Manics locked in chart battle with Steps in fight for album number one

It was more than two decades ago when the Manic Street Preachers took on Steps in the chase for the top spot in the album chart.

In September 1998, the Manics’ ‘This Is My Truth Now Tell Me Yours’ beat Steps’ ‘Step One’ to the top spot by a massive margin of 95,000 sales.

Fast-forward 23 years and this time the race is very much closer - just 3,000 sales separating the Blackwood firebrands and the enduring pop outfit.

According to today’s Official Chart Update (September 13), Manics’ 14th studio album ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ leads the way having racked up the most physical sales over the weekend.

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Good omens

The omens are good, as should the band’s momentum continue, ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ will become the band’s second Number 1 album and first since that very week they beat Steps in the late ‘90s.

Steps currently have the most downloaded album of the week with their seventh studio album ‘What The Future Holds Pt. 2’. The record is on course to become their third consecutive Number 2 album since their comeback four years ago, matching the peaks of ‘Tears On The Dancefloor’ (2017) and ‘What The Future Holds’ (2020).

The Manics’ previous album, ‘Resistance Is Futile', released in April 2018, also peaked at Number 2, after a battle with the all-conquering Greatest Showman soundtrack.

Below the Manics and Steps, The Stranglers, The Vaccines and Kacey Musgraves are also headed for this Friday's Top 10.

Punk rock legends The Stranglers are in at Number 3 with ‘Dark Matters’, their first album in nine years.

The Vaccines are pacing towards their fifth consecutive Top 5 album with ‘Back In Love City’ (4), last week’s Number 1 ‘Certified Lover Boy’ by Drake falls four places (5), while GRAMMY-winning country/pop star Kacey Musgraves is eyeing her second UK Top 10 album with ‘Star-Crossed’ at 7, and a deluxe edition of prog-rock group Marillion’s 1978 album ‘Fugazi’ starts at 9.