Gallagher, who topped the albums chart eight times with Oasis, has already this week achieved nearly 55,000 sales of his Sour Marsh-issued album Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, according to today's Official Charts Company Midweek figures, with Columbia/Syco act Matt Cardle in a distant second place with Letters.

However, Cardle is significantly ahead of Steps whose Sony album The Ultimate Collection topped the chart last Sunday but is now in third position in the week so far. XL act Adele's ...