Stormzy and Cliff Richard go head-to-head in albums music chart race

Stormzy and Cliff Richard are battling out for this week’s Number 1 album.

Stormzy leads the charge at the midweek mark, looking set to score a hat-trick of Number 1 albums with his third studio release This Is What I Mean. The Croydon-born star, born Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, previously reached the summit with 2017 debut Gang Signs & Prayer and 2019’s Heavy Is The Head.

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Tracking for a Number 2 debut, Cliff Richard returns with his festive collection Christmas With Cliff. His first dedicated Christmas release in 19 years – since 2003’s Cliff At Christmas – the record is on course to become Cliff’s mammoth 47th Top 10 solo album, in a recording career that now spans over 60 years.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, The Cure’s landmark ninth album Wish could see a return to the Top 5 thanks to a reissue featuring 24 previously unreleased tracks. Noted as the most commercially successful LP of the iconic British goth-rock band’s career, Wish reached Number 1 upon its original release in 1992 and contained two Top 10 UK singles; High (Number 8) and Friday I’m In Love (6).

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as a host of Christmas records make their ascent up the Albums Chart. Andrea, Matteo and Virginia Bocelli’s A Family Christmas jumps 6 spots back into the Top 5 midweek (5), while Michael Bublé’s Christmas edges closer to the Top 10 (11).

A special Christmas edition of George Ezra’s Gold Rush Kid gives the former Number 1 LP a boost back into the Top 20 (15), while Aled Jones & Russell Watson’s Christmas With Aled & Russell prepares to lift back into the Top 40 (37).

Elsewhere, David Bowie’s A Divine Symmetry could provide the late star a 69th Top 40 album. A four-disc package of rarities and demos, the posthumous compilation chronicles the 12 months running up to the release of Bowie’s 1971 breakthrough LP Hunky Dory, the record that turned him into a superstar.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers eye a new entry with Live At The Fillmore 1997 (21), potentially the late artist’s 16th UK Top 40 album. Meanwhile, Welsh actor Luke Evans’ A Song For You could bounce back into the Top 40 (24) and Toyah’s Live At The Rainbow tracks to become the singer-songwriter’s 10th Top 40 collection to date (26).

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco: Live At The London Palladium recording could see the pop star earn her 9th Top 40 LP (30).

And finally, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl eyes a Top 40 entry under the guise of fictional thrash metal group Dream Widow (39). A creation born out of Foo Fighters’ horror-comedy film Studio 666, the Dream Widow record sees Grohl collaborate with Jim Rota of LA heavy metal group Fireball Ministry on an eight-track collection.