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Posted by: Liam.k. Mar 6 2020, 03:50 PM

The UK's Official Top 100 biggest albums by female artists of the century
06 March 2020 | By Rob Copsey

We honour the female voices that cut through and have dominated the music landscape over the last two decades.

March 8 is International Women's Day, and while the intention behind it is laudabe, it should - of course - be a way we live, rather than a symbolic day.

To mark the occasion, Official Charts is honouring the female voices that have cut through and dominated the music landscape over the last two decades by revealing the UK's Official Top 100 biggest albums fronted by female artists since 2000.

Unsurprisingly, Adele features prominently, having released some of the most successful albums of all time over the past 12 years. Her second collection 21 tops the list with 5.12 million chart sales (pure sales and streaming equivalent sales combined), while 25 is at 3 (3.6m) and her 2008 debut 19 places ninth (2.45m). It was in 2011 that Adele's success went stratospheric, when a raw and emotional performance of Someone Like You at the BRIT Awards cemented her status as the voice of a generation.

Another artist with multiple entries in the list is Amy Winehouse. Her second record Back To Black - a dark and often heartbreaking collection of soul-pop that would be her last living release - is the UK's second biggest female artist album of the century with 4.03m chart sales. Amy's debut album Frank - equally as critically adored - ranks 55th on 1.09m, while posthumous collection Lioness: Hidden Treasures is at 80 on 896k.

Big hitters Rihanna and Madonna each make four entries in the Top 100, while Beyonce - who after more than 20 years in music continues to push boundaries for feminism and women of colour - makes three entries with I Am Sasha Fierce (1.74m), Dangerously In Love (1.26m) and 4 (791k). More R&B/soul artists are represented on the list with two albums by British singer Gabrielle, Emeli Sande's thunderously successful debut Our Version of Events (2.44m), a pair of Whitney Houston retrospectives and two hugely successful records by Alicia Keys.

However, it's Pink who has the most entries on the list, with five. 2002's Missundazstood - which featured chart-topper Just Like A Pill and hits Get The Party Started, Don't Let Me Get and Family Portrait - is her biggest overall on 1.86m. The album saw the US singer-songwriter take creative authority over her music and image, fighting against the hyper-sexualised teen-pop sound of the early 2000s. It's best summarised in Don't Let Me Get Me's opening line, which takes aim at Arista Records' label head L.A Reid: "L.A. told me, 'You’ll be a pop star/ All you have to change is everything you are.'"

Female rock and folk artists also feature in the Top 100, including albums by KT Tunstall, Sharleen Spiteri-led Scottish band Texas and the Amy Lee-fronted Evanescence. Girl groups, many of which have always promoted a message of female solidarity, score multiple entries in the list, including Destiny's Child, Little Mix, Sugababes and Girls Aloud.

Elsewhere, a handful of albums in the Top 100 released before 2000 continue to enjoy success more than 20 years on, including Tracey Chapman's self-titled debut released in 1988 (589k since 2000), and Songbird by Eva Cassidy - a compilation of the US singer's work released two years after her death in 1998 that went on to top the chart in 2001 (1.84m since 2000).

The UK's Top 100 Biggest Albums By Female Acts of the Century
POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK YEAR
1 21 ADELE 1 2011 5.12m
2 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 1 2006 4.03m
3 25 ADELE 1 2015 3.6m
4 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 1 2008
5 NO ANGEL DIDO 1 2001
6 THE FAME LADY GAGA 1 2009
7 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 1 2003
8 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 1 2002
9 19 ADELE 1 2008 2.45m
10 OUR VERSION OF EVENTS EMELI SANDE 1 2012 2.44m
11 ROCKFERRY DUFFY 1 2008
12 LOUD RIHANNA 1 2011
13 GOOD GIRL GONE BAD RIHANNA 1 2008
14 STRIPPED CHRISTINA AGUILERA 2 2002
15 THE GREATEST HITS TEXAS 1 2000
16 I DREAMED A DREAM SUSAN BOYLE 1 2009
17 CALL OFF THE SEARCH KATIE MELUA 1 2003
18 MISSUNDAZTOOD PINK 2 2002 1.86m
19 SONGBIRD EVA CASSIDY 1 1998 1.84m
20 LET GO AVRIL LAVIGNE 1 2002
21 LUNGS FLORENCE & THE MACHINE 1 2009
22 THE GREATEST HITS WHITNEY HOUSTON 1 2000
23 I AM SASHA FIERCE BEYONCE 2 2008 1.74m
24 THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION WHITNEY HOUSTON 3 2007
25 FEVER KYLIE MINOGUE 1 2002
26 EYE TO THE TELESCOPE KT TUNSTALL 3 2005
27 MUSIC MADONNA 1 2000
28 BREAKAWAY KELLY CLARKSON 3 2005
29 DREAMS CAN COME TRUE - GREATEST HITS GABRIELLE 2 2001
30 TEENAGE DREAM KATY PERRY 1 2010
31 I'M NOT DEAD PINK 3 2006
32 CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR MADONNA 1 2005
33 FALLEN EVANESCENCE 1 2004
34 WHO YOU ARE JESSIE J 2 2011
35 PIECE BY PIECE KATIE MELUA 1 2005
36 PCD PUSSYCAT DOLLS 7 2005
37 FUNHOUSE PINK 1 2008
38 1989 TAYLOR SWIFT 1 2014
39 RISE GABRIELLE 1 2000
40 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1 1990
41 DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE BEYONCE 1 2003 1.26m
42 HALCYON ELLIE GOULDING 1 2013
43 I CRY WHEN I LAUGH JESS GLYNNE 1 2015
44 THE SOUND OF - THE GREATEST HITS GIRLS ALOUD 1 2006
45 ANASTACIA ANASTACIA 1 2004
46 BORN TO DIE LANA DEL REY 1 2012
47 FEELS LIKE HOME NORAH JONES 1 2004
48 ALRIGHT STILL LILY ALLEN 2 2006
49 SONGS IN A MINOR ALICIA KEYS 6 2002
50 GREATEST HITS - SO FAR PINK 5 2013
51 GLORY DAYS LITTLE MIX 1 2017
52 IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU LILY ALLEN 1 2009
53 LOOSE NELLY FURTADO 4 2006
54 SURVIVOR DESTINY'S CHILD 1 2001
55 FRANK AMY WINEHOUSE 3 2003 1.09m
56 MY LOVE - THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION CELINE DION 5 2008
57 LOVE ANGEL MUSIC BABY GWEN STEFANI 4 2004
58 THE SOUL SESSIONS JOSS STONE 4 2003
59 TALK THAT TALK RIHANNA 1 2011
60 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1 1999
61 GREATEST HITS - MY PREROGATIVE BRITNEY SPEARS 2 2004
62 THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM ALICIA KEYS 1 2009
63 IN BLUE CORRS 1 2000
64 ULTIMATE KYLIE KYLIE MINOGUE 4 2004
65 BORN THIS WAY LADY GAGA 1 2011
66 NOT THAT KIND ANASTACIA 2 2000
67 UNWRITTEN NATASHA BEDINGFIELD 1 2004
68 3 WORDS CHERYL COLE 1 2009
69 CORINNE BAILEY RAE CORINNE BAILEY RAE 1 2006
70 MIND BODY & SOUL JOSS STONE 1 2004
71 FREAK OF NATURE ANASTACIA 4 2001
72 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN 1 1988 589k?
73 THE WRITING'S ON THE WALL DESTINY'S CHILD 10 1999
74 THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE PINK 2 2012
75 ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES SUGABABES 2 2002
76 GREATEST HITS SHANIA TWAIN 6 2004
77 OOPS I DID IT AGAIN BRITNEY SPEARS 2 2000
78 THIS IS THE LIFE AMY MACDONALD 1 2007
79 INNOCENT EYES DELTA GOODREM 2 2003
80 LIONESS - HIDDEN TREASURES AMY WINEHOUSE 1 2011 896k
81 LAUNDRY SERVICE SHAKIRA 2 2002
82 TALLER IN MORE WAYS SUGABABES 1 2006
83 TURN IT UP PIXIE LOTT 6 2009
84 CEREMONIALS FLORENCE & THE MACHINE 1 2011
85 GREATEST HITS - VOL 2 MADONNA 2 2001
86 THREE SUGABABES 3 2003
87 GET WEIRD LITTLE MIX 2 2015
88 LIGHTS ELLIE GOULDING 1 2010
89 READ MY LIPS SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR 2 2002
90 OVERCOME ALEXANDRA BURKE 1 2009
91 GREATEST HITS MARIAH CAREY 7 2001
92 FEELS SO GOOD ATOMIC KITTEN 1 2002
93 OUT OF CONTROL GIRLS ALOUD 1 2008
94 A PERFECT CONTRADICTION PALOMA FAITH 2 2014
95 4 BEYONCE 1 2011 791k
96 UP SHANIA TWAIN 4 2003
97 UNAPOLOGETIC RIHANNA 1 2012
98 DO YOU WANT THE TRUTH OR SOMETHING PALOMA FAITH 9 2009
99 THE ESSENTIAL BARBRA STREISAND 1 2002
100 OVERLOADED - THE SINGLES COLLECTION SUGABABES 3 2006

©2020 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

Posted by: Jordan Lee Mar 6 2020, 04:50 PM

Stripped so high my all time fave.

Dido and Leona slaying too as well as Pink and Rihanna getting those entries.

25 is Adeles best for me but can see why 21 is number one.

Love so many of these pretty much all that top ten is amazing. Gagas debut sales always make me so proud! She did THAT.

Amy’s back to black too is one of those timeless albums.

ALSO GAGA HIGHEST NON UK FEMALE

Posted by: zeus555 Mar 6 2020, 06:07 PM

If Texas can be included, (15th place), then surely 'ABBA Gold' and Fleetwood Mac should be included too?

Posted by: Simon. Mar 6 2020, 06:15 PM

Texas GH was released this century?

Posted by: Bjork Mar 6 2020, 06:27 PM

sure in 2001 I think (from memory)

Posted by: Bjork Mar 6 2020, 06:31 PM

But I think the figure for Adele's 21 has to be wrong, it was higher a few months ago

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-uks-official-top-40-biggest-studio-albums-of-the-21st-century__27471/

Posted by: T Boy Mar 6 2020, 06:33 PM

But Madonna’s IC wasn’t. It’s stretching things a bit to Call Texas and The Corrs ‘female’. They could have called the lair ‘female lead’ albums.

Posted by: Wall Mar 6 2020, 06:36 PM

Urgh I kinda hoped Turn It Up would have managed at least 900,000 sales by now

Posted by: Bjork Mar 6 2020, 06:36 PM

at least the Corrs are 3/4 female but Texas is just a female-lead band, doesn't fit here at all

Posted by: ben08 Mar 6 2020, 07:20 PM

Abba GOLD was released in the previous century.

".. the UK's Official Top 100 biggest albums fronted by female artists since 2000."

Note the word "fronted".

Posted by: Jordan Lee Mar 6 2020, 07:48 PM

Rihanna’s Rated R must’ve just missed out here did it?

Norah Jones surprised me here. Had no idea her second era was that big!

KT Tunstall was another shock here too! I also always thought Beyoncé’s debut era was her biggest here shook at PCD too.

Also thought Alicias Element of Freedom was by far her biggest seller here had no idea it was her debut! Mind blown

I love lists like this always some surprises there.

Edit: just seen Anastacia x3!!!!! and Katie Melua x2 as well didn’t realise Katie had two huge eras. Everytime I come back I spot something new

Posted by: jimwatts Mar 6 2020, 08:29 PM

So they're including Texas GH because it was released after 1999 and The Immaculate Collection, Come On Over and Tracy Chapman because they're female only, but not ABBA Gold or Rumours because... they're neither? Weird logic, but OK.

Posted by: Bré Mar 6 2020, 08:48 PM

The date of its release is irrelevant, they're just counting Texas as a female led act whereas ABBA and Fleetwood Mac are presumably considered to be mixed groups. Either that or they were just overlooked.

Posted by: dandy* Mar 6 2020, 08:52 PM

Not really that weird, Fleetwood Mac and ABBA both have male fronted tracks among their discography so I'm assuming that's why? ABBA less so admittedly but Fleetwood Mac definitely have a high proportion of their tracks fronted by male vocalists.

edit - what Bré said!


And at the Immaculate Collection just being top 40 despite being from 1990!

Posted by: Liam.k. Mar 6 2020, 08:52 PM

Just to clarify, the list is the best selling albums within the time of the century. The likes of The Immaculate Collection may have been released last century but they've sold enough this century to make the list.

Posted by: jimwatts Mar 6 2020, 09:06 PM

Makes more sense, but to exclude ABBA Gold on the basis of one track (Does Your Mother Know) seems a bit harsh

Posted by: Liam.k. Mar 6 2020, 09:10 PM

There's an error on the sales for Tracy Chapman's album - I'm guessing they meant 958k based on the albums around it.

Posted by: Liam.k. Mar 6 2020, 11:34 PM

I've added my estimates to the list:

The UK's Top 100 Biggest Albums By Female Acts of the Century
POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK YEAR
1 21 ADELE 1 2011 5.18m*
2 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE 1 2006 4.03m
3 25 ADELE 1 2015 3.6m
4 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS 1 2008 3.18m
5 NO ANGEL DIDO 1 2001 3.1m
6 THE FAME LADY GAGA 1 2009 3.05m
7 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO 1 2003 2.9m
8 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES 1 2002 2.57m
9 19 ADELE 1 2008 2.45m
10 OUR VERSION OF EVENTS EMELI SANDE 1 2012 2.44m
11 ROCKFERRY DUFFY 1 2008 2.23m
12 LOUD RIHANNA 1 2011 2.07m
13 GOOD GIRL GONE BAD RIHANNA 1 2008 2.04m
14 STRIPPED CHRISTINA AGUILERA 2 2002 2.01m
15 THE GREATEST HITS TEXAS 1 2000 2m
16 I DREAMED A DREAM SUSAN BOYLE 1 2009 1.94m
17 CALL OFF THE SEARCH KATIE MELUA 1 2003 1.88m
18 MISSUNDAZTOOD PINK 2 2002 1.86m
19 SONGBIRD EVA CASSIDY 1 1998 1.84m
20 LET GO AVRIL LAVIGNE 1 2002 1.83m
21 LUNGS FLORENCE & THE MACHINE 1 2009 1.83m
22 THE GREATEST HITS WHITNEY HOUSTON 1 2000 1.77m
23 I AM SASHA FIERCE BEYONCE 2 2008 1.74m
24 THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION WHITNEY HOUSTON 3 2007 1.72m
25 FEVER KYLIE MINOGUE 1 2002 1.72m
26 EYE TO THE TELESCOPE KT TUNSTALL 3 2005 1.64m
27 MUSIC MADONNA 1 2000 1.64m
28 BREAKAWAY KELLY CLARKSON 3 2005 1.62m
29 DREAMS CAN COME TRUE - GREATEST HITS GABRIELLE 2 2001 1.44m
30 TEENAGE DREAM KATY PERRY 1 2010 1.43m
31 I'M NOT DEAD PINK 3 2006 1.4m
32 CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR MADONNA 1 2005 1.35m
33 FALLEN EVANESCENCE 1 2004 1.34m
34 WHO YOU ARE JESSIE J 2 2011 1.33m
35 PIECE BY PIECE KATIE MELUA 1 2005 1.32m
36 PCD PUSSYCAT DOLLS 7 2005 1.3m
37 FUNHOUSE PINK 1 2008 1.29m
38 1989 TAYLOR SWIFT 1 2014 1.28m
39 RISE GABRIELLE 1 2000 1.27m
40 THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION MADONNA 1 1990 1.27m
41 DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE BEYONCE 1 2003 1.26m
42 HALCYON ELLIE GOULDING 1 2013 1.25m
43 I CRY WHEN I LAUGH JESS GLYNNE 1 2015 1.24m
44 THE SOUND OF - THE GREATEST HITS GIRLS ALOUD 1 2006 1.23m
45 ANASTACIA ANASTACIA 1 2004 1.22m
46 BORN TO DIE LANA DEL REY 1 2012 1.2m
47 FEELS LIKE HOME NORAH JONES 1 2004 1.17m
48 ALRIGHT STILL LILY ALLEN 2 2006 1.15m
49 SONGS IN A MINOR ALICIA KEYS 6 2002 1.15m
50 GREATEST HITS - SO FAR PINK 5 2013 1.13m
51 GLORY DAYS LITTLE MIX 1 2017 1.11m
52 IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU LILY ALLEN 1 2009 1.09m
53 LOOSE NELLY FURTADO 4 2006 1.09m
54 SURVIVOR DESTINY'S CHILD 1 2001 1.09m
55 FRANK AMY WINEHOUSE 3 2003 1.09m
56 MY LOVE - THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION CELINE DION 5 2008 1.09m
57 LOVE ANGEL MUSIC BABY GWEN STEFANI 4 2004 1.08m
58 THE SOUL SESSIONS JOSS STONE 4 2003 1.08m
59 TALK THAT TALK RIHANNA 1 2011 1.08m
60 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN 1 1999 1.06m
61 GREATEST HITS - MY PREROGATIVE BRITNEY SPEARS 2 2004 1.04m
62 THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM ALICIA KEYS 1 2009 1.04m
63 IN BLUE CORRS 1 2000 1.04m
64 ULTIMATE KYLIE KYLIE MINOGUE 4 2004 1.04m
65 BORN THIS WAY LADY GAGA 1 2011 1,03m
66 NOT THAT KIND ANASTACIA 2 2000 1.02m
67 UNWRITTEN NATASHA BEDINGFIELD 1 2004 1.01m
68 3 WORDS CHERYL COLE 1 2009 1.01m
69 CORINNE BAILEY RAE CORINNE BAILEY RAE 1 2006 0.97m
70 MIND BODY & SOUL JOSS STONE 1 2004 0.94m
71 FREAK OF NATURE ANASTACIA 4 2001 0.94m
72 TRACY CHAPMAN TRACY CHAPMAN 1 1988 0.94m
73 THE WRITING'S ON THE WALL DESTINY'S CHILD 10 1999 0.93m
74 THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE PINK 2 2012 0.93m
75 ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES SUGABABES 2 2002 0.93m
76 GREATEST HITS SHANIA TWAIN 6 2004 0.91m
77 OOPS I DID IT AGAIN BRITNEY SPEARS 2 2000 0.91m
78 THIS IS THE LIFE AMY MACDONALD 1 2007 0.91m
79 INNOCENT EYES DELTA GOODREM 2 2003 0.9m
80 LIONESS - HIDDEN TREASURES AMY WINEHOUSE 1 2011 896k
81 LAUNDRY SERVICE SHAKIRA 2 2002 0.89m
82 TALLER IN MORE WAYS SUGABABES 1 2006 0.89m
83 TURN IT UP PIXIE LOTT 6 2009 0.88m
84 CEREMONIALS FLORENCE & THE MACHINE 1 2011 0.88m
85 GREATEST HITS - VOL 2 MADONNA 2 2001 0.87m
86 THREE SUGABABES 3 2003 0.86m
87 GET WEIRD LITTLE MIX 2 2015 0.85m
88 LIGHTS ELLIE GOULDING 1 2010 0.84m
89 READ MY LIPS SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR 2 2002 0.84m
90 OVERCOME ALEXANDRA BURKE 1 2009 0.83m
91 GREATEST HITS MARIAH CAREY 7 2001 0.81m
92 FEELS SO GOOD ATOMIC KITTEN 1 2002 0.81m
93 OUT OF CONTROL GIRLS ALOUD 1 2008 0.80m
94 A PERFECT CONTRADICTION PALOMA FAITH 2 2014 0.79m
95 4 BEYONCE 1 2011 791k
96 UP SHANIA TWAIN 4 2003 0.78m
97 UNAPOLOGETIC RIHANNA 1 2012 0.75m
98 DO YOU WANT THE TRUTH OR SOMETHING PALOMA FAITH 9 2009 0.75m
99 THE ESSENTIAL BARBRA STREISAND 1 2002 0.74m
100 OVERLOADED - THE SINGLES COLLECTION SUGABABES 3 2006 0.73m

The figure supplied by the OCC for 21 is wrong so I've adjusted accordingly. I don't know what figure they were trying to get from Tracy Chapman's album, definitely a typo there, but I've gone with 940k.

Posted by: Jαsє Mar 6 2020, 11:36 PM

I often forget how huge Emeli and Duffy's debuts were

Posted by: Love Leona Mar 6 2020, 11:54 PM

I thought Leona‘s second album could enter this list

Posted by: JCM20 Mar 7 2020, 12:58 AM

Same. Astonishing how Rockferry is still bigger than all of Rihanna's albums.

Posted by: JCM20 Mar 7 2020, 01:00 AM

Fall to Grace must be a near miss too. It was on 713,000 in 2017.

Posted by: JCM20 Mar 7 2020, 01:14 AM

I'm 24. I'd literally never heard of Norah Jones until about 5 years ago - it's astonishing how big she was.

Posted by: T Boy Mar 7 2020, 10:16 AM

Rockferry is such a good album, it’s success is overlooked these days because of how bad the follow up performed.

I hate how 19 overtook it in the end.

Posted by: JCM20 Mar 7 2020, 11:02 AM

Duffy had the biggest album of 2008, while Adele didn't even finish in the top 15. I'd go as far as to say that "Make You Feel My Love" trickle-selling is what saved her career.

I hope Duffy makes a comeback, but after revealing what happened to her a few years ago, I'm not sure. :'(

Posted by: slowdown73 Mar 7 2020, 11:16 AM

Good to see Kylie with two albums in the rankings.

Posted by: Bjork Mar 7 2020, 11:27 AM

19 only exploded after 21

Posted by: Jordan Lee Mar 7 2020, 03:28 PM

I remember Make You Feel My Love being a big X Factor song on the 2010 series too when the show was huge, that really timed very well with 21 just around the corner.

Posted by: Crazy Chris Mar 7 2020, 05:12 PM

Come Away With Me is a great album but yielded no hit singles. I think Don't Know Why was the most well-known track as it was on radio a lot.

Posted by: Crazy Chris Mar 7 2020, 05:13 PM

It's a great album and still sounds good today.

Posted by: Crazy Chris Mar 7 2020, 06:35 PM

For me, Texas should not be included. They're a group.

Posted by: Jordan Lee Mar 8 2020, 10:05 PM

Norahs only actually had one UK top 40 hit!

Come Away With Me must be one of the biggest selling albums ever (maybe it is the biggest ever seller) to have contain no top 40 hits.

Posted by: Suedehead2 Mar 8 2020, 10:07 PM

I give you Dark Side Of The Moon.

Posted by: Jordan Lee Mar 8 2020, 10:19 PM

That’s surprised me!

So not only does it have no top 40 hits it also missed number one and still did all that

Norah is the highest on this list that’s what made me think of big albums with no hits. Amy’s Frank as well.

Posted by: Suedehead2 Mar 8 2020, 10:35 PM

It nearly made it

http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=127036

Posted by: Crazy Chris Mar 8 2020, 11:07 PM

Yes, Sunrise, from her second album reached No.30 in 2004.

Posted by: 1990 Mar 9 2020, 12:14 AM

Wow, the Sugababes were really strong album sellers. Did not expect to see them or Atomic Kitten in this list.

Posted by: jszmiles Mar 12 2020, 01:09 AM

Great to see Dido 2 albums inside top 10, hope one day No Angel overtakes Spirit

Posted by: M4NGO Mar 12 2020, 09:28 AM

I went through their discography again recently, they've actually got some really strong albums, particularly 'Taller' and 'Change'.