15 April 2024 – James and Mark Knopfler enter a race to the top of this week’s Official Albums Chart.

Mancunian rockers James lead the charge so far, with their 18th studio LP Yummy looking to become their second UK Number 1 album, and first since 1998’s greatest hits compilation The Best Of James.

Still including founding members Jim Glennie and Tim Booth, James have previously scored 11 Top 10 albums across a career spanning over 40 years.

Meanwhile, Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler’s latest solo record One Deep River currently sits at Number 2; currently less than 3,000 chart units away from the top spot.

As it stands, One Deep River would still become Knopfler’s highest-charting solo album in the UK, having previously logged eight solo Top 10 LPs. As a member of Dire Straits, Knopfler has earned four Number 1 albums.

British rock outfit Kris Barras Band approach their first Top 10 record with Halo Effect (4), while Linkin Park’s Papercuts – Singles Collection (2000-2023) could become their ninth Top 10 album in the UK (5).

Leeds four-piece English Teacher expect to secure their Official Albums Chart debut with This Could Be Texas (6), Scottish rockers Gun could gain their first Top 10 album since 1994 with Hombres (7), and acclaimed US indie-folk singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers’ third album Don’t Forget Me is predicted to become her second Top 10 LP in the UK (8).

Manic Street Preachers’ 2004 album Lifeblood is heading for its first appearance in the Top 10, thanks to a 20th anniversary reissue (9), and this week’s Top 10 could be completed by Future & Metro Boomin’s second collaborative album WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU at Number 10. The pair’s first collaborative work, WE DON’T TRUST YOU, peaked at Number 2 earlier this month.

Jungle producer, DJ, singer and songwriter Nia Archives’ debut album Silence Is Loud is expected to bow at Number 13, while Lana Del Rey’s former Number 1 record Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd heads for a re-entry at Number 14, thanks to a special physical drop to mark her headline set at the iconic Coachella music festival.

Further down, Amy Winehouse’s final studio album Back To Black is set to re-enter the Top 40 (22) following the release of the biopic of the same name in cinemas.

Another prospective Top 40 entry is Norwegian alt-pop singer and producer girl in red’s second album I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! (23), followed by the 51-track-strong career retrospective from Eagles, To The Limit – The Essential Collection (24).

Finally, The Feeling’s seventh album San Vito is expected to debut at Number 36, which would mark the UK band’s fifth Top 40 LP.