The UK Albums Chart is a weekly record chart based on album sales from Sunday to Saturday in the United Kingdom; during the 1990s, a total of 216 albums reached number one. Until 1 February 1994, the chart was compiled each week by Gallup – after this date, it was managed by Millward Brown, who expanded the number of sales figures sampled, and extended the use of electronic point of sale machines.[1] From July 1998 onwards, compilation of the chart was overseen by the Chart Information Network, jointly operated by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the British Association of Record Dealers.[1] Throughout the decade, the chart was based solely on physical album sales, and each week's number one was first announced on Sunday evenings on The Radio 1 Chart Show.[2]
The most successful artist of the 1990s was British band Simply Red, who topped the UK Albums Chart for 19 weeks with four different albums.[3] Stars, their fourth studio album, sold 3.29 million copies in total,[4] and was the biggest-selling album of both 1991 and 1992.[5] Stars was the second biggest-selling album of the decade; it was outsold by Manchester band Oasis's second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory?,[4] which spent 10 weeks at number one during 1995 and 1996,[3] and sold 4.16 million copies.[4] It was the highest-certified album of the 1990s, achieving platinum certification 13 times. Following the album's success, Oasis's follow-up, Be Here Now, sold 663,000 copies in the first four days of its release, making it the fastest-selling album in UK chart history.[6]
The first number-one album of the 1990s was ...But Seriously by Phil Collins[7] – released in 1989, ...But Seriously first reached number one in December of that year, and remained at the top for eight weeks. It stayed at number one for nine weeks during the decade, and was the biggest-selling album of 1990.[3] The final number one of the 1990s was Come On Over by Shania Twain.[8] Like ...But Seriously, Come on Over remained at number one into the following decade, and was the biggest-selling album of its year.[9] In chart terms, the most successful album of the nineties was Spice, the debut album from the Spice Girls, which spent 15 weeks at number one over five separate runs.[3] The Spice Girls' record label, Virgin Records, was the most successful label of the decade – with an artist roster that included the Spice Girls, Phil Collins and Meat Loaf, Virgin topped the albums chart with 19 different albums for a total of 62 weeks.[10]
| nth album to top the UK Albums Chart | |||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | re | Return of an album to number one | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | Silver certification (60,000 units) | ||
| Gold | Gold certification (100,000 units) | ||
| Platinum | Platinum certification (300,000 units) | ||
| bgcolor=#FFFF99 align=center | Best-selling album of the year | ||
| bgcolor=lightblue align=center | Best-selling album of the decade |
| scope=col | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Album | scope=col | Record label | scope=col | Reached number one (for the week ending) | scope=col | Weeks at number one | scope=col | Certification (as of 31 December 1999) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 402 | Virgin | 8 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 403 | Colour | Island | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Virgin | 7 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 404 | I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | Ensign | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 405 | Changesbowie | EMI | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 406 | Only Yesterday: Richard and Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | A&M | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 407 | Fleetwood Mac | Behind the Mask | Warner Bros. | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Only Yesterday: Richard and Karen Carpenter's Greatest Hits | A&M | 5 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 408 | Soul II Soul | 10 | 3 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 409 | Decca | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 410 | New Kids on the Block | Step by Step | CBS | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Decca | 3 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 411 | Sleeping with the Past | Rocket | 5 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 412 | Prince | Graffiti Bridge | Paisley Park | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 413 | In Concert | Decca | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 414 | Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 | Epic | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | In Concert | Decca | 4 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 415 | Some Friendly | Situation Two | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 416 | Warner Bros. | 2 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 417 | Rocket | 2 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 418 | Madonna | Sire | 9 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 419 | Enigma | MCMXC a.D. | Virgin | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 420 | Sting | A&M | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 421 | Jesus Jones | Doubt | Food | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 422 | Queen | Innuendo | Parlophone | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 423 | Circle of One | Fontana | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 424 | Auberge | East West | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 425 | Spartacus | Produce | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 426 | R.E.M. | Out of Time | Warner Bros. | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 427 | Eurythmics | Greatest Hits | RCA | 9 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 428 | Seal | Seal | ZTT | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Eurythmics | Greatest Hits | RCA | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 429 | Cher | Love Hurts | Geffen | 6 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 430 | Essential Pavarotti II | Decca | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 431 | Metallica | Metallica | Vertigo | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 432 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Really Useful/Polydor | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 433 | From Time to Time – The Singles Collection | Columbia | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 434 | Dire Straits | On Every Street | Vertigo | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 435 | Guns N' Roses | Use Your Illusion II | Geffen | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 436 | Waking Up the Neighbours | A&M | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 437 | Simply Red | Stars | East West | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 438 | Erasure | Chorus | Mute | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Simply Red | Stars | East West | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 439 | Queen | Greatest Hits II | Parlophone | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 440 | Enya | Shepherd Moons | WEA | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 441 | Genesis | We Can't Dance | Virgin | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 442 | Dangerous | Epic Records | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Queen | Greatest Hits II | Parlophone | 4 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Simply Red | Stars | East West | 5 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 443 | Wet Wet Wet | High on the Happy Side | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Simply Red | Stars | East West | 3 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 444 | Madness | Divine Madness | Virgin | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 445 | Human Touch | Columbia | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 446 | Def Leppard | Adrenalize | Bludgeon Riffola | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 447 | Diva | RCA | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 448 | Right Said Fred | Up | Tug | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 449 | Wish | Fiction | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Simply Red | Stars | East West | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 450 | Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine | 1992 – The Love Album | Chrysalis | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 451 | Iron Maiden | Fear of the Dark | EMI | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 452 | Michael Ball | Polydor | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 453 | Back to Front | Motown | 6 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 454 | U.F.Orb | Big Life | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 455 | Columbia | 3 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 456 | INXS | Welcome to Wherever You Are | Mercury | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Genesis | We Can't Dance | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 457 | Best...I | WEA | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 458 | Greatest Hits | PWL International | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 459 | Tubular Bells II | WEA | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 460 | Virgin | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 461 | ABBA | Gold: Greatest Hits | Polydor | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 462 | R.E.M. | Automatic for the People | Warner Bros. | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 463 | Prince and The New Power Generation | Symbol | Paisley Park | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 464 | Simple Minds | Glittering Prize 81/92 | Virgin | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 465 | Bon Jovi | Keep the Faith | Jambco | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 466 | Cher | Geffen | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 467 | Erasure | Pop! The First 20 Hits | Mute | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Cher | Geffen | 6 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 468 | Genesis | Charisma | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 469 | Little Angels | Jam | Polydor | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 470 | Beggars Banquet | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 471 | Words of Love | PolyGram TV/MCA | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 472 | East 17 | Walthamstow | London | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Diva | RCA | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 473 | Are You Gonna Go My Way | Virgin | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 474 | Hot Chocolate | Their Greatest Hits | EMI | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 475 | Depeche Mode | Songs of Faith and Devotion | Mute | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 476 | Suede | Suede | Nude | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 477 | Black Tie White Noise | Arista | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | R.E.M. | Automatic for the People | Warner Bros. | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 478 | EMI | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | R.E.M. | Automatic for the People | Warner Bros. | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 479 | New Order | Republic | Centredate Co | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | R.E.M. | Automatic for the People | Warner Bros. | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 480 | Janet | Virgin | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 481 | 2 Unlimited | No Limits | PWL Continental | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 482 | What's Love Got to Do with It | Parlophone | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 483 | Jamiroquai | Emergency on Planet Earth | Sony S2 | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 484 | U2 | Zooropa | Island | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 485 | UB40 | Promises and Lies | DEP International | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 486 | Music Box | Columbia | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 487 | Meat Loaf | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 488 | Nirvana | In Utero | Geffen | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Meat Loaf | Virgin | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 489 | Pet Shop Boys | Very | Parlophone | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Meat Loaf | Virgin | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 490 | Take That | Everything Changes | RCA | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Meat Loaf | Virgin | 3 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 491 | Both Sides | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Meat Loaf | Virgin | 5 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 492 | EMI | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Take That | Everything Changes | RCA | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 493 | So Far So Good | A&M | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | EMI | 1 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 494 | Chaka Demus & Pliers | Tease Me | Mango | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 495 | Under the Pink | East West | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 496 | Enigma | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Music Box | Columbia | 4 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 497 | Morrissey | Vauxhall and I | Parlophone | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Music Box | Columbia | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 498 | Pink Floyd | EMI | 4 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 499 | Blur | Parklife | Food | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 500 | Deacon Blue | Our Town – The Greatest Hits | Columbia | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 501 | Erasure | I Say I Say I Say | Mute | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 502 | Seal | Seal | ZTT | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 503 | 2 Unlimited | Real Things | PWL | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 504 | Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? | Island | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 505 | Ace of Base | Happy Nation | London | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 506 | Music for the Jilted Generation | XL | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 507 | Voodoo Lounge | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 508 | Wet Wet Wet | 4 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 509 | Prince | Come | Warner Bros. | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Wet Wet Wet | 1 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 510 | Oasis | Definitely Maybe | Creation | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 511 | Teldec | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 512 | From the Cradle | Duck | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 513 | Songs | Epic | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 514 | R.E.M. | Monster | Warner Bros. | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 515 | Bon Jovi | Cross Road | Jambco/Mercury | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 516 | Nirvana | MTV Unplugged in New York | Geffen | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Bon Jovi | Cross Road | Jambco/Mercury | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 517 | Carry On up the Charts | Go! Discs | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 518 | Live at the BBC | Parlophone | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Carry On up the Charts | Go! Discs | 6 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 519 | Epic | 6 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 520 | Greatest Hits | Columbia | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 521 | Medusa | RCA | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 522 | Elastica | Elastica | Deceptive | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Epic | 1 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 523 | Wake Up! | Creation | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Greatest Hits | Columbia | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 524 | Wet Wet Wet | Picture This | 3 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 525 | Take That | Nobody Else | RCA | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 526 | Stanley Road | Go! Discs | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 527 | Singles | Columbia | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 528 | Pink Floyd | Pulse | EMI | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 529 | Epic | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 530 | Bon Jovi | These Days | Mercury | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 531 | Supergrass | I Should Coco | Parlophone | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 532 | Black Grape | It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah | Radioactive | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 533 | Boyzone | Said and Done | Polydor | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 534 | Beggars Banquet | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 535 | Levellers | Zeitgeist | China | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 536 | Blur | Food | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 537 | Daydream | Columbia | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 538 | Oasis | Creation | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 539 | Simply Red | Life | East West | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 540 | Pulp | Different Class | Island | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 541 | Queen | Made in Heaven | Parlophone | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 542 | Robson & Jerome | Robson & Jerome | RCA | 7 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Oasis | Creation | 6 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 543 | Expecting to Fly | Superior Quality | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Oasis | Creation | 3 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 544 | Falling into You | Epic | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 545 | Anthology 2 | Apple | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 546 | Take That | Greatest Hits | RCA | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 547 | Jagged Little Pill | Maverick | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 548 | Ash | 1977 | Infectious | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 549 | Older | Virgin | 3 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 550 | Metallica | Load | Vertigo | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 551 | 18 til I Die | A&M | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Jagged Little Pill | Maverick | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 552 | Crowded House | Recurring Dream | Capitol | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Jagged Little Pill | Maverick | 8 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 553 | Suede | Coming Up | Nude | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 554 | R.E.M. | New Adventures in Hi-Fi | Warner Bros. | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 555 | Kula Shaker | K | Columbia | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 556 | Natural | Mushroom | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 557 | Simply Red | Greatest Hits | East West | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 558 | Blue Is the Colour | Go! Discs | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 559 | Boyzone | Polydor | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 560 | Spice Girls | Spice | Virgin | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 561 | Robson & Jerome | Take Two | RCA | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Spice Girls | Spice | Virgin | 8 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 562 | Original cast recording | Evita | Warner Bros. | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 563 | Reef | Glow | Sony S2 | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 564 | Texas | White on Blonde | Mercury | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 565 | Blur | Blur | Food | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 566 | Mansun | Attack of the Grey Lantern | Parlophone | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Spice Girls | Spice | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 567 | U2 | Pop | Island | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Spice Girls | Spice | Virgin | 4 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 568 | Dig Your Own Hole | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 569 | Depeche Mode | Ultra | Mute | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 570 | Tellin' Stories | Beggars Banquet | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Spice Girls | Spice | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 571 | Epic | 2 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 572 | Open Road | RCA | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 573 | Wu-Tang Clan | Wu-Tang Forever | Loud | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 574 | Hanson | Middle of Nowhere | Mercury | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 575 | Radiohead | OK Computer | Parlophone | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 576 | XL | 6 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Texas | White on Blonde | Mercury | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 577 | Oasis | Be Here Now | Creation | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 578 | Ocean Colour Scene | Marchin' Already | MCA | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Oasis | Be Here Now | Creation | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 579 | Urban Hymns | Hut | 5 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 580 | Spice Girls | Spiceworld | Virgin | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 581 | Let's Talk About Love | Epic | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Spice Girls | Spiceworld | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Let's Talk About Love | Epic | 2 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Urban Hymns | Hut | 6 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 582 | Sony Classical | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Urban Hymns | Hut | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Sony Classical | 2 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 583 | Madonna | Ray of Light | Maverick | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Let's Talk About Love | Epic | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 584 | James | Fontana | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 585 | Pulp | This Is Hardcore | Island | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 586 | Life thru a Lens | Chrysalis | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 587 | Massive Attack | Mezzanine | Circa | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 588 | Catatonia | International Velvet | Blanco y Negro | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 589 | Garbage | Version 2.0 | Mushroom | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 590 | Simply Red | Blue | East West | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 591 | Boyzone | Where We Belong | Polydor | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Simply Red | Blue | East West | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 592 | Embrace | Hut | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 593 | Talk on Corners | Atlantic | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 594 | Five | Five | RCA | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Talk on Corners | Atlantic | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 595 | Beastie Boys | Hello Nasty | Grand Royal | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 596 | Jane McDonald | Focus Music International | 3 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Talk on Corners | Atlantic | 3 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Boyzone | Where We Belong | Polydor | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Talk on Corners | Atlantic | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 597 | Manic Street Preachers | This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours | Epic | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 598 | Hits | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 599 | Quench | Go! Discs | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 600 | I've Been Expecting You | Chrysalis | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 601 | U2 | Island | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 602 | Epic | 8 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=7 | |||||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | I've Been Expecting You | Chrysalis | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 603 | Fatboy Slim | You've Come a Long Way, Baby | Skint | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | I've Been Expecting You | Chrysalis | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Talk on Corners | Atlantic | 3 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 604 | Stereophonics | Performance and Cocktails | V2 | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 605 | Blur | 13 | Food | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Talk on Corners | Atlantic | 1 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | ABBA | Gold: Greatest Hits | Polydor | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 606 | Catatonia | Equally Cursed and Blessed | Blanco y Negro | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | ABBA | Gold: Greatest Hits | Polydor | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 607 | Suede | Head Music | Nude | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 608 | Texas | Mercury | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | ABBA | Gold: Greatest Hits | Polydor | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 609 | Boyzone | By Request | Polydor | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 610 | Jamiroquai | Synkronized | S2 | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 611 | Surrender | Virgin | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Boyzone | By Request | Polydor | 7 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 612 | Travis | Independiente | 2 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 613 | Come On Over | Mercury | 3 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 614 | Leftfield | Rhythm and Stealth | Hard Hands | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 615 | Reload | Gut | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Come On Over | Mercury | 3 | ||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 616 | Steps | Steptacular | EBUL | 3 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 617 | All the Way... A Decade of Song | Epic | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Steps | Steptacular | EBUL | 1 | |||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Come On Over | Mercury | 5 |
Eight artists spent 12 weeks or more at number one on the album chart during the 1990s.
| scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Number ones | scope=col | Weeks at number one | scope=col class=unsortable | Albums |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row | Simply Red | 4 | 19 | Stars (1991–92, twelve weeks at number one) Life (1995, three weeks) Greatest Hits (1996, two weeks) Blue (1998, two weeks) | |||
| scope=row | Spice Girls | 2 | 18 | Spice (1996–97, fifteen weeks at number one) Spiceworld (1997, three weeks) | |||
| scope=row | Oasis | 3 | 16 | Definitely Maybe (1994, one week at number one) (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995–96, ten weeks) Be Here Now (1997, five weeks) | |||
| scope=row | Boyzone | 4 | 14 | Said and Done (1995, one week at number one) A Different Beat (1996, one week) Where We Belong (1998, three weeks) By Request (1997, nine weeks) | |||
| scope=row | 4 | 14 | The Colour of My Love (1995, seven weeks at number one) Falling into You (1996, one week) Let's Talk About Love (1997–8, five weeks) All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999, one week) | ||||
| scope=row | Cher | 2 | 13 | Love Hurts (1991, six weeks at number one) (1992–93, seven weeks) | |||
| scope=row | [11] | 4 | 12 | The Essential Pavarotti (1990, four weeks at number one) In Concert (1990, five weeks) Essential Pavarotti II (1991, two weeks) The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 (1994, one week) | |||
| scope=row | 3 | 12 | Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990, one week at number one) Older (1996, three weeks) (1998–99, eight weeks) |
Six record labels spent 20 weeks or more at number one on the album chart during the 1990s.
| scope=col | Record label | scope=col | Number-one albums | scope=col | Weeks at number one |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row | Virgin Records | 19 | 62 | ||
| scope=row | RCA Records | 10 | 32 | ||
| scope=row | Epic Records | 10 | 30 | ||
| scope=row | Polydor Records | 8 | 24 | ||
| scope=row | Mercury Records | 7 | 24 | ||
| scope=row | East West Records | 6 | 21 |
See main article: List of UK Albums Chart Christmas number ones. In the UK, Christmas number one albums are those that are at the top of the UK Albums Chart on Christmas Day. Typically, this will refer to the album that was announced as number one on the Sunday before 25 December—when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday itself, the official number one is considered by the OCC to be the one announced on that day's chart.[12] During the 1990s, the following albums were Christmas number ones.
| scope=col | Year | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Album | scope=col | Record label | scope=col | Weeks at number one | scope=col class=unsortable | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Madonna | Sire | 9 | [13] | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Queen | Greatest Hits II | Parlophone | 5 | [14] | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1992 | Cher | Geffen | 7 | [15] | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Meat Loaf | Virgin | 11 | [16] | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Carry On up the Charts | Go! Discs | 7 | [17] | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Robson & Jerome | Robson & Jerome | RCA | 7 | [18] | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Spice Girls | Spice | Virgin | 15 | [19] | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Let's Talk About Love | Epic | 5 | [20] | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Epic | 8 | [21] | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Come On Over | Mercury | 11 | [22] |