The UK Albums Chart is a music chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Initially based solely on the sales of albums in the vinyl and CD formats, digital albums began being included from April 2006.[2] Since March 2015, the chart has also been based on audio streaming figures,[3] however the OCC still compiles a 'sales' (only) chart and still quotes these traditional sales figures in its features and articles.[4]
This is a list of the 50 best-selling albums in the UK from 1 January 2000 onwards, as compiled by the OCC (sales that occurred before 2000 are not included). Of these, only two were originally released before the year 2000: White Ladder (1998) by David Gray and Gold: Greatest Hits (1992) by ABBA.[4]
Back to Bedlam by James Blunt, which was the best-selling album of the 2000s decade,[5] was also the best-selling album of the 21st century until August 2011 when it was passed in sales by Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, following Winehouse's death the previous month.[6] Less than four months later, however, Back to Black was itself overtaken by Adele's 21.[7] As of, 21 remains the biggest-selling album in the UK since 2000 (and second best-selling ever), having sold 6 million copies.[8] [9]
Sales figures from the OCC on the date given in the reference. The OCC differentiate 'chart sales' (which include streaming) from 'sales' (which are downloads and physical purchases and are quoted below).[3]
| Title | Artist | Peak position | Year of release | Copies sold (where available) | No. of times Platinum | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 1 | 21 | Adele | 1 | 2011 | 5,400,000[10] | 18× |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 2 | Back to Black | Amy Winehouse | 1 | 2006 | 4,200,000[11] | 14× |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 3 | 25 | Adele | 1 | 2015 | 3,560,000 | 11× |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 4 | 1 | The Beatles | 1 | 2000 | 3,230,000[12] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 5 | x | Ed Sheeran | 1 | 2014 | 3,380,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 6 | Back to Bedlam | James Blunt | 1 | 2004 | 3,370,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 7 | ÷ | Ed Sheeran | 1 | 2017 | 3,300,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 8 | Spirit | Leona Lewis | 1 | 2007 | 3,180,000 | 10× |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 9 | Crazy Love | Michael Bublé | 1 | 2009 | 3,150,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 10 | No Angel | Dido | 1 | 2000 | 3,090,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 11 | White Ladder | David Gray | 1 | 1998 2000 (re-release) | 3,040,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 12 | The Fame | Lady Gaga | 1 | 2008 | 3,000,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 13 | Only by the Night | Kings of Leon | 1 | 2008 | 3,000,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 14 | A Rush of Blood to the Head | Coldplay | 1 | 2002 | 3,000,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 15 | Number Ones | Michael Jackson | 1 | 2003 | 3,000,000[13] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 16 | Life for Rent | Dido | 1 | 2003 | 2,900,000 | 9× |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 17 | Beautiful World | Take That | 1 | 2006 | 2,880,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 18 | ABBA | 1 | 1992 | 2,569,600 | ||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 19 | Hopes and Fears | Keane | 1 | 2004 | 2,860,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 20 | X&Y | Coldplay | 1 | 2005 | 2,800,000[14] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 21 | Christmas | 1 | 2011 | 2,780,000 | ||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 22 | Scissor Sisters | Scissor Sisters | 1 | 2004 | 2,760,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 23 | Parachutes | Coldplay | 1 | 2000 | 2,740,000[15] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 24 | Come Away with Me | Norah Jones | 1 | 2002 | 2,540,000 | 8× |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 25 | The Marshall Mathers LP | Eminem | 1 | 2000 | 2,440,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 26 | In the Lonely Hour | Sam Smith | 1 | 2014 | 2,400,095 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 27 | + | Ed Sheeran | 1 | 2011 | 2,400,000[16] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 28 | Greatest Hits | Robbie Williams | 1 | 2004 | 2,320,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 29 | Eyes Open | Snow Patrol | 1 | 2004 | 2,418,438[17] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 30 | Never Forget – The Ultimate Collection | Take That | 2 | 2005 | 2,360,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 31 | 19 | Adele | 1 | 2008 | 2,450,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 32 | Swing When You're Winning | Robbie Williams | 1 | 2001 | 2,430,000[18] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 33 | Progress | Take That | 1 | 2010 | 2,375,300[19] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 34 | Our Version of Events | Emeli Sandé | 1 | 2012 | 2,260,000[20] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 35 | Hot Fuss | The Killers | 1 | 2004 | 2,153,500[21] | 7× |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 36 | American Idiot | Green Day | 1 | 2004 | 2,150,000[22] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 37 | Rockferry | Duffy | 1 | 2008 | 2,220,000[23] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 38 | The Circus | Take That | 1 | 2008 | 2,210,000 | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 39 | Sing When You're Winning | Robbie Williams | 1 | 2000 | 2,203,321[24] | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 40 | Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | Arctic Monkeys | 1 | 2006 | 2,100,000 [25] | |
| 41 | Eminem | 1 | 2005 | 2,100,000[26] | |||
| 42 | Greatest Hits | Guns N' Roses | 1 | 2004 | 1,947,000 | ||
| 43 | Escapology | Robbie Williams | 1 | 2002 | 2,075,441[27] | 6× | |
| 44 | Employment | Kaiser Chiefs | 1 | 2005 | 2,048,500[28] | ||
| 45 | Songs About Jane | Maroon 5 | 1 | 2004 | 2,081,000[29] | ||
| 46 | Loud | Rihanna | 1 | 2010 | 2,060,064 | ||
| 47 | Good Girl Gone Bad | Rihanna | 1 | 2007 | 2,021,000 | ||
| 48 | By the Way | Red Hot Chili Peppers | 1 | 2002 | 2,020,000 | ||
| 49 | The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac | Fleetwood Mac | 1 | 2002 | 2,032,000 | ||
| 50 | Justified | Justin Timberlake | 1 | 2002 | 1,975,000 | ||
| 51 | Stripped | Christina Aguilera | 2 | 2002 | 1,980,000 | ||
| 52 | The Greatest Hits | Texas | 1 | 2000 | 1,974,890[30] | ||
| 53 | I Dreamed a Dream | Susan Boyle | 1 | 2009 | 1,938,305[31] | ||
| 54 | Born to Do It | Craig David | 1 | 2000 | 1,860,000[32] | ||
| 55 | The Platinum Collection | Queen | 2 | 2000 | 1,831,000 | ||
| 56 | Elvis Presley | 1 | 2004 | 1,861,800[33] | |||
| 57 | Call Off the Search | Katie Melua | 1 | 2004 | 1,900,000[34] | ||
| 58 | Legend | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 1 | 1984 | 1,825,000 | ||
| 59 | Sunny Side Up | Paolo Nutini | 1 | 2009 | 1,824,000 | ||
| 60 | Unbreakable – The Greatest Hits Volume 1 | Westlife | 1 | 2002 | 1,896,765[35] | ||
| 61 | Demon Days | Gorillaz | 1 | 2005 | 1,894,803[36] | ||
| 62 | AM | Arctic Monkeys | 1 | 2013 | 1,800,000 | ||
Originally released before 2000; position based on sales since 2000