday.

The top spot, though, is by no means a done deal; Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (RCA) is fewer than 300 in sales behind, at #2. That track is also just 50 chart units ahead of Taylor Swift’s long-running #1 “Anti-Hero” (EMI), at #3.

RAYE f/070 Shake’s “Escapism” (Human Re Sources) rises two to #4, while Lewis Capaldi could claim Friday’s highest new entry with the Ed Sheeran co-write “Pointless” (EMI), starting at #5.

Among other festive classics in today’s Top 20 are “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic) by Ed Sheeran and Elton John, ascending six places to #9, and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (MCA), levitating seven to #11.