Printable version of thread

Posted by: danG 5th July 2016, 07:32 AM

The UK's 60 official biggest selling albums of all time revealed

60 years ago this month saw the birth of the Official Albums Chart – the UK’s official weekly snapshot of popularity dedicated to one of the most influential art forms of our time.

The first ever chart, which was published in Record Mirror on 22 July 1956, saw Frank Sinatra’s Songs For Swingin’ Lovers landing in the coveted Number 1 slot. Now, over half a century of vinyl, cassette, CD and download-purchasing later, nearly 1,100 albums have hit the top spot in the UK.

To mark the chart’s historic milestone and kick off July’s month-long anniversary celebrations, OfficialCharts.com can today unveil the 60 biggest selling albums of all time here in Britain, as compiled by the Official Charts Company.

The “60 at 60” list also forms the centrepiece of an in-store retail campaign, which sees Official Charts team up with the three major record labels and outlets including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Amazon and Morrisons to promote and sell some of the UK's biggest selling albums this summer.

Topping the all time best sellers list is Queen’s 1981 Greatest Hits, and stands alone as the first and only album to have sold over 6 million copies in the UK (6.1 million sales to date). Queen’s Greatest Hits II also makes it into the Top 10 at Number 10 with almost 4 million albums sold.

"What a great bit of news to wake up to!" Brian May told OfficialCharts.com. The most popular album? Well, I always thought the band showed promise, but this is beyond our boyhood dreams! Thanks folks!"

Roger Taylor added: "Incredible...marvellous...humbling...thank you...I feel good!"

The record is also set for yet another boost later this year as a new double album gatefold vinyl edition hits shops in Autumn.

Meanwhile, ABBA – Gold: Greatest Hits is the UK’s second biggest-selling album of all-time – nearly 5.2 million units have been shifted since its release in 1992.

The best-selling studio album in Britain comes courtesy of The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (3) is also the only other release in history to break the five million UK sales barrier (5.1 million). Click here to look back at The Beatles' full Official Chart history.

Adele’s 2011 phenomenon 21, featuring Someone Like You, remains unmoved at Number 4 while Oasis’ (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? rounds out the Top 5 approaching 4.7 million sales.

The rest of the Top 10 features two entries from Michael Jackson; Thriller and Bad sit at 6 and 9 respectively. Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (7) is the only record in the Top 10 that has never topped the weekly chart, peaking at Number 2 instead, while Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms lands at Number 8.

With a total of four entries, Robbie Williams makes the most appearances of any individual within the Top 60, counting two of his solo releases (I’ve Been Expecting You at 48 and Swing When You’re Winning at 56) and two Take That best-sellers (Progress at 57 and Never Forget – The Ultimate Collection at 59). Robbie also scored the 1000th Number 1 album back in 2013 with Swings Both Ways.

Take That have a third inclusion on the long list with Beautiful World at Number 34, their first album without Robbie. Also with three entries on the list are Coldplay with their albums A Rush of Blood to the Head (31), X&Y (40)and Parachutes (45). Acts with two albums apiece in the Top 60 include Michael Jackson, Queen, The Beatles, Adele, Dido, ABBA, Paul Simon (including Simon & Garfunkel) and Fleetwood Mac.

Adele’s record-breaking 25 secures all-time placing just seven months after release

While Adele’s 21 might be her personal best overall, it’s her latest offering 25 that causes the biggest disruption to today’s newly-unveiled list, rocketing into the all-time Official Albums Chart Top 30 at Number 27 after just seven months on sale.

25 broke a slew of chart records following its release back in November 2015 when it became the fastest-selling album of all time in the UK, beating Oasis’ Be Here Now to the highest ever first week sales as British shoppers snapped up a staggering 800,000 copies in its opening week.

Not content with stopping there, 25 smashed through the million sales threshold in just 10 days, setting a new land speed record for a million-selling album in Britain, the previous record being held by Oasis’ Be Here Now (17 days) also. It came as little surprise when Adele then went on to hurtle through the 2 million barrier by its 29th day on sale, overtaking title holders Robson & Jerome whose 1995 debut album took 42 days to cover the same ground.

In the time since the all-time Top 60 list was compiled, 25 has proven unstoppable by bulldozing through the 3 million units marker, receiving a 10 x Platinum certification from the BPI.

Ed Sheeran scores first-time entry into the list with X

Another notable new entry to the list is Ed Sheeran, whose second studio album X breaks into the chart at Number 49, giving him his first appearance among Britain’s most-loved LPs of the past 60 years.

An impressive run of form over recent years has seen the Suffolk singer-songwriter notch up nearly 2.6 million sales of 2014 release X. X has spent 13 weeks at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart and, incredibly, has never left the Top 100 since its release two years ago (Click to look at X's week-by-week run on the Official Chart).

Ed was also the first recipient of the 24ct gold-plated Official Number 1 Album Award when the scheme launched one year ago this week. Ed was presented with the award on stage at Wembley Stadium in July 2015 where he made history by becoming the first solo performer to headline the legendary venue.

Commenting on this list, Official Charts chief executive Martin Talbot said: “In celebration of 60 years of the UK’s Official Album Chart, it is fantastic that we can crown Queen as the kings of the Anniversary Top 60. With seven albums by British acts in the all-time Top 10, and Adele’s 21 now challenging The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper to be the biggest selling studio album of all time, it is a great list for homegrown talent.

"And the fact that Adele’s latest album 25 is riding into the overall Top 30, along with Ed Sheeran’s X, underlines the power of the Official Albums Chart in championing great British talent, young and old. Happy birthday to the UK’s Official Albums Chart!"

The UK's official 60 biggest selling albums of all time are...

POS TITLE ARTIST YEAR HIGH POSN
1 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 1981 1 ~6.1 million
2 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1992 1 ~5.2 million
3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES 1967 1 ~5.1 million
4 21 ADELE 2011 1
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1995 1 ~4.7 million
6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982 1
7 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PINK FLOYD 1973 2
8 BROTHERS IN ARMS DIRE STRAITS 1985 1
9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON 1987 1
10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 1991 1 ~4 million
11 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC 1977 1
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990 1
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
14 STARS SIMPLY RED 1991 1
15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1997 1
16 LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 1984 1
17 BACK TO BEDLAM JAMES BLUNT 2004 1
18 URBAN HYMNS VERVE 1997 1
19 BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF 1977 9
20 1 BEATLES 2000 1
21 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER SIMON & GARFUNKEL 1970 1
22 DIRTY DANCING ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1987 4
23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
24 CRAZY LOVE MICHAEL BUBLE 2009 1
25 NO ANGEL DIDO 2000 1
26 WHITE LADDER DAVID GRAY 1998 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
28 TALK ON CORNERS CORRS 1997 1
29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 2003 1
33 ONLY BY THE NIGHT KINGS OF LEON 2008 1
34 BEAUTIFUL WORLD TAKE THAT 2006 1
35 HOPES AND FEARS KEANE 2004 1
36 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 1987 1
37 THE WAR OF THE WORLDS JEFF WAYNE 1978 5
38 SCISSOR SISTERS SCISSOR SISTERS 2004 1
39 BUT SERIOUSLY PHIL COLLINS 1989 1
40 X&Y COLDPLAY 2005 1
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1
42 TUBULAR BELLS MIKE OLDFIELD 1973 1
43 THE MAN WHO TRAVIS 1999 1
44 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN 1988 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
46 GREATEST HITS ABBA 1975 1
47 GREASE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1977 1
48 I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ROBBIE WILLIAMS 1998 1
49 X ED SHEERAN 2014 1
50 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 2002 1
51 GRACELAND PAUL SIMON 1986 1
52 THE SOUND OF MUSIC ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING 1965 1
53 LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL 1998 1
54 TANGO IN THE NIGHT FLEETWOOD MAC 1987 1
55 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000 1
56 SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING ROBBIE WILLIAMS 2001 1
57 PROGRESS TAKE THAT 2010 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
59 NEVER FORGET - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TAKE THAT 2005 2
60 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE REM 1992 1
©2016 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Stay tuned for loads more amazing features, facts and stats on the Official Albums Chart throughout July. Follow @OfficialCharts on Twitter (remember to tell us your #MyFavouriteAlbum and why) and Facebook for the latest updates, and check out the Official Albums Chart Top 100, published on OfficialCharts.com every Friday at 5.45pm.

Posted by: cqmerqn 5th July 2016, 07:47 AM

Thanks. Do you know roughly how much was needed to sell to get a number 60 placing?

Posted by: Bjork 5th July 2016, 08:20 AM

think I read it was 2.3 million something, above 2 million for sure

I own 20 of those in the list

Posted by: Colm 5th July 2016, 08:30 AM

I own 12. The latest addition of which is War of the Worlds which I got on vinyl for €2 on Saturday.

Posted by: Rob Spears 5th July 2016, 08:51 AM

I own 2 - The Fame & The Marshall Mathers LP.

Posted by: Sambuu-Yondon 5th July 2016, 08:54 AM

31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD
35 HOPES AND FEARS
40 X&Y
45 PARACHUTES

Posted by: iHype. 5th July 2016, 09:00 AM

I have a question. In US they started officially tracking sales with Nielsen Soundscan in 1991. In UK they've always tracked real sales since 1956? Or if not when did they do it? I'm confused at how albums as early as 1967 have sales numbers. Thought there wasn't technology to properly track sales then?

Posted by: Karma 5th July 2016, 09:04 AM

How long till 21 gets to the #3 spot?

Posted by: Bjork 5th July 2016, 09:08 AM

I own these:
4 21 ADELE
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS
9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE
15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN
17 BACK TO BEDLAM JAMES BLUNT
18 URBAN HYMNS VERVE
25 NO ANGEL DIDO
26 WHITE LADDER DAVID GRAY
32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO
36 THE JOSHUA TREE U2
40 X&Y COLDPLAY
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE
43 THE MAN WHO TRAVIS
44 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY
53 LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL
60 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE REM

Posted by: liamk97 5th July 2016, 10:12 AM

Well I *was* going to add a load of known sales and estimates but the list is sales only ffs.

Posted by: Colm 5th July 2016, 10:40 AM

Why the anger?

Posted by: liamk97 5th July 2016, 10:44 AM

Because there's now little way of updating estimates for the albums because a lot of them have substantial streams adding to their totals - Ed Sheeran, for instance, has lost over 200k worth of his total.

Posted by: Colm 5th July 2016, 10:57 AM

So I make that 27 3 million sellers!

Posted by: JCM20 5th July 2016, 11:00 AM

The last all-time update in February 2014 didn't feature Jeff Wayne. Not a clue where he would've been before but looks like a number of people have discovered the album in the last two years

Posted by: Colm 5th July 2016, 11:04 AM

It hasn't featured in the weekly Top 100 since March 2013 so I can only assume that it was left out of the 2014 and not because it had sold less than Automatic for the People.

Posted by: fiesta 5th July 2016, 11:46 AM

The OCC have 'over the counter sales' back to February 1994, before that date I think shipment sales have been used from record companies.

Posted by: JCM20 5th July 2016, 03:42 PM

The Immaculate Collection was almost 100,000 behind Back to Black in "Sales" the other day, so either that figure's from too far back or Madonna's experienced an overnight SPIKE in sales!

Posted by: liamk97 5th July 2016, 04:22 PM

The figure I gave for The Immaculate Collection was from late 2014 after True Blue re-charted in the Top 40 thanks to a 99p Google Play offer. I imagine Madonna has sold well on the budget chart since then but Back to Black will probably still be ahead with streams. This is the problem I'm talking about: this list the OCC have given is based on sales-only but a lot of the albums (especially Back to Black) have a good chunk of streams making up their totals so their official totals aren't going to line up with the information given on this list.

Posted by: Common Sense 5th July 2016, 04:40 PM

Radio 2 will play this chart, top 40 maybe, between 2 and 5 on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Posted by: Common Sense 5th July 2016, 04:52 PM

I own them all on CD except Dirty Dancing and Sound Of Music. Does anyone have them all?

Posted by: Jade 5th July 2016, 08:31 PM

I own the following:

1 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 1981 1 ~6.1 million
3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES 1967 1 ~5.1 million
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1995 1 ~4.7 million
6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982 1
10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 1991 1 ~4 million
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990 1
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
20 1 BEATLES 2000 1
23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
33 ONLY BY THE NIGHT KINGS OF LEON 2008 1
34 BEAUTIFUL WORLD TAKE THAT 2006 1
40 X&Y COLDPLAY 2005 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
47 GREASE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1977 1
48 I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ROBBIE WILLIAMS 1998 1
49 X ED SHEERAN 2014 1
55 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000 1
56 SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING ROBBIE WILLIAMS 2001 1
57 PROGRESS TAKE THAT 2010 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
59 NEVER FORGET - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TAKE THAT 2005 2

Amazing to see a 2015 album on there! The power of Adele *.*

Posted by: rundmck 5th July 2016, 11:16 PM

Adele misses out on being the only artist with 3 solo albums in the list by ~30k.
19 is in roughly 62nd position I believe.

Posted by: edward 6th July 2016, 06:23 AM

Jeff Wayne was number 39 in the 2014 list

(1) 1 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 1981 1 ~6.1 million
(2) 2 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1992 1 ~5.2 million
(3) 3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES 1967 1 ~5.1 million
(4) 4 21 ADELE 2011 1
(5) 5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1995 1 ~4.7 million
(6) 6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982 1
(7) 7 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PINK FLOYD 1973 2
(8) 8 BROTHERS IN ARMS DIRE STRAITS 1985 1
(9) 9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON 1987 1
(10) 10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 1991 1 ~4 million
(12) 11 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC 1977 1
(11) 12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990 1
(13) 13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
(14) 14 STARS SIMPLY RED 1991 1
(15) 15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1997 1
(18) 16 LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 1984 1
(16) 17 BACK TO BEDLAM JAMES BLUNT 2004 1
(17) 18 URBAN HYMNS VERVE 1997 1
(19) 19 BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF 1977 9
(24) 20 1 BEATLES 2000 1
(20) 21 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER SIMON & GARFUNKEL 1970 1
(22) 22 DIRTY DANCING ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1987 4
(21) 23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
(25) 24 CRAZY LOVE MICHAEL BUBLE 2009 1
(23) 25 NO ANGEL DIDO 2000 1
(26) 26 WHITE LADDER DAVID GRAY 1998 1
(NE) 27 25 ADELE 2015 1
(27) 28 TALK ON CORNERS CORRS 1997 1
(28) 29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
(29) 30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
(31) 31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
(30) 32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 2003 1
(33) 33 ONLY BY THE NIGHT KINGS OF LEON 2008 1
(32) 34 BEAUTIFUL WORLD TAKE THAT 2006 1
(34) 35 HOPES AND FEARS KEANE 2004 1
(35) 36 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 1987 1
(39) 37 THE WAR OF THE WORLDS JEFF WAYNE 1978 5
(36) 38 SCISSOR SISTERS SCISSOR SISTERS 2004 1
(37) 39 BUT SERIOUSLY PHIL COLLINS 1989 1
(38) 40 X&Y COLDPLAY 2005 1
(40) 41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1
42 TUBULAR BELLS MIKE OLDFIELD 1973 1
43 THE MAN WHO TRAVIS 1999 1
44 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN 1988 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
46 GREATEST HITS ABBA 1975 1
47 GREASE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1977 1
48 I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ROBBIE WILLIAMS 1998 1
49 X ED SHEERAN 2014 1
50 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 2002 1
51 GRACELAND PAUL SIMON 1986 1
52 THE SOUND OF MUSIC ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING 1965 1
53 LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL 1998 1
54 TANGO IN THE NIGHT FLEETWOOD MAC 1987 1
55 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000 1
56 SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING ROBBIE WILLIAMS 2001 1
57 PROGRESS TAKE THAT 2010 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
59 NEVER FORGET - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TAKE THAT 2005 2
60 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE REM 1992 1

Posted by: richie 6th July 2016, 07:07 AM

I contributed 3 to that 100 million or so albums.

Oasis, Pink Floyd and Scissor Sisters. I've given each of them away.

Still got Bridge Over Troubled Water on LP but I bought that second hand.

Surprised Definitely Maybe and the first Arctic Monkeys album are not on that list - but it does tend to favour the follow ups rather than debuts and is, for the most part, a very, very boring list indeed.

Posted by: ben08 6th July 2016, 07:27 AM

Are Music Club sales included for albums from the 80s and 90s?

Posted by: Karma 6th July 2016, 07:46 AM

Amazing, guess it'll make it at some point..

Posted by: JCM20 6th July 2016, 08:16 AM

I would guess that Definitely Maybe is 61/62 as it went 7x Platinum back in the days of shipment certifications, whereas Automatic for the People reached that mark this year. Unbelievably, Whatever People Say isn't even in the Top 50 sellers of the century.

Posted by: Colm 6th July 2016, 09:45 AM

Boring music sells in huge quantities - look at Adele and Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith - the only ones to sell in vast quantities over the past two years. Elvis is very well too.

Posted by: vibe 6th July 2016, 11:45 AM

Not a great list at all

James blunt , Leona , shanks I own these and never ever listen to them !

Posted by: Regina 6th July 2016, 11:51 AM

Alanis and Shania are the two essentials there tbh.

Posted by: gooddelta 6th July 2016, 12:02 PM

Talk On Corners is my favourite there. I own 15 of them.

Posted by: Colm 6th July 2016, 12:20 PM

Tracey Chapman and White Ladder are my two faves.

Posted by: Jake. 6th July 2016, 12:50 PM

I'm quite surprised that I own 34 of these - I didn't think I'd have that many! 21 on CD, 5 on Vinyl and the remaining 8 as downloads.

Posted by: JosephStyles 6th July 2016, 04:10 PM

Albums I own:

4 21 ADELE 2011 1
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990 1
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
25 NO ANGEL DIDO 2000 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 2003 1
49 X ED SHEERAN 2014 1

Surprisingly few!

Posted by: JCM20 7th July 2016, 11:31 PM

How has Automatic for the People sold more than Sing When You're Winning? AFTP only went 7x Platinum (2.1m) in February, whilst SWYW has passed 2.2m according to Music Week (and I seriously doubt much of that comes from streams). Has AFTP really sold over 100k that quickly?

Posted by: liamk97 7th July 2016, 11:35 PM

That REM certification was part of a bulk update for albums among the best sellers; they hadn't actually passed the mark that week.

Posted by: Envoirment 7th July 2016, 11:57 PM

The ones I own:

1 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 1981 1 ~6.1 million
2 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1992 1 ~5.2 million
4 21 ADELE 2011 1
6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982 1
9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON 1987 1
10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 1991 1 ~4 million
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1997 1
23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
25 NO ANGEL DIDO 2000 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 2003 1
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1
44 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN 1988 1
50 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 2002 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1

I had some of the others in the 90s/early 2000s (Shania/Spice Girls etc), but have since lost the CDs. Shouldn't be too long until Adele has a 3rd entry on the list. If Adele releases a Christmas album as her next she could quite easily have 4 entries on the list in the near future.

Posted by: Common Sense 8th July 2016, 08:46 AM

She should release a Greatest Hits next.

Posted by: ben08 13th July 2016, 09:43 AM

The OCC has now listed the best selling greatest hits albums of the last 60 years.

1. GREATEST HITS QUEEN 6.12 million
2. GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA. 5.3 m
3. GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 3.99 m
4. THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 3.7 m
5. LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 3.38 m
6. 1 BEATLES 3.23 m
7. GREATEST HITS ABBA 2.606 m
8. LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL 2.48 m
9. NEVER FORGET - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TAKE THAT 2.36 m
10. NUMBER ONES MICHAEL JACKSON 2.35 m

The next albums would be,
11. GREATEST HITS ROBBIE WILLIAMS 2.31 m
12. SIMPLY THE BEST TINA TURNER 2.17 m

All sales to end of June 2016.

Posted by: John-James 13th July 2016, 09:53 AM

15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1997 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1

I own these

Posted by: garyfeld 13th July 2016, 10:16 AM

From OCC Comments... http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-greatest-of-the-greatest-the-uks-official-top-10-biggest-hits-collections-revealed__15397/

Bengy • 30 minutes ago
Thanks OCC for this list - and with sales figures to 2 decimal places!
But what did Abba's Greatest Hits at number 7 sell please?

Official Charts Mod > Bengy • 25 minutes ago
Hi Bengy, g'wan then! It's sold 2.606m

Posted by: ben08 13th July 2016, 10:24 AM

You got there before me. What does g'wan mean?

Posted by: JCM20 13th July 2016, 11:43 AM

You missed out number 3 ben! There's only 12 albums on that list, not 13

Posted by: niallyb 13th July 2016, 12:28 PM

G'WAN = Go on = Irish expression for "good on you"

Posted by: ben08 13th July 2016, 01:00 PM

Apologies for my poor maths - now edited.

Posted by: JCM20 19th July 2016, 12:19 PM

19 by Adele must have literally only just missed the cut-off point. If the deadline had been just one week later, the Glastonbury sales spike would've give it enough sales to get in there. Robbie's greatest hits must've been real close too

Posted by: rundmck 19th July 2016, 03:33 PM

Not quite, it's approaching 2.34m at the moment. Michael Jackson's #1's has sold 2.35m and didn't make the top 60.

But I agree it did only miss out by a very fine margin. It should outsell 56-60 in the next year or so, but so will Bublé's Christmas and Jackson's #1s, so if nobody releases a new album selling more than 2.4m in the near future, it should *just* scrape into the next update of the top 60.

Posted by: bobmoo79 20th July 2016, 09:46 AM

So how many copies do the MB and MJ albums normally sell in a year then?

Jackson's Number Ones is probably a consistent seller across much of the year but would be much higher if Sony hadn't released so many MJ hits albums in the years before and after his death (diluting sales of Number Ones). Without the other hits albums I estimate it would have sold nearly 1 million more copies than it did during 2009.
Buble's Christmas album will be a good seller in the run up to Xmas but probably non-existent the rest of the year.

Posted by: rundmck 21st July 2016, 12:13 AM

^^
Well last year Bublé Christmas sold 143k (mostly at Christmas)
Jackson #1s sold 92k

Adele's 19 sold significantly less than both of those, so they will be ahead of her 19 album for the foreseeable future as they both will sell steadily this year again.

Posted by: SKOB 21st July 2016, 07:25 AM

I own:

1 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 1981 1 ~6.1 million
2 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1992 1 ~5.2 million
4 21 ADELE 2011 1
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1995 1 ~4.7 million
6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982 13 2
9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON 1987 1
10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 1991 1 ~4 million
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990 1
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1997 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
28 TALK ON CORNERS CORRS 1997 1
29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
35 HOPES AND FEARS KEANE 2004 1
38 SCISSOR SISTERS SCISSOR SISTERS 2004 1
40 X&Y COLDPLAY 2005 1
43 THE MAN WHO TRAVIS 1999 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
49 X ED SHEERAN 2014 1
55 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000 1
57 PROGRESS TAKE THAT 2010 1


Have streamed:

3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES 1967 1 ~5.1 million
11 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC 1977 1
16 LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 1984 1
20 1 BEATLES 2000 1
39 BUT SERIOUSLY PHIL COLLINS 1989 1
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
59 NEVER FORGET - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TAKE THAT 2005 2
60 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE REM 1992 1

Streaming is an easy way to get to know the classics (in my case, especially The Beatles)

Posted by: Colm 21st July 2016, 08:47 AM

That's what I do. I have a list of classic albums that I am planning to stream.

Posted by: garyfeld 21st July 2016, 11:04 AM

From www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/looking-back-at-amy-winehouses-back-to-black-ten-10-years-on__15545/
it says :
Latest stats show Back To Black has now shifted 3.58 million in the UK, with 3.3 million of those being physical sales.

we have her on as at 3,729,500
Why the disparity?
I guess this would show why they put Madonna's TIC above

Posted by: Steve201 21st July 2016, 11:05 AM

Is Legend by Bob a greatest hits album?

Posted by: SKOB 21st July 2016, 11:15 AM

Yes

Posted by: ben08 21st July 2016, 06:40 PM

From Music Week 30/6/16


I suppose it might be to addition of the deluxe version, whether it added on 50% of the Frank/Back To Black double CD (to ensure consistency with the treatment of Queen's Greatest Hits) and of course streaming sales are not included in all-time lists. BTW there appear to be 280,000 downloads sales.

The inconsistency with Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill is the exclusion of Music Club sales from the 1990s.

Posted by: JCM20 21st July 2016, 09:24 PM

I figured it was just shipment certifications from the time

Posted by: ben08 22nd July 2016, 06:15 PM

An update from Music Week,

Number one for 12 straight weeks when first released in 1984, Bob Marley & The Wailers' Legend is the fifth biggest selling compilation, and the 16th biggest selling album overall. It is also back in the Top 10, charging 39-8 (8,518 sales) after the digital version was reduced £4.99 on iTunes. Although on its 487th week in the Top 75, Legend has spent only 22 weeks in the Top 10, but has accumulated sales of 3,442,880.

It is not always clear what these figures represent - shipments, physical (vinyl LPs, CDs, cassettes), digital downloads, audio streams, Music Club sales. Wish OCC/Music Week would make it clear.

Posted by: The Hit Parade 22nd July 2016, 09:31 PM

Well, if we're all doing it:

POS TITLE ARTIST YEAR HIGH POSN
1 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 1981 1 *
3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES 1967 1 ~5.1 million
4 21 ADELE 2011 1
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1995 1 ~4.7 million
10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 1991 1 *
11 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC 1977 1
16 LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 1984 1
18 URBAN HYMNS VERVE 1997 1
20 1 BEATLES 2000 1 *
21 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER SIMON & GARFUNKEL 1970 1
26 WHITE LADDER DAVID GRAY 1998 1
31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
33 ONLY BY THE NIGHT KINGS OF LEON 2008 1**
36 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 1987 1*
40 X&Y COLDPLAY 2005 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
50 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 2002 1*
51 GRACELAND PAUL SIMON 1986 1*
54 TANGO IN THE NIGHT FLEETWOOD MAC 1987 1*
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
60 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE REM 1992 1

*bought secondhand
**I got this free in a Google special offer and have never actually listened to it

Posted by: Colm 22nd July 2016, 09:36 PM

I think I remember seeing in a Gezza thread that it did a million in the 80s, a million in the 90s and another million in the 00s.

Posted by: dandy* 23rd July 2016, 08:18 AM

Oh why not... I have the following (italics if it is one I even vaguely still listen to):

3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES 1967 1 ~5.1 million
4 21 ADELE 2011 1
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1995 1 ~4.7 million
6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982 1
7 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PINK FLOYD 1973 2
9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON 1987 1
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990 1
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
14 STARS SIMPLY RED 1991 1
18 URBAN HYMNS VERVE 1997 1
25 NO ANGEL DIDO 2000 1
26 WHITE LADDER DAVID GRAY 1998 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 2003 1
36 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 1987 1
38 SCISSOR SISTERS SCISSOR SISTERS 2004 1
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1
44 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN 1988 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
50 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 2002 1
51 GRACELAND PAUL SIMON 1986 1
53 LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL 1998 1
55 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000 1
57 PROGRESS TAKE THAT 2010 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
60 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE REM 1992 1

...and Mr D* owns these ones so they're in the house somewhere too:

2 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1992 1 ~5.2 million
23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
34 BEAUTIFUL WORLD TAKE THAT 2006 1
35 HOPES AND FEARS KEANE 2004 1
43 THE MAN WHO TRAVIS 1999 1
48 I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ROBBIE WILLIAMS 1998 1

Posted by: garyfeld 16th September 2016, 04:19 PM

From my comments under http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/emeli-sande-announces-details-of-her-second-album-called-long-live-the-angels__16362/

Gary Feld • an hour ago

What's the official sales figures of "Our Version Of Events", so far?

Official Charts Mod > Gary Feld • an hour ago

Hi Gary, it's sold a very impressive 2.62 million copies!

Posted by: rundmck 17th September 2016, 09:02 AM

Doesn't make any sense. It's not in the top 60 of all time list by the OCC, and therefore has sold <2.3m. Yet the OCC is saying the 2.62m figure *doesn't* include streaming. I don't get it.

Posted by: ben08 17th September 2016, 12:29 PM

Agreed. It was no. 68 on the all-time list so can't have 2.62m pure sales.

OCC said: Hi Gary, that figure is pure sales. It's combined figure including streaming equivalent sales is 2.92 million.

So that's 300,000 sales from streaming from January 2015. That seems a lot.

Posted by: rundmck 23rd September 2016, 08:28 AM

Update from OCC:
Apologies for the confusion - the album has sold 2.26m.

Posted by: garyfeld 17th October 2016, 12:31 PM

Madonna's True Blue's official last announcement was at 1.997 million even though it's been certified at 7 platinum for 2.1m).With it having a new entry at 21 in 2014 when Google Play lowered it to 99p for a week, and now with the large sales it will incur in Sainsbury's via it blue vinyl edition that everyone seems to be going crazy over...do we think that we will get an official number once it has gone over 2 million official sales, with the Sainsbury's sales now included (in a few weeks?)

Posted by: rundmck 4th December 2016, 09:30 PM

Here is my opinion on 19's chances of entering the UK top 60 selling albums of all time:

When the OCC released the list of the top 60 earlier this year, Take That's Progress was at #57 with ~2.38m

Now, even if Adele's 19 overtakes, there are, I believe, 3 albums that have/will also overtake it and will stay ahead of 19. These are:
Michael Bublé's Christmas, MJ's No.1s, and Robbie's Greatest Hits.

So therefore, I believe 19 must sell 2.39m to *just* reach #60 all time. It has currently sold 2.35m, and is therefore about 40k, or around 1 year away.

Posted by: JCM20 11th April 2019, 06:24 PM

Randomly they decided to update the list again today.

The best-selling albums of all time on the Official Chart
POS TITLE ARTIST YEAR HIGH POSN
1 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 1981 1
2 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1992 1
3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES 1967 1
4 21 ADELE 2011 1
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1995 1
6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON 1982 1
7 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PINK FLOYD 1973 2
8 BROTHERS IN ARMS DIRE STRAITS 1985 1
9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON 1987 1
10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN 1991 1
11 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC 1977 1
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1990 1
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 2006 1
14 STARS SIMPLY RED 1991 1
15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1997 1
16 LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 1984 1
17 BACK TO BEDLAM JAMES BLUNT 2004 1
18 URBAN HYMNS VERVE 1997 1
19 BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF 1977 9
20 1 BEATLES 2000 1
21 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER SIMON & GARFUNKEL 1970 1
22 DIRTY DANCING ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1987 4
23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
24 CRAZY LOVE MICHAEL BUBLE 2009 1
25 NO ANGEL DIDO 2000 1
26 WHITE LADDER DAVID GRAY 1998 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
28 TALK ON CORNERS CORRS 1997 1
29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 2003 1
33 ONLY BY THE NIGHT KINGS OF LEON 2008 1
34 BEAUTIFUL WORLD TAKE THAT 2006 1
35 HOPES AND FEARS KEANE 2004 1
36 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 1987 1
37 THE WAR OF THE WORLDS JEFF WAYNE 1978 5
38 SCISSOR SISTERS SCISSOR SISTERS 2004 1
39 BUT SERIOUSLY PHIL COLLINS 1989 1
40 X&Y COLDPLAY 2005 1
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1
42 TUBULAR BELLS MIKE OLDFIELD 1973 1
43 THE MAN WHO TRAVIS 1999 1
44 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN 1988 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
46 GREATEST HITS ABBA 1975 1
47 GREASE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1977 1
48 I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ROBBIE WILLIAMS 1998 1
49 X ED SHEERAN 2014 1
50 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 2002 1
51 GRACELAND PAUL SIMON 1986 1
52 THE SOUND OF MUSIC ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING 1965 1
53 LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL 1998 1
54 TANGO IN THE NIGHT FLEETWOOD MAC 1987 1
55 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000 1
56 SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING ROBBIE WILLIAMS 2001 1
57 PROGRESS TAKE THAT 2010 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
59 NEVER FORGET - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TAKE THAT 2005 2
60 AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE REM 1992 1
©2016 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Look back through the UK's official biggest selling album of every year since 1956 below:

Posted by: vibe 11th April 2019, 06:33 PM

The success of James Blunt always bewilders me. Number 17.

Posted by: ben08 11th April 2019, 06:47 PM

They have not updated the rank order positions or the sales figures. They are both out of date.

Posted by: Feel_The_Fever 11th April 2019, 07:56 PM

How far off 4 million is the immaculate collection.

Posted by: liamk97 11th April 2019, 08:16 PM

Around 250k away.

Posted by: zeus555 12th April 2019, 09:50 AM

The OCC 'Best Selling Albums' List is just repeating 'Facts' from past OCC Lists. July 2016 is the real 'Date' for many of the Sales in yesterday's OCC List.

They still have 'Greatest Hits 1' by Queen, on 6.1 Million Sales. It actually got its 21st Platinum Award last December - 6,300,000 Sales.
Then you have to add in its 2019, (so far), Sales.

They keep giving 'ABBA Gold' 5,200,000 UK Sales - no matter how many copies it sells each Year. That got its 18th Platinum Award
last December - 5,400,000. Then it needs its 2019 Sales included. Anyhow, I - and others - get its UK Sales to be over 5,700,000, by
now. By carefully adding its Yearly UK Sales since 1992. Or you can use Alan Jones Totals for it, in July 2008, and add in its Sales
since then. If you do that, you - again - get over 5,700,000 UK Sales for it.

Yesterday's OCC Article said that Oasis's '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' is 'approaching' 4,700,000 UK Sales. It actually reached
4,940,000 UK Sales last October, and then you have to add in its Sales since then.

So, yesterday's OCC List is way out of date. I don't see why they keep re-publishing it, when they don't up-date the Sales in it...

The Wikipedia List is more current. Not fully up-to-date - but far more accurate than The OCC List:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_albums_in_the_United_Kingdom

Posted by: vibe 12th April 2019, 12:13 PM

So lazy on their part. What an easy job to update !

Posted by: Spiceboy 12th April 2019, 03:33 PM

1 GREATEST HITS QUEEn
2 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA
3 SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND BEATLES
4 21 ADELE
5 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS
6 THRILLER MICHAEL JACKSON
9 BAD MICHAEL JACKSON
10 GREATEST HITS II QUEEN
11 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC
12 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA
13 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE
14 STARS SIMPLY RED
15 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN
16 LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERs
17 BACK TO BEDLAM JAMES BLUNT
19 BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF 1977 9
20 1 BEATLES 2000 1
21 BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER SIMON & GARFUNKEL 1970 1
23 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 2007 1
25 NO ANGEL DIDO 2000 1
27 25 ADELE 2015 1
28 TALK ON CORNERS CORRS 1997 1
29 SPICE SPICE GIRLS 1996 1
30 THE FAME LADY GAGA 2008 1
31 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY 2002 1
32 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 2003 1
33 ONLY BY THE NIGHT KINGS OF LEON 2008 1
34 BEAUTIFUL WORLD TAKE THAT 2006 1
36 THE JOSHUA TREE U2 1987 1
38 SCISSOR SISTERS SCISSOR SISTERS 2004 1
40 X&Y COLDPLAY 2005 1
41 JAGGED LITTLE PILL ALANIS MORISSETTE 1995 1
45 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY 2000 1
47 GREASE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 1977 1
48 I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ROBBIE WILLIAMS 1998 1
49 X ED SHEERAN 2014 1
52 THE SOUND OF MUSIC ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING 1965 1
53 LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL 1998 1
54 TANGO IN THE NIGHT FLEETWOOD MAC 1987 1
55 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM 2000 1
56 SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING ROBBIE WILLIAMS 2001 1
57 PROGRESS TAKE THAT 2010 1
58 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL 2006 1
59 NEVER FORGET - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION TAKE THAT 2005 2

Above are the albums I own, got quite a few of them lol

Posted by: Spiceboy 12th April 2019, 03:35 PM

Ps I am completely gobsmacked that Bat out of hell only got to #9!!!