List of best-selling albums by year (UK)
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the best selling albums in the UK each year. Please note that the sales figures given are only within that year, but each album has sold more copies overall.
| Year | Album | Artist | Number sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Carousel | Original Soundtrack | |
| 1957 | The King and I | Original Soundtrack | |
| 1958 | My Fair Lady | Broadway Cast recording Cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast... |
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| 1959 | South Pacific | Original Soundtrack | |
| 1960 | South Pacific | Original Soundtrack | |
| 1961 | G.I. Blues G.I. Blues (album) G.I. Blues is the eleventh album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2256, in October 1960. Recording sessions took place on April 27 and 28, and May 6, 1960, at RCA Studio C and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. The album topped the Billboard Top... |
Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... |
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| 1962 | West Side Story West Side Story (soundtrack) West Side Story is the soundtrack to the 1961 film West Side Story. Released in 1961, the soundtrack spent 54 weeks at #1 on Billboard's album charts, giving it the longest run at #1 of any album in history, although some lists instead credit Michael Jackson's Thriller, on the grounds that West... |
Original Soundtrack | |
| 1963 | With The Beatles With the Beatles With The Beatles is the second studio album by the English rock group The Beatles. It was released on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, and was recorded four months after the band's debut Please Please Me... |
The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... |
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| 1964 | Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale Beatles for Sale is the fourth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released in late 1964 and produced by George Martin for Parlophone. The album marked a minor turning point in the evolution of Lennon and McCartney as lyricists, John Lennon particularly now showing interest in... |
The Beatles | |
| 1965 | The Sound of Music The Sound of Music (soundtrack) The soundtrack to the movie The Sound of Music was released as album in the United Kingdom in 1965. It reached number one in June of that year, and spent a total of 70 weeks at the top over several runs... |
Original Soundtrack | |
| 1966 | The Sound of Music | Original Soundtrack | |
| 1967 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin... |
The Beatles | 751,000 |
| 1968 | The Sound of Music | Original Soundtrack | |
| 1969 | Abbey Road | The Beatles | |
| 1970 | Bridge Over Troubled Water Bridge over Troubled Water Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list... |
Simon and Garfunkel Simon and Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the... |
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| 1971 | Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon and Garfunkel | |
| 1972 | 20 Dynamic Hits 20 Dynamic Hits 20 Dynamic Hits is a compilation album that reached number 1 in the UK.-Tracklisting:#Argent – Hold Your Head Up #The Fortunes – Storm in a Teacup#Deep Purple – Fireball#Danyel Gerard – Butterfly#Ronnie Dyson – When You Get Right Down To It... |
Various Artists | |
| 1973 | Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player is the sixth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John. It was released by DJM Records.... |
Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... |
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| 1974 | The Singles: 1969–1973 | The Carpenters The Carpenters Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and... |
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| 1975 | The Best of the Stylistics The Best of the Stylistics - Chart positions :- The Best of the Stylistics Volume II :A follow-up compilation was released the following year, subtitled Volume 2. The 1976 album mirrored the earlier success by also reaching No.1 in the UK Charts... |
The Stylistics The Stylistics The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the... |
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| 1976 | Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (ABBA album) Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in 1975 . Greatest Hits was rush-released in Scandinavia in November 1975 to counter expected import sales of similar collections released by licencees in Europe, such as French Disques Vogue's ABBA's Greatest Hits and West... |
ABBA ABBA ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... |
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| 1977 | Arrival Arrival (ABBA album) -Side one:#"When I Kissed the Teacher" – 2:58#"Dancing Queen" – 3:47#"Dum Dum Diddle" – 2:50#"My Love, My Life" – 3:50... |
ABBA | |
| 1978 | Saturday Night Fever | Original Soundtrack | |
| 1979 | Parallel Lines Parallel Lines Parallel Lines is the third studio album by American New Wave band Blondie, released in 1978 by Chrysalis Records. Their most popular and best-selling effort, Parallel Lines was the first Blondie album to be produced by Mike Chapman. The album reached number one in the United Kingdom in February 1979... |
Blondie Blondie (band) Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s... |
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| 1980 | Super Trouper Super Trouper (album) Super Trouper is the seventh studio album by Swedish pop group ABBA, first released in 1980 .-Overview:Led by the international hit "The Winner Takes It All", Super Trouper was the group's sixth chart-topping album in the UK. It was also the best-selling album in Britain for 1980... |
ABBA | |
| 1981 | Kings of the Wild Frontier Kings of the Wild Frontier Kings of the Wild Frontier is a New Wave album by Adam and the Ants, released in 1980 . This album introduced the new Burundi drum sound. After having his previous backing band wooed away by producer Malcolm McLaren, who used them to form Bow Wow Wow, Adam Ant recorded Kings of the Wild Frontier... |
Adam and the Ants Adam and the Ants Adam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era... |
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| 1982 | Love Songs Memories (Barbra Streisand album) Memories is an album released by Barbra Streisand in 1981. It is primarily a compilation of previously released material, but includes three newly recorded songs. The album was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA, reaching #10 on the US charts. First released on Columbia, it was re-released under the... |
Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... |
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| 1983 | Thriller Thriller (album) Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall... |
Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... |
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| 1984 | Can't Slow Down | Lionel Richie Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records... |
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| 1985 | Brothers in Arms Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits album) - Original LP track listing :- 2005 Re-Issue 2 LP track listing :The 2005 Limited Edition Deluxe 180 gram High Performance Vinyl reissue contained the full-length versions of all songs by spreading out the songs over two half speed mastered LPs.... |
Dire Straits Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest... |
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| 1986 | True Blue | Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... |
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| 1987 | Bad Bad (album) Bad is the seventh studio album by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album... |
Michael Jackson | |
| 1988 | Kylie Kylie (album) Kylie is the debut album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, released by PWL on 4 July 1988. Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced and wrote eight of the ten tracks on the album.... |
Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing... |
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| 1989 | Ten Good Reasons Ten Good Reasons Ten Good Reasons is the debut album by Australian pop star and actor Jason Donovan. Released in 1989, it became one of the biggest selling albums in the UK that year, and yielded two solo #1 singles and also featured a duet with Kylie Minogue, "Especially for You", which had reached #1 in January... |
Jason Donovan Jason Donovan Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989... |
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| 1990 | ...But Seriously ...But Seriously -Instrumental contributions:*Phil Collins — keyboards, drums, percussion, tambourine, vocals*Nathan East — bass guitar*Daryl Stuermer — guitar*Dominic Miller — guitar*The Phoenix Horns:**Don Myrick — saxophone... |
Phil Collins Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist.... |
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| 1991 | Stars | Simply Red Simply Red Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz... |
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| 1992 | Stars | Simply Red | |
| 1993 | Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell is a 1993 studio album by Meat Loaf and was written and produced by Jim Steinman. It was released sixteen years after Meat Loaf's second solo album Bat Out of Hell. It reached #1 in the US, the UK and Australia... |
Meat Loaf Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor... |
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| 1994 | Cross Road Cross Road Cross Road is a greatest hits compilation released by the American band Bon Jovi in 1994. The album contains hits from between Bon Jovi and Keep The Faith and two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as a new, updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer"... |
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald... |
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| 1995 | Robson and Jerome | Robson and Jerome | 2,040,000 |
| 1996 | Jagged Little Pill Jagged Little Pill Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian recording artist and songwriter Alanis Morissette. It was Morissette's first internationally released album, and her first studio album after the three year hiatus following her break with MCA Records. The album marked a shift from her style... |
Alanis Morissette Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination... |
2,080,000 |
| 1997 | Be Here Now | Oasis Oasis (band) Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher... |
1,740,000 |
| 1998 | Talk on Corners Talk on Corners Talk on Corners is the second album by Irish band The Corrs, released in 1997. The name of the album is derived from a line from the album's song "Queen of Hollywood".... |
The Corrs The Corrs The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the... |
1,676,439 |
| 1999 | Come on Over Come on Over (Shania Twain album) Come On Over is the third studio album recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released on November 4, 1997. It became the world's best-selling country music album and the best-selling studio album ever released by a female artist in any genre... |
Shania Twain Shania Twain Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million... |
2,201,842 |
| 2000 | 1 | The Beatles | 1,850,101 |
| 2001 | No Angel No Angel No Angel is the debut album by pop singer/songwriter Dido. Originally released in June 1999 in the United States, the album found a mass audience when it was released worldwide in February 2001... |
Dido Dido (singer) Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel... |
1,920,167 |
| 2002 | Escapology Escapology (album) -Background:In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI. The contract featured a number of provisos, including the label ceding greater creative control to the artist and a commitment to breaking Williams in the American market... |
Robbie Williams Robbie Williams Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams... |
1,410,931 |
| 2003 | Life for Rent Life for Rent Life for Rent is the second studio album by the British singer-songwriter Dido, released by Arista Records on 29 September 2003. The album was produced by Rollo Armstrong and American songwriter Rick Nowels. Work on the album began in mid 2002... |
Dido | 2,168,302 |
| 2004 | Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters (album) -Personnel:* Jake Shears – lead vocals* Babydaddy – bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, backing vocals* Ana Matronic – lead vocals* Del Marquis – guitar, bass guitar* Paddy Boom - drums, percussion-Release dates:-Charts:-References:... |
Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism... |
1,594,259 |
| 2005 | Back to Bedlam | James Blunt James Blunt James Hillier Blount , better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005... |
2,367,758 |
| 2006 | Eyes Open Eyes Open Eyes Open is the fourth album by Northern Irish/Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released in the UK on 1 May 2006, and 9 May 2006 in the US. The first European single, "You're All I Have", was released on 24 April 2006; the first U.S. single was "Hands Open" and the first... |
Snow Patrol Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow... |
1,514,554 |
| 2007 | Back to Black Back to Black Back to Black is the second studio album by English recording artist Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. It is the last album released in her lifetime. The album incorporates 1960s soul music styles and modern R&B production, with subjective lyrics that concern... |
Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize... |
1,883,897 |
| 2008 | Rockferry Rockferry Rockferry is the debut studio album by Welsh blue-eyed soul singer Duffy, released on 3 March 2008 in the United Kingdom by A&M Records. It was released in the United States by Mercury Records. Duffy worked with several producers and writers on the album, including Bernard Butler, Steve Booker,... |
Duffy Duffy (singer) Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold... |
1,684,944 |
| 2009 | I Dreamed a Dream I Dreamed a Dream (album) I Dreamed a Dream is the debut album from Scottish singer Susan Boyle. It was released on 23 November 2009 by Syco Music in the United Kingdom, and by Columbia Records in the United States one day later. In the standard edition, 11 out of the 12 songs that appear on the album are cover songs, plus... |
Susan Boyle Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ... |
1,632,732 |
| 2010 | Progress Progress (Take That album) Progress is the sixth studio album by British band Take That. It is the band's first album to feature Robbie Williams since 1995. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2010. The album received positive reviews, with most critics commending the influence of electronic music and... |
Take That Take That Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter... |
1,841,148 |
| 2011 | |||