The British music charts are compiled by the Official Charts Company to measure sales of recorded music on compact disc and digital download.
In early January, Iyaz's début single "Replay" went to number one. It became the first number one single of the 2010s; not counting Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" which first reached number one in 2009. February saw the release of X Factor finalist Jedward's debut single, "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)". Debuting at number one mid-month was the Helping Haiti single, a cover of "Everybody Hurts". The single, which was arranged by Simon Cowell, features 21 artists including Kylie Minogue, Cheryl, Leona Lewis, Robbie Williams, Mariah Carey, Rod Stewart and Susan Boyle. It recorded the biggest first-week sales of any single since 2000, selling over 453,000. All of the proceeds went to the Disasters Emergency Committee and The Sun's Helping Haiti charity.
The BRIT Awards on 16 February boosted the sales of both singles and albums; the songs performed on the BRIT Awards climbed the singles chart while the albums that won BRIT Awards climbed the albums chart. British artists received awards recognition overseas, with The Ting Tings, Adele, Seal, Imogen Heap, Pet Shop Boys and Coldplay nominated at the 52nd Grammy Awards. Also in February, the band Sade's first studio album in ten years, Soldier of Love, debuted at number one in the United States.
In March, rapper Tinie Tempah's debut single "Pass Out" entered the singles chart at number one, with sales of just over 92,000. In April, Scouting for Girls returned to the charts with their first UK number-one single "This Ain't a Love Song", the first single from their second album Everybody Wants to Be on TV. A Facebook group called Christian Music set up an Internet campaign to get Christian rock anthem "History Makers" by Delirious? to number one on Easter Sunday; it ended up getting to number four. Diana Vickers debuted at number one with "Once", and rapper Chipmunk and Dutch singer Esmée Denters secured a number-three hit with "Until You Were Gone". Tina Turner re-entered the top ten with "The Best", following an Internet campaign set up by fans of Glasgow Rangers Football Club in an attempt to get their unofficial anthem to number one.
May began with London rap collective Roll Deep releasing their first single since 2005, "Good Times", which was at number one for three weeks. Diana Vickers' debut album Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree knocked Plan B's The Defamation of Strickland Banks off the top spot, making Vickers only the second X Factor non-winner whose debut single and album both topped their respective charts. At the end of the month, Dizzee Rascal scored his fourth number-one single with "Dirtee Disco" and Pendulum scored their first number-one album with Immersion.
June coincided with the FIFA World Cup competition, and seven World Cup-related songs entered the singles chart, including the number-one single "Shout for England" by Dizzee Rascal and James Corden, which was produced by Simon Cowell and released as a charity single. Oasis scored their seventh UK number-one album with their second compilation album, Time Flies... 1994–2009.
To begin the month of August, new British boyband The Wanted topped the UK Singles Chart with "All Time Low". The Iron Maiden album The Final Frontier was released to enormous acclaim from rock music reviewers. By September, reality television shows were starting to influence both the singles and albums charts. 2009 X Factor runner-up Olly Murs topped the singles chart with "Please Don't Let Me Go", followed by Alexandra Burke, winner of X Factor 2008, with her sixth single "Start Without You" (featuring American rapper Laza Morgan). Artists from Sky1's new reality TV show Must Be the Music achieved success during this month, including the eventual winner Emma's Imagination. Some songs used on the audition stages of X Factor 2010 also re-entered the chart, including Adele's "Make You Feel My Love" (originally recorded by Bob Dylan).
In October, Tinie Tempah repeated his initial success by topping the singles chart with "Written in the Stars" and the album chart with debut album Disc-Overy. "Ambitions" by X Factor 2009 winner Joe McElderry reached the top ten, and his album Wide Awake the top five, although sales were below expectations. The show's judge Cheryl topped the charts with "Promise This" and Messy Little Raindrops.
During November, every number-one single had been performed live on The X Factor. Take That's much anticipated comeback with Robbie Williams started successfully; new single "The Flood" reached number two, and album Progress topped the album chart for the rest of the year. The X Factor Finalists of 2010 topped the singles chart with a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes".
The winner of that show, Matt Cardle, took the Christmas number-one of 2010, with winning single "When We Collide", a cover of the Biffy Clyro song "Many of Horror". The single sold over 700,000 copies, making it the third best-selling X Factor winning single. It also prompted the re-entry of the original version of the song by Biffy Clyro. Several internet campaigns were initiated in an unsuccessful attempt to topple X Factor following the success of the Rage Against the Machine campaign in 2009.
| Chart date (week ending) | Song | Artist | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 January | "The Climb" | 195,730 | ||
| 9 January | "Bad Romance" | 76,265 | ||
| 16 January | "Replay" | 106,237 | ||
| 23 January | 86,814 | |||
| 30 January | "Fireflies" | 71,866 | ||
| 6 February | 79,911 | |||
| 13 February | 77,669 | |||
| 20 February | "Everybody Hurts" | 453,426 | ||
| 27 February | 102,769 | |||
| 6 March | "In My Head" | 68,134 | ||
| 13 March | "Pass Out" | 92,002 | ||
| 20 March | 64,573 | |||
| 27 March | "Telephone" | 65,561 | ||
| 3 April | 58,299 | |||
| 10 April | "This Ain't a Love Song" | 71,954 | ||
| 17 April | 52,393 | |||
| 24 April | "OMG" | 58,385 | ||
| 1 May | "Once" | 69,407 | ||
| 8 May | "Good Times" | Roll Deep | 66,523 | |
| 15 May | 52,376 | |||
| 22 May | 48,593 | |||
| 29 May | "Nothin' on You" | 85,333 | ||
| 5 June | "Dirtee Disco" | 69,757 | ||
| 12 June | "Gettin' Over You" | 48,827 | ||
| 19 June | "Shout" | Shout for England featuring Dizzee Rascal and James Corden | 113,258 | |
| 26 June | 84,145 | |||
| 3 July | "California Gurls" | Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg | 123,607 | |
| 10 July | 93,363 | |||
| 17 July | "The Club Is Alive" | 84,283 | ||
| 24 July | "Airplanes" | 75,892 | ||
| 31 July | "We No Speak Americano" | 89,107 | ||
| 7 August | "All Time Low" | 84,173 | ||
| 14 August | "Beautiful Monster" | 69,387 | ||
| 21 August | "Club Can't Handle Me" | Flo Rida featuring David Guetta | 61,027 | |
| 28 August | "Green Light" | Roll Deep | 57,411 | |
| 4 September | "Dynamite" | 108,397 | ||
| 11 September | "Please Don't Let Me Go" | 93,239 | ||
| 18 September | "Start Without You" | 73,306 | ||
| 25 September | 53,123 | |||
| 2 October | "Just the Way You Are" | 82,855 | ||
| 9 October | "Written in the Stars" | 115,073 | ||
| 16 October | "Fuck You" | 106,962 | ||
| 23 October | 76,331 | |||
| 30 October | "Just the Way You Are" | Bruno Mars | 116,684 | |
| 6 November | "Promise This" | 157,210 | ||
| 13 November | "Only Girl (In the World)" | 134,540 | ||
| 20 November | 93,426 | |||
| 27 November | "Love You More" | 118,551 | ||
| 4 December | "Heroes" | 144,014 | ||
| 11 December | 70,597 | |||
| 18 December | "The Time (Dirty Bit)" | 74,918 | ||
| 25 December | "When We Collide" | 439,007 |
| Best-selling album of the year |
| Chart date (week ending) | Album | Artist | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 January | Crazy Love | 243,226 | ||
| 9 January | Sunny Side Up | 58,082 | ||
| 16 January | 49,698 | |||
| 23 January | Lungs | 51,005 | ||
| 30 January | 42,360 | |||
| 6 February | Sunny Side Up | Paolo Nutini | 35,739 | |
| 13 February | The Element of Freedom | 35,336 | ||
| 20 February | 57,312 | |||
| 27 February | 62,451 | |||
| 6 March | The Fame Monster | 45,358 | ||
| 13 March | Lights | 36,854 | ||
| 20 March | Brother | 101,096 | ||
| 27 March | The Fame Monster | Lady Gaga | 45,025 | |
| 3 April | Brother | Boyzone | 61,886 | |
| 10 April | 45,267 | |||
| 17 April | The Fame Monster | Lady Gaga | 25,211 | |
| 24 April | The Defamation of Strickland Banks | 68,173 | ||
| 1 May | Iron Man 2 | 56,936 | ||
| 8 May | The Defamation of Strickland Banks | Plan B | 41,001 | |
| 15 May | Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree | 35,951 | ||
| 22 May | Night Train | 28,063 | ||
| 29 May | Exile on Main St. | 31,287 | ||
| 5 June | Immersion | 58,859 | ||
| 12 June | To the Sea | 27,254 | ||
| 19 June | Bionic | 24,300 | ||
| 26 June | Time Flies... 1994–2009 | 101,297 | ||
| 3 July | Recovery | 141,023 | ||
| 10 July | 69,045 | |||
| 17 July | Aphrodite | 79,153 | ||
| 24 July | Recovery | Eminem | 49,616 | |
| 31 July | 41,593 | |||
| 7 August | 39,864 | |||
| 14 August | The Suburbs | 61,263 | ||
| 21 August | Recovery | Eminem | 32,097 | |
| 28 August | The Final Frontier | 44,384 | ||
| 4 September | Recovery | Eminem | 27,081 | |
| 11 September | Teenage Dream | 54,176 | ||
| 18 September | Flamingo | 65,518 | ||
| 25 September | Science & Faith | 70,816 | ||
| 2 October | Going Back | 40,684 | ||
| 9 October | Science & Faith | The Script | 34,313 | |
| 16 October | Disc-Overy | 84,993 | ||
| 23 October | 124,689 | |||
| 30 October | Come Around Sundown | 183,298 | ||
| 6 November | 72,611 | |||
| 13 November | Messy Little Raindrops | 105,431 | ||
| 20 November | The Gift | 102,993 | ||
| 27 November | bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="5" | Progress | 518,601 | |
| 4 December | 208,220 | |||
| 11 December | 176,881 | |||
| 18 December | 203,210 | |||
| 25 December | 330,252 |
| Chart date (week ending) | Album |
|---|---|
| 2 January | Now 74 |
| 9 January | |
| 16 January | Anthems – Electronic 80s |
| 23 January | Running Trax |
| 30 January | |
| 6 February | Hope For Haiti Now |
| 13 February | R&B Lovesongs 2010 |
| 20 February | |
| 27 February | BRIT Awards 2010 With MasterCard |
| 6 March | |
| 13 March | Mash Up Mix 90s |
| 20 March | Forever Friends – Mum in a Million |
| 27 March | Massive R&B – Spring 2010 |
| 3 April | |
| 10 April | Now 75 |
| 17 April | |
| 24 April | |
| 1 May | |
| 8 May | |
| 15 May | |
| 22 May | |
| 29 May | Chilled Acoustic |
| 5 June | R&B Clubland |
| 12 June | |
| 19 June | The Twilight Saga – Eclipse |
| 26 June | American Anthems |
| 3 July | |
| 10 July | Clubland 17 |
| 17 July | |
| 24 July | Anthems R&B |
| 31 July | Now 76 |
| 7 August | |
| 14 August | |
| 21 August | |
| 28 August | |
| 4 September | |
| 11 September | |
| 18 September | |
| 25 September | |
| 2 October | |
| 9 October | |
| 16 October | R&B in the Mix 2010 |
| 23 October | |
| 30 October | Now Dance 2010 |
| 6 November | BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge – Vol 5 |
| 13 November | Dreamboats & Petticoats 4 |
| 20 November | Clubland 18 |
| 27 November | Pop Party 8 |
| 4 December | Now 77 |
| 11 December | |
| 18 December | |
| 25 December |
For the first time in British music history, a song that never reached number one on the weekly chart became the biggest-selling single of the year. "Love the Way You Lie", by Eminem featuring Rihanna, also sold all its singles in digital format.
| scope=col | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Peak position | scope=col | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1 | "Love the Way You Lie" | Eminem featuring Rihanna | 2 | 854,144[2] | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 2 | "When We Collide" | 1 | 814,997 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 3 | "Just the Way You Are" | 1 | 765,899 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 4 | "Only Girl (In the World)" | Rihanna | 1 | 711,819 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 5 | "OMG" | Usher featuring will.i.am | 1 | 675,000[3] | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 6 | "Fireflies" | Owl City | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 7 | "Airplanes" | B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 8 | "California Gurls" | featuring Snoop Dogg | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 9 | "We No Speak Americano" | Yolanda Be Cool vs. DCUP | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 10 | "Pass Out" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 11 | "Everybody Hurts" | Helping Haiti | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 12 | "Forget You" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 13 | "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 14 | "Rude Boy" | Rihanna | 2 | 551,735 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 15 | "Telephone" | Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 16 | "She Said" | Plan B | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 17 | "Dynamite" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 18 | "Replay" | Iyaz | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 19 | "Firework" | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 20 | "Club Can't Handle Me" | Flo Rida featuring David Guetta | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 21 | "Your Song" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 22 | "Ridin' Solo" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 23 | "Billionaire" | featuring Bruno Mars | 3 | 442,431 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 24 | "Don't Stop Believin'" | Glee cast | 2 | 438,882 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 25 | Journey | 6 | 435,103 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 26 | "The Time (Dirty Bit)" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 27 | "What's My Name?" | Rihanna featuring Drake | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 28 | "Pack Up" | 5 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 29 | "Starstrukk" | 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 30 | "Bad Romance" | Lady Gaga | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 31 | "Written in the Stars" | featuring Eric Turner | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 32 | "Teenage Dream" | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 33 | "Cooler than Me" | 5 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 34 | "Not Afraid" | Eminem | 5 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 35 | "The Flood" | Take That | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 36 | "All Time Low" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 37 | "If We Ever Meet Again" | Timbaland featuring Katy Perry | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 38 | "Riverside (Let's Go!)" | featuring Wizard Sleeve | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 39 | "Promise This" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 40 | "In My Head" | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 41 | "This Ain't a Love Song" | Scouting for Girls | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 42 | "Starry Eyed" | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 43 | "Wavin' Flag" | K'naan | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 44 | "Kickstarts" | Example | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 45 | "Nothin' on You" | B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars | 1 | 367,038 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 46 | "Alejandro" | Lady Gaga | 7 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 47 | "Baby" | featuring Ludacris | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 48 | "Make You Feel My Love" | Adele | 4 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 49 | "Parachute" | 5 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 50 | "Frisky" | featuring Labrinth | 2 |
| scope=col | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Peak position | scope=col | Sales[5] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1 | Progress | Take That | 1 | 1,841,148 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 2 | Crazy Love | 2 | 1,227,909 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 3 | The Fame/The Fame Monster | Lady Gaga | 1 | 1,051,909 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 4 | Loud | Rihanna | 2 | 839,608 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 5 | The Defamation of Strickland Banks | Plan B | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 6 | Sunny Side Up | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 7 | The Element of Freedom | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 8 | Lungs | Florence and the Machine | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 9 | Recovery | Eminem | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 10 | Sigh No More | Mumford & Sons | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 11 | Come Around Sundown | Kings of Leon | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 12 | My World | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 13 | The Gift | 1 | 556,933 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 14 | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 15 | Teenage Dream | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 16 | Greatest Hits | Bon Jovi | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 17 | Turn It Up | 7 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 18 | Outta This World | JLS | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 19 | Science & Faith | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 20 | Olly Murs | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 21 | Messy Little Raindrops | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 22 | Glee Cast | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 23 | The E.N.D | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 24 | Lights | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 25 | Brother | Boyzone | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 26 | Only Revolutions | Biffy Clyro | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 27 | Forever Vienna | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 28 | Rated R | Rihanna | 9 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 29 | Disc-Overy | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 30 | Moonlight Serenade | and His Johann Strauss Orchestra | 4 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 31 | Only By the Night | Kings of Leon | 11 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 32 | Greatest Hits... So Far!!! | Pink | 5 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 33 | JLS | JLS | 8 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 34 | Gravity | Westlife | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 35 | 3 Words | 12 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 36 | Seasons of My Soul | Rumer | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 37 | xx | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 38 | Time Flies... 1994–2009 | Oasis | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 39 | Iron Man 2 | AC/DC | 1 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 40 | Plastic Beach | Gorillaz | 2 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 41 | The Wanted | 4 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 42 | Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? | 13 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 43 | Overcome | 18 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 44 | Eliza Doolittle | Eliza Doolittle | 3 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 45 | Aphrodite | 1 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 46 | The Beginning | 8 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 47 | Glee Cast | 2 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 48 | I Am... Sasha Fierce | Beyoncé | 15 | |||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 49 | Jason Derulo | 8 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 50 | Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V | 5 |
Notes:
| scope=col | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Peak position | scope=col | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1 | Now 77 | 1 | 1,195,244 | |||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 2 | Now 76 | 1 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 3 | Now 75 | 1 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 4 | American Anthems | 1 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 5 | Pop Party 8: 21 Massive Hits | 1 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 6 | Anthems: Electronic 80s 2 | 2 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 7 | Forever Love: 20 Cool Classics | 1 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 8 | 80s Groove: Old Skool Funk Soul Classics | 2 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 9 | Dreamboats and Petticoats Four | 1 | ||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 10 | Radio 1's Live Lounge – Volume 5 | 1 |