KATIE MELUA - MELUA, CASSIDY 'TO TOP CHARTS'

MELUA, CASSIDY 'TO TOP CHARTS'

A charity duet between Katie Melua and the late Eva Cassidy is likely to knock Leona Lewis off the number one spot, according to midweek sales data.

Their cover of Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World will outsell the X Factor winner's Bleeding Love to give the UK its first new number one in almost two months, Music Week reports.

The single - the proceeds of which go to the British Red Cross - is only available from supermarket Tesco but is 5/1 to reach the Christmas number one spot, according to Ladbrokes.

However it seems the winner of this year's series of the X Factor is certain to take the coveted accolade, with many bookmakers having closed bets on who will top the charts this Christmas.

Meanwhile this week's long-awaited reunion concert of rock legends Led Zeppelin has provided a huge boost to their sales figures, according to HMV.

The band's recent greatest hits collection Mothership saw a 50 per cent overnight spike in sales figures after Monday's gig and was the store's bestselling album yesterday, surpassing the new efforts from Westlife and Kylie Minogue.

And the success of the band's show at London's O2 Arena has also caused a surge in sales of their back catalogue.

Classic albums such as Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti - sales of which had already increased threefold since the details of the reunion gig were announced in the summer - are now up 500 per cent at HMV compared to their usual popularity.

HMV's Gennaro Castaldo said the sales increase "demonstrates the enduring appeal of Led Zeppelin as the definitive rock band".

"Their music is now connecting with a whole new generation of fans who are discovering its brilliance for the first time," he added.