METALLICA are on track to have the year’s fastest-selling album.

The iconic rock band’s tenth album Hardwired ... to Self Destruct sold 26,434 copies since release to become their sixth ARIA No.1.

Their victory was comprehensive with the album Glory Days by UK girl band Little Mix in second spot after selling 6924 copies.

Metallica‘s Hardwired ... to Self Destruct sailed past David Bowie’s Blackstar, which sold 23,681 copies to top the chart immediately in the wake of his death on January 11.

Hardwired is Metallica’s first No. 1 since their last studio album Death Magneticin 2008.

The success came with minimal radio support, rather tapping into Metallica’s fiercely-loyal fanbase who will be hoping the rumours of a 2017 Australian tour come true.

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Camera Icon Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield of Metallica show they have still got it. Credit: AP, Charles Sykes / Invision / AP

Metallica will fight it out for No. 1 next week with Canadian singer The Weeknd, whose album Starboy is currently No. 1 on iTunes.

However Crowded House’s compilation The Very Very Best Of will be a contender to top the charts — the album was originally released in 2010 and peaked at No. 11.

After Crowded House’s ARIA performance last week (seen on the ABC by 586,000 viewers) and their Opera House concert simulcast on ABC on Sunday night to 643,000 viewers the album soared to No. 1 on iTunes and is sitting at No.2.

The ARIA charts are compiled from sales of physical CDs and also digital albums.

Crowded House have also seen a surge of popularity on streaming sites, although ARIA only count streams for the singles chart at this stage.

Camera Icon Neil Finn of Crowded House at the Sydney Opera House last week. Credit: AAP, AAP / Dan Himbrechts

Also in the mix for next week’s ARIA chart will be Flume’s Skin, which got a boost after winning the ARIA Album of the Year gong as well as politically-charged hip hop album Reclaim Australia by A.B. Original.

Metallica’s sales are a welcome shot in the arm for the local industry, where figures have dropped so low Anthony Callea set a new record when he reached No. 1 on just 2949 sales this year.

December should see John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John’s Friends For Christmas festive album (which entered at No. 3 two weeks ago) enjoy heavy sales as well as modern classic Christmas by Michael Buble, which is now 13 times platinum.

Bruno Mars, Robbie Williams, Coldplay, Keith Urban and Adele will also be chart fixtures over the next month.

Camera Icon Beyonce’s Lemonade is one of the year’s fastest-sellers (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images

Biggest sales to hit No. 1 in Australia this year

Metallica — Hardwired To Self Destruct: 26,434

David Bowie — Blackstar: 23,681

Beyonce — Lemonade: 20,499

Frank Ocean — Blonde: 18,360

Flume — Skin: 17,709

Drake — Views: 16,540

Keith Urban — Ripcord: 13,438

Delta Goodrem — Wings Of the Wild: 12,205

Red Hot Chili Peppers — The Getaway: 10,768