Posted October 17, 20213 yr Yesterday was National Album Day and the theme was 'Women in Music'. To celebrate this, the OCC and Radio 2 teamed up to reveal the 30 biggest selling female albums in the UK of all time. The defining break-up album for a generation, Adele's 21 is officially the biggest female album of all time in the UK. Its most popular track, the piano ballad Someone Like You is not only Adele's biggest song in the UK, it's also the 25th best-selling song in the UK of all time too. As the world looks ahead to Adele's much-hyped return with fourth album 30 in November, 21 is a timeless reminder of the innate power of Adele's voice and why so many have felt drawn towards her and her stories in the first place. BBC Radio 2's Jo Whiley said: “Adele has enchanted us from the very beginning with her voice, her songs and her personality. When she writes, she writes from the heart and that’s why her music resonates with so many people. She tells it like it is, whether onstage to thousands of people at Glastonbury or through the songs on her albums, and that’s why she is so loved and a global superstar. "She sings it like she means it - because she does. She also has a phenomenal voice and hasn’t changed from the very first Live Lounge I did with her at Radio 1 to when I spoke to her just before she headlined Glasto. Always honest, down to earth, a superstar and very very funny.” 30% of the list is comprised of British women artists, with nine entries from acts hailing from the UK. The list is topped by Adele, who reigns supreme with her second album 21. She also ranks fifth with her 2015 album 25, and had a third entry with debut record 19 at Number 19, also meaning that Adele has the most entries of any act on the list. There are several other women with repeat entries in the Top 30; Dido has two entries in the Top 10 with No Angel (7) and Life For Rent (10), while Madonna, Whitney Houston, Rihanna and Celine Dion all have two albums each in the Top 30. 1. Adele - 21 (2011) [5 million sales] 2. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006) [3.91 million sales] 3. Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (1990) [3.77 million sales] 4. Shania Twain - Come On Over (1998) [3.41 million sales] 5. Adele - 25 (2015) [3.36 million sales] 6. Leona Lewis - Spirit (2007) 7. Dido - No Angel (1999) 8. Spice Girls - Spice (1996) 9. Lady Gaga - The Fame (2009) 10. Dido - Life For Rent (2003) 11. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995) 12. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988) 13. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2002) 14. Adele - 19 (2008) 15. Emeli Sandé - Our Version Of Events (2012) 16. Whitney Houston - Whitney (1987) 17. Duffy - Rockferry (2008) 18. Tina Turner - Simply The Best (1991) 19. Celine Dion - Falling Into You (1996) 20. Celine Dion - Let's Talk About Love (1997) 21. Christina Aguilera - Stripped (2002) 22. Rihanna - Loud (2010) 23. Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream (2009) 24. Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) 25. Katie Melua - Call Off The Search (2003) 26. Eva Cassidy - Songbird (1998) 27. P!nk - Missundaztood (2001) 28. Avril Lavigne - Let Go (2002) 29. Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits (2000) 30. Madonna - Ray Of Light (1998) You can listen again to the show here
October 18, 20213 yr Nothing pre 1987 - slightly surprised likes of Carole King or Barbra Streisand not having an appearance or even Kate Bush.
October 19, 20213 yr Dido was really a game changer before her, don't think any other UK female solo artist had done that well, not even close I can think of Annie Lennox-Diva or Dina Carroll-So Close but those just passed 1 million, nothing remotely close to the 3 million No Angel did Edited October 19, 20213 yr by Bjork
October 19, 20213 yr How many do you own? I have all the top 18 on CD. Then 22-26 and 29,30. I have the following on vinyl: 1. Adele - 21 (2011) 2. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006) 5. Adele - 25 (2015) 8. Spice Girls - Spice (1996) 9. Lady Gaga - The Fame (2009) 14. Adele - 19 (2008) 16. Whitney Houston - Whitney (1987) 28. Avril Lavigne - Let Go (2002) 30. Madonna - Ray Of Light (1998) 'Ray Of Light' my favourite on the list so I'm glad that snuck in!
October 19, 20213 yr I am very surprised ROL is on there but True Blue isn't when that sold over 2 million while ROY was on 1.8?
October 19, 20213 yr There are only 4 good albums in this list. Come On Over, No Angel, Life For Rent and The Immaculate Collection.
October 19, 20213 yr I've got these ones: 1. Adele - 21 (2011) [5 million sales] 2. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006) [3.91 million sales] 3. Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (1990) [3.77 million sales] 5. Adele - 25 (2015) [3.36 million sales] 7. Dido - No Angel (1999) 9. Lady Gaga - The Fame (2009) 10. Dido - Life For Rent (2003) 11. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill (1995) 12. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988) 13. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2002) 14. Adele - 19 (2008) 17. Duffy - Rockferry (2008) 21. Christina Aguilera - Stripped (2002) 22. Rihanna - Loud (2010) 24. Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) 27. P!nk - Missundaztood (2001) 28. Avril Lavigne - Let Go (2002) 29. Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits (2000) 30. Madonna - Ray Of Light (1998)
October 19, 20213 yr Actually I'm surprised that Ray of Light is on there and not True Blue, I always thought that was Madonna's biggest selling studio album
October 19, 20213 yr KYLIE is certified Platinum x 6 so at least 1.8 million which seems to be the cut-off from the list as Pink, Avril and Ray of Light are all on 1.8 million
October 19, 20213 yr Jim ruining it for the The Beautiful Corrs And Björn & Benny ruining it for ABBA! :cry:
October 19, 20213 yr There are only 4 good albums in this list. Come On Over, No Angel, Life For Rent and The Immaculate Collection. :lol:
October 19, 20213 yr I presume that considering this is a pure sales only list that nobody is likely to ever get another album into this top 30? Even Adele's 30 surely isn't going to have 2m+ pure sales in today's streaming climate is it?
October 20, 20213 yr So many good albums on that list!! I own over half of those :yahoo: I’m so happy to see Ray of Light on there didn’t realise that was her highest seller of her studio albums. I really thought True Blue was Madonna’s highest seller aside from Immaculate Collection.
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