Posted March 6, 20205 yr 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. 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March 6, 20205 yr Stripped so high :heart: :heart: 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 :cheer: :heart: :wub: :cheer: :heart: :wub: Edited March 6, 20205 yr by Jordan Lee
March 6, 20205 yr If Texas can be included, (15th place), then surely 'ABBA Gold' and Fleetwood Mac should be included too?
March 6, 20205 yr If Texas can be included, (15th place), then surely 'ABBA Gold' and Fleetwood Mac should be included too? Texas GH was released this century?
March 6, 20205 yr 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/t...century__27471/
March 6, 20205 yr Texas GH was released this century? 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.
March 6, 20205 yr at least the Corrs are 3/4 female but Texas is just a female-lead band, doesn't fit here at all
March 6, 20205 yr If Texas can be included, (15th place), then surely 'ABBA Gold' and Fleetwood Mac should be included too? 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".
March 6, 20205 yr 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 :lol: 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 :lol: Edited March 8, 20205 yr by Jordan Lee
March 6, 20205 yr 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.
March 6, 20205 yr 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.
March 6, 20205 yr 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 :wub: at the Immaculate Collection just being top 40 despite being from 1990!
March 6, 20205 yr Author 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.
March 6, 20205 yr Makes more sense, but to exclude ABBA Gold on the basis of one track (Does Your Mother Know) seems a bit harsh
March 6, 20205 yr Author There's an error on the sales for Tracy Chapman's album - I'm guessing they meant 958k based on the albums around it.
March 6, 20205 yr Author 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.
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