Notice, that all of these figures are physical CD sales, vinyl sales and digital sales are not included!
TITLE /ARTIST /LABEL /YEAR /SALES
1 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA POLYDOR 1992 4.038m
2 21 ADELE XL RECORDINGS 2011 3.553m
3 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS BIG BROTHER 1995 3.425m
4 BACK TO BLACK AMY WINEHOUSE ISLAND RECORDS 2006 3.225m
5 BACK TO BEDLAM JAMES BLUNT ATLANTIC RECORDS UK 2004 3.209m
6 NO ANGEL DIDO RCA LABEL GROUP 2000 3.031m
7 COME ON OVER SHANIA TWAIN MERCURY 1997 3.026m
8 SPIRIT LEONA LEWIS RCA LABEL GROUP 2007 2.951m
9 URBAN HYMNS THE VERVE VIRGIN 1997 2.904m
10 WHITE LADDER DAVID GRAY ATLANTIC RECORDS UK 2000 2.883m
11 LIFE FOR RENT DIDO RCA LABEL GROUP 2003 2.857m
12 1 THE BEATLES PARLOPHONE 2000 2.854m
13 A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD COLDPLAY PARLOPHONE 2002 2.755m
14 BEAUTIFUL WORLD TAKE THAT POLYDOR 2006 2.735m
15 HOPES AND FEARS KEANE ISLAND RECORDS 2007 2.732m
16 CRAZY LOVE MICHAEL BUBLE WARNER BROS 2009 2.724m
17 SCISSOR SISTERS SCISSOR SISTERS POLYDOR 2004 2.719m
18 TALK ON CORNERS THE CORRS ATLANTIC RECORDS UK 1997 2.651m
19 X&Y COLDPLAY PARLOPHONE 2005 2.608m
20 THE MAN WHO TRAVIS INDEPENDIENTE 1999 2.553m
21 PARACHUTES COLDPLAY PARLOPHONE 2000 2.480m
22 THE FAME LADY GAGA POLYDOR 2009 2.476m
23 COME AWAY WITH ME NORAH JONES PARLOPHONE 2002 2.471m
24 ONLY BY THE NIGHT KINGS OF LEON COLUMBIA LABEL GRP 2008 2.399m
25 I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ROBBIE WILLIAMS EMI RECORDS 1998 2.377m
26 GREATEST HITS ROBBIE WILLIAMS EMI RECORDS 2004 2.269m
27 SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING ROBBIE WILLIAMS EMI RECORDS 2001 2.232m
28 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP EMINEM POLYDOR 2000 2.231m
29 EYES OPEN SNOW PATROL POLYDOR 2006 2.219m
30 LADIES & GENTLEMEN - THE BEST OF GEORGE MICHAEL RCA LABEL GROUP 1998 2.203m
Source: Official Charts Company
http://www.bpi.co.uk/assets/files/BP...nniversary.pdf
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30 years of the CD: Abba, Adele and Oasis revealed as biggest sellers of all time
In October 1982, the very first compact disc (as developed by Philips) rolled off the presses.
However, the first time the UK public clapped eyes on the shiny little five inch disc was on Tomorrow’s World, a year before the format’s launch, when Kieran Prendiville spread strawberry jam on a Bee Gees CD and told us all that it would still play. It didn’t. But, despite its aversion to fruit spread, it went on to become pretty much the most successful music format the world has ever seen.
To celebrate its birthday, the Official Charts Company have teamed up with the BPI to look at the 30 biggest selling CDs of the last 30 years. We invite you to explore our findings using the rather cool infographic below. It's interactive so you can click on an artist's name* to discover which albums of theirs feature in the Official All Time Top 30 CD Albums Chart, how many copies it sold and how many weeks it has spent in the Top 75. If you wish to view as a straight list, simply click on the right-hand tab at the top of the graphic.
Click this link to view the graphic!
Released in 1992, ABBA Gold has sold 4 million CDs, making it the format's all-time biggest seller. But hot on the heels is Adele's world-conquering 21. Released nearly 20 years after ABBA's compilation, Adele's 21 has clocked up a cool 3.5 million CD sales in the UK after only 18 months on sale, to become the biggest selling studio album ever.
At Number 3 is Oasis’ highly anticipated second album What’s The Story Morning Glory, released in 1995 at the height of their Britpop powers, with 3.4m CD sales. Only two artists have more than one title in the Top 30. Coldplay’s first three albums – Parachutes (Number 21), A Rush Of Blood To The Head (Number 13) and X&Y (Number 19) - all make the top 30, along with Robbie Williams whose three albums I’ve Been Expecting You, Sing When You’re Winning and Greatest Hits chart sequentially at 25, 26, and 27.
UK artists are especially well-represented in the chart, taking 21 of the Top 30 and no fewer than eight of the Top 10. Only four ‘best of’ compilations appear in the Top 30, explained in part by many top artists having more than one greatest hits compilation available in the market.
BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor says: "The CD represented a great leap forward in sound technology, becoming one of the most successful consumer products in history as music fans embraced its sound quality, durability, instant track access and ease of use. There are many music fans in the UK who want to own music and value a physical product they can collect.
The CD is a digital product that offers premium sound quality, artwork and lyrics - plus a permanent back up copy, all at a great price."
The CD is far from being a relic or historical artefact. Even 30 years after its launch, the CD still remains the leading album format in the British music market. Last year, 86 million CD albums were bought by music fans in the UK. Much maligned by many music consumer snobs, the CD may not be quite as big as it was in the format’s heyday, but it still remains hugely popular – a weekly treat for shoppers picking up their groceries in their local supermarket, and a gift for millions of parents, aunties, grandads and kids this Christmas.
*Please note that artists' total sales figures are based on their releases that appear in the Top 30 list only, not their career totals.
http://www.officialcharts.com/featur...f-the-cd-1616/