Pet Shop Boys are on course to claim their first UK number one album for more than 26 years.

The dance music duo, comprised of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, last topped the UK album chart with Very in 1993.

But in Monday’s chart update, which tracks the album sales and streams over the weekend, the pair have a lead of 3,000 chart sales with their new record, Hotspot.

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Pet Shop Boys’ forthcoming album “Hotspot” was mostly recorded in @hansastudios, Berlin, and mixed in The Record Plant, Los Angeles. It was produced and mixed by Stuart Price and features ten new songs, including “Dreamland” featuring @yearsandyears. Pet Shop Boys say: “We’ve written much of our music over the last ten years in Berlin and it was an exciting experience to work on this album in the legendary Hansa studios there and add a new dimension to our sound.” Another of the songs, “Burning the heather”, features @bernardbutlerofficial on guitar and was recorded at @rakstudios in London. The radio edit of “Burning the heather” and album pre-orders are now available from the link in the bio.

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The group, known for hits such as Domino Dancing and West End Girls, have released 13 previous studio albums which have all charted within the Top 10.

If Hotspot does stay at the summit, it will give Pet Shop Boys their second UK number one album.

However, they face competition from London rapper J Hus, who is at two, said the Official Charts Company.

His second studio album Big Conspiracy dropped last Friday and is the most streamed album of the week so far.

The collection is on track to outperform the number six peak of his debut, Common Sense.

J Hus
J Hus (Ian West/PA)

Masked rapper M Huncho could crack the Top 10 for the first time with his latest mixtape Huncholini The 1st at five, while Scottish rock group Twin Atlantic are heading for a third Top 10 album with fifth studio album Power, currently at seven.

Following the release of the emotional viral video for new single Monsters, James Blunt’s album Once Upon A Mind is heading back to the Top 40 at 12.