Gorillaz Topping First Midweek Album Chart

With an aptness that's almost too good to be true, Damon Albarn's virtual band Goriilaz have topped the inaugural official midweek album charts. As reported by Spinner, the midweek charts are finally being made available to the public after remaining the preserve of industry insiders. The chart was revealed on Greg James' BBC Radio 1 show on Wednesday (March 10).

Gorillaz -- whose new album, 'Plastic Beach,' includes a huge cast of supporting extras including Bobby Womack, rapper Mos Def, the Fall's frontman Mark E. Smith, Super Furry Animals' singer Gruff Rhys and New York's unofficial poet laureate Lou Reed -- are currently holding off stiff competition from aging boyband Boyzone at number two with 'Brother'. Amy McDonald's 'A Curious Thing' sits one place below, while Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Love Never Dies' and Alicia Keys' 'The Element Of Freedom' occupy the fourth and fifth slots respectively.

Over in the midweek singles chart, Tinie Temper's 'Pass Out' is still holding on to pole position while keeping Rihanna's 'Rude Boy' at bay.

According Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Chart Company, the midweek snapshot has been made available to give fans an insight as to how the race for the top -- revealed every Sunday evening -- is shaping up. How Gorillaz fare for the rest of the week remains to be seen.