This timeline details the UK best-selling albums by year from 1956 to present day. UK yearly sales and total sales have been included where possible.
Data source – Official Charts Company
See Also: UK Best Selling Singles by Year
United States Best Selling Albums by Year
Australia Best Selling Albums by Year
Canada Best Selling Albums by Year
1956
Carousel – Original Soundtrack
1957
The King and I – Original Soundtrack
1958
My Fair Lady – Broadway Cast
1959
South Pacific – Original Soundtrack
1960
South Pacific – Original Soundtrack
1961
G.I. Blues – Elvis Presley
1962
West Side Story – Original Soundtrack
1963
With the Beatles – The Beatles
1964
Beatles for Sale – The Beatles
1965
The Sound of Music – Original Soundtrack
1966
The Sound of Music – Original Soundtrack
1967
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
Total UK sales in 1967 – 751,000
Total UK sales in 1967 – 751,000
1968
The Sound of Music – Original Soundtrack
1969
Abbey Road – The Beatles
1970
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
1971
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
1972
20 Dynamic Hits – Various Artists
1973
Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player – Elton John
1974
The Singles: 1969 – 1973 – The Carpenters
1975
Best of the Stylistics – The Stylistics
1976
Greatest Hits – ABBA
1977
Arrival – ABBA
1978
Saturday Night Fever – Original Soundtrack
1979
Parallel Lines – Blondie
1980
Souper Trouper – ABBA
1981
Kings of the Wild Frontier – Adam and the Ants
1982
Love Songs – Barbra Streisand
1983
Thriller – Michael Jackson
1984
Can’t Slow Down – Lionel Richie
1985
Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits
1986
True Blue – Madonna
1987
Bad – Michael Jackson
1988
Kylie – Kylie Minogue
1989
Ten Good Reasons – Jason Donovan
1990
But Seriously – Phil Collins
1991
Stars – Simply Red
1992
Stars – Simply Red
1993
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell – Meatloaf
1994
Cross Road – Bon Jovi
1995
Robson and Jerome – Robson and Jerome
Total sales for 1995 – 2,040,000
Total sales for 1995 – 2,040,000
1996
Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette
Total UK sales for 1996 – 1,627.000
Total UK sales for 1996 – 1,627.000
1997
Be Here Now – Oasis
Total UK sales in 1997 – 1,740,000
Total UK sales in 1997 – 1,740,000
1998
Talk on Corners – The Corrs
Total sales for 1998 -1,676,439
Total sales for 1998 -1,676,439
1999
Come On Over – Shania Twain
Total UK sales for 1999 – 2,201,842
Total UK sales for 1999 – 2,201,842
2000
1 – The Beatles
Total sales for 2000 – 1,850,101
Total sales for 2000 – 1,850,101
2001
No Angel – Dido
Total UK sales for 2001 – 1,920,167
Total UK sales for 2001 – 1,920,167
2002
Escapology – Robbie Williams
Total UK sales for 2002 – 1,410,931
Total UK sales for 2002 – 1,410,931
2003
Life For Rent – Dido
Total UK sales for 2003 – 2,168,302
Total UK sales for 2003 – 2,168,302
2004
Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters
Total UK sales for 2004 – 1,594,259
Total UK sales for 2004 – 1,594,259
2005
Back to Bedlam – James Blunt
Total UK sales for 2005 – 2,367,758
Total UK sales for 2005 – 2,367,758
2006
Eyes Open – Snow Patrol
Total UK sales for 2006 – 1,514,554
Total UK sales for 2006 – 1,514,554
2007
Back to Back – Amy Winehouse
Total UK sales for 2007 – 1,883,897
Total UK sales for 2007 – 1,883,897
2008
Rockferry – Duffy
Total UK sales for 2008 – 1,685,000
Total UK sales for 2008 – 1,685,000
2009
I Dreamed a Dream – Susan Boyle
Total UK sales for 2009 – 1,632,732
Total UK sales for 2009 – 1,632,732
2010
Progress – Take That
Total UK sales for 2010 – 1,841,146
Total UK sales for 2010 – 1,841,146
2011
21 – Adele
Total UK sales for 2011 – 3,772,346
Total UK sales for 2011 – 3,772,346
2012
Our Version of Events – Emeli Sande
Total sales for 2011 – 1,393,000
Total sales for 2011 – 1,393,000
2013
Midnight Memories – One Direction
Total UK sales for 2013 – 685,000
Total UK sales for 2013 – 685,000
2014
x – Ed Sheeran
Total UK sales for 2014 – 1,689.000
Total UK sales for 2014 – 1,689.000
2015
25 – Adele
Total UK sales for 2015 – 2,496,000
Total UK sales for 2015 – 2,496,000
2016
25 – Adele
Total UK sales for 2016 – 753,000
Total UK sales for 2016 – 753,000
2017
÷ – Ed Sheeran
Total UK sales for 2017 – 2,700,000
Total UK sales for 2017 – 2,700,000
2018
The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Total UK sales for 2018 – 1,600,000
Total UK sales – 1,800,000
Total UK sales for 2018 – 1,600,000
Total UK sales – 1,800,000
2019
Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent – Lewis Capaldi
Total UK sales for 2019 – 641,000
Total UK sales for 2019 – 641,000
2020
Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent – Lewis Capaldi
Total UK sales for 2020 – 900,000
Total UK sales for 2020 – 900,000
2021
30 – Adele
Total UK sales for 2021 – 261,000
Total UK sales for 2021 – 261,000
Published May 23, 2020 @ 7:32 pm – Updated – [last-modified]
Harvard Reference for this page:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2020 – 2022). UK Best Selling Albums by Year 1956 – Present. https://www.thetimelinegeek.com/uk-best-selling-albums-by-year-1956-present. Last accessed [date]