Coldplay Album A Huge Hit

Music fans were today on course to help give Coldplay their third number one album.

Early sales figures for X&Y - which was released yesterday - indicate that the album is outselling nearest rival the White Stripes by three to one and looks set to top the charts this weekend.

According to Dave Murray, manager of HMV, Forestside, music fans across the UK were out in force from early yesterday to snap up the hugely-anticipated album.

"From early yesterday morning Coldplay's new album has been literally leaping off the shelves as fans are finally getting their hands on X&Y. "Early sales figures indicate that fans will not be disappointed with the band's latest offering as it looks set to earn Coldplay its third number one album."

Many music retailers throughout the UK opened early yesterday, with queues forming outside some larger stores in London.As copies of X & Y flew off the shelves, music experts predicted that the album could sell over 400,000 copies throughout this week and could go on to break through the half a million sales mark this Saturday - a feat only achieved in modern recording history by Oasis' Be Here Now. It sold just under 696,000 copies in its first week in August 1997 and remains the fastest selling album.

Gennaro Castaldo of HMV said: "The excitement around X & Y is palpable and has been building for quite some time now.

"The band certainly hasn't disappointed - both critically and commercially. It's an absolutely brilliant recording that will take Coldplay onto the next level of global superstardom and it's fair to say that we're already looking at the biggest album of the year by far."

Coldplay's Rush of Blood to the Head, released in August 2002, sold 274,000 copies compared to 71,000 for Parachutes in July 2000.