One Direction's new album has topped the midweek charts, outselling the rest of the top five combined. Midnight Memories is on pace to become the fastest-selling full-length of 2013, easily outstripping Daft Punk's Random Access Memories.
After just three days on sale, the five-piece have sold about 145,000 copies of their third LP. Midnight Memories has trebled the sales of Gary Barlow's new album, Since I Saw You Last, which also launched this week, and sent Robbie Williams' Swings Both Ways plunging from No 1 to No 3.
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While this is One Direction's third hit in as many years, they have bucked the trend of diminishing returns that recently felled Lady Gaga. Midnight Memories has already sold more copies than the quintet's 2011 debut, Up All Night, and seems likely to surpass the 155,000 first week total for 2012's Take Me Home. Random Access Memories, the next-fastest seller of 2013, moved 165,000 units in its first seven days.
Despite One Direction's midweek chart success, they have a mighty hill to climb if they hope to unseat Emeli Sandé as the overall biggest-seller of 2013. The Scottish singer has already sold 600,000 copies of Our Version of Events; it shifted another 1.39m copies last year.
Story Of My Life is expected to rise to No 3 on the official singles chart, behind Under Control, recorded by Calvin Harris and Alesso featuring Hurts, and McFly's new tune Live Is On The Radio. Gary Barlow and Lily Allen round out the top five.
