The Greatest Showman matches Adele as longest No.1 run in 34 years

The Greatest Showman musical has proven a massive sleeper hit for star Hugh Jackman

The cast recording of the Hugh Jackman-led film has topped the charts since January, fighting off competition from Camila Cabello, Justin Timberlake, Fall Out Boy and Craig David.

The record, which features songs from Jackman and co-stars Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and Zendaya, has been the runaway success of 2018 across all physical, digital formats and streaming platforms.

Its combined sales of 465,000 is made up of 46 per cent physical purchases, 25 per cent digital downloads and 38 per cent streaming.

If the soundtrack remains at the top for another seven days, it would surpass Adele’s 21, which spent 11 uninterrupted weeks at the summit in 2011.

The album would also draw level with Bob Marley compilation record Legend, which went 12 consecutive weeks at number one in 1984 - the last album to do so in the UK.

However, it would need to go a further nine straight weeks if it was to become the longest-running film soundtrack in UK album chart history with My Fair Lady and South Pacific going 19 weeks in 1958 and 1960 respectively.

The Beatles Please Please Me holds the title for the longest uninterrupted run at number one with 30 weeks.

The Fab Four also have the next three longest runs as Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band went 23 weeks in 1967, while With The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night each went 21 weeks across 1963 and 1964.

A number of the The Greatest Showman’s tracks have also enjoyed success in the official singles chart, which is seeing similar dominance at its peak in the form of Drake’s God Plan.

The Canadian’s track joins 20 other songs in the chart’s 66-year history to have logged nine or more weeks at the top and is Drake’s second to hit that landmark after 2016 hit One Dance.

Rudimental’s These Days Ft, Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen remains behind Drake in second while George Ezra’s Paradise jumps seven spots up to number five.

The album charts top five sees two new entries with US rapper XXXTentacion’s second album, ?, at number three while The Fratellis’ In Your Own Sweet Time becomes their first top 10 in a decade at fifth.

Ed Sheeran’s Divide remains second while Dua Lipa’s eponymous debut is up to fourth.