The Killers and Manic Street Preachers are battling it out with Elvis Presley for the 1,000th UK Number One hit.
The King’s classic ‘Jailhouse Rock’ is currently holding on to the top spot, and midweek sales of his latest single ‘One Night’ suggest that he will soar to the top of the charts yet again this weekend.
The legendary singer is currently outselling Manic Street Preachers‘ latest single ‘Empty Souls’, which is at Number Two, and the re-release of The Killers‘ former hit ‘Somebody Told Me’, at Number Three, by around 5,000 copies.
Elvis Presley‘ latest single, which has been released to mark the King’s 70th birthday, first went to Number One in January 1959.
If he reclaims the top spot again, that will take the singer’s total chart topping hits to 20 – three more than The Beatles.
HMV chart expert Gennaro Castaldosaid: “It’s looking pretty certain that Elvis Presley will claim the UK charts 1,000th Number One single, which is fantastic news given that the honour could have fallen to an unknown artist or a pretty bland single.
“With the obvious exception of The Beatles, there is no other act in the history of popular music which has the iconic, enduring and collectible appeal of Elvis Presley. Who else could keep breaking chart records some 50 years after his first Number One and nearly 30 years after his death? The key to Elvis Presley‘ continuing chart success is that he has a massively loyal following, whilst also appealing to a new generation of music fans, who think he’s pretty cool.”