Coldplay's Ghost Stories set to become the fastest-selling album of 2014

It may be the 'most dour music of the band's career', but it's selling well

Coldplay's Ghost stories lacks the emotional grittiness of a break-up album

Coldplay’s Ghost Stories is on track to become the fastest-selling album of 2014 having sold over 105,000 copies in just 48 hours.

The album is set to overtake the current fastest-selling album of the year, Caustic Love by Paolo Nutini, which sold 109,000 in the first two days after its release.

Ghost Stories: Album review

The record looks set to knock current UK number one Xscape by Michael Jackson off the top of the album chart this Sunday, according to sales data from the Official Charts Company.

In comparison, Xscape sold over 25,000 copies in its first 48 hours of release last week, but Ghost Stories still has someway to go to beat the biggest-selling album of the year, Ellie Goulding's Halcyon, which has sold 257,00 copies in 2014.

Coldplay’s latest release is on track to become the band’s sixth UK number one, following Parachutes (2000), Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), X&Y (2006), Viva La Vida (2008) and Mylo Xyloto (2011).

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The album has been available on iTunes for two weeks, and has reached number one on the Apple music site in 72 countries.

Ghost Stories has received mixed reviews, with The Independent calling it “the most dour, muted music of the band's career”, and The Guardian describing it as “very palatable wallow”.