To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the Official Albums Chart has today revealed the UK’s top 60 biggest selling albums of all time.
The upper reaches of the chart feature few surprises, with Queen’s Greatest Hits (6.1 million album sales) taking the No. 1 spot and ABBA’s Gold Greatest Hits (5.2 million sales) coming in at No. 2. Following in third place is The Beatles classic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (5.1 million sales) , while Adele’s 21 (4.9 million sales) comes in at No.4. Oasis’ (What’s The Story?) Morning Glory (4.7 million sales) completes the top five.
Making up the rest of the top ten are Michael Jackson (Thriller and Bad), Pink Floyd (Dark Side Of The Moon), Dire Straits (Brothers In Arms) and Queen (Greatest Hits II).
Other notable entries come in the form of Adele’s 25, which made the top 30 (No. 27) just seven months after release, and Ed Sheeran’s X, which scraped the top 50 at No. 49.
Elsewhere, Robbie Williams takes the crown for most appearances in the top 60 with four separate entries – two solo efforts (I’ve Been Expecting You at No. 48 and Swing When You’re Winning at No. 56) and two with Take That (Progress at No. 57 and Never Forget – The Ultimate Collection at No. 59).
Commenting on the list, Official Charts chief executive Martin Talbot said: “In celebration of 60 years of the UK’s Official Album Chart, it is fantastic that we can crown Queen as the kings of the Anniversary Top 60. With seven albums by British acts in the all-time Top 10, and Adele’s 21 now challenging The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper to be the biggest selling studio album of all time, it is a great list for homegrown talent. And the fact that Adele’s latest album 25 is riding into the overall Top 30, along with Ed Sheeran’s X, underlines the power of the Official Albums Chart in championing great British talent, young and old. Happy birthday to the UK’s Official Albums Chart.”
The first ever chart, which was published in Record Mirror on 22 July 1956, saw Frank Sinatra’s Songs For Swingin’ Lovers landing in the coveted Number 1 slot. Now, over half a century of vinyl, cassette, CD and download-purchasing later, nearly 1,100 albums have hit the top spot in the UK.
Below, we’ve listed the top ten albums complete with sales figures, while you can view the entire top 60 at www.officialcharts.com/p/15551.
1. Queen – Greatest Hits (6.1 million sales)
2. ABBA – Gold – Greatest Hits (5.2 million sales)
3. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (5.1 million sales)
4. Adele – 21 (4.9 million sales)
5. Oasis - (What’s The Story?) Morning Glory (4.7 million sales)
6. Michael Jackson – Thriller (4.4 million sales)
7. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon (4.3 million sales)
8. Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms (4.3 million sales)
9. Michael Jackson – Bad (4.0 million sales)
10. Queen – Greatest Hits II (4.0 million sales)
