Queen’s 1981 compilation ‘Greatest Hits’ has been named as the best-selling album of all-time in Britain.
Chart compilers Official Charts Company have revealed the 60 best-selling albums in Britain to mark the 60th anniversary of the album chart.
Queen’s ‘Greatest Hits’ has sold 6.1 million copies, the only album in Britain to sell more than six million.
It’s followed by ABBA’s 1992 compilation ‘Gold: Greatest Hits’, which has sold 5.2 million. The Beatles’ 1967 album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ is the best-selling non-compilation album, selling 5.1 million copies.
The first album chart was published on July 22, 1956. Frank Sinatra was at No 1 with ‘Songs For Swingin’ Lovers’.
‘21’ by Adele is the fourth best-selling album ever, despite only being released five years ago in 2011. Its follow-up ‘25’ is already at No 27 in the best-selling list seven months after its release in November 2015. ‘25’ beat Oasis’ 18-year-old record of being the fastest-selling album ever, selling 800,000 copies in its first week, compared to the 650,000 Oasis’ third album sold in 1997.
Ed Sheeran’s ‘X’ is also new in the Top 60, having sold 2.6 million since 2014 to be the 49th best-seller.
Robbie Williams has most appearances in the Top 60, charting with his solo albums ‘I’ve Been Expecting You’ (No 48) and ‘Swing When You’re Winning’ (No 56), as well as Take That’s ‘Progress’ (No 57) and compilation ‘Never Forget – The Ultimate Collection’ (No 59).
Queen guitarist Brian May said of the band’s achievement: “What a great bit of news to wake up to. The most popular album? Well, I always thought the band showed promise, but this is beyond our boyhood dreams. Thanks, folks.”
The 60 best-selling albums of all time in Britain are:
1) Queen – ‘Greatest Hits’
2) Abba – ‘Gold: Greatest Hits’
3) The Beatles – ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’
4) Adele – ‘21’
5) Oasis – ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory’
6) Michael Jackson – ‘Thriller’
7) Pink Floyd – ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’
8) Dire Straits – ‘Brothers In Arms’
9) Michael Jackson – ‘Bad’
10) Queen – ‘Greatest Hits II’
11) Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’
12) Madonna – ‘The Immaculate Collection’
13) Amy Winehouse – ‘Back To Black’
14) Simply Red – ‘Stars’
15) Shania Twain – ‘Come On Over’
16) Bob Marley And The Wailers – ‘Legend’
17) James Blunt – ‘Back To Bedlam’
18) The Verve – ‘Urban Hymns’
19) Meat Loaf – ‘Bat Out Of Hell’
20) The Beatles – ‘1’
21) Simon And Garfunkel ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’
22) Original Soundtrack – ‘Dirty Dancing’
23) Leona Lewis – ‘Spirit
24) Michael Buble – ‘Crazy Love’
25) Dido – ‘No Angel’
26) David Gray – ‘White Ladder’
27) Adele – ‘25’
28) The Corrs – ‘Talk On Corners’
29) The Spice Girls – ‘Spice’
30) Lady Gaga – ‘The Fame’
31) Coldplay – ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’
32) Dido – ‘Life For Rent’
33) Kings Of Leon – ‘Only By The Night’
34) Take That – ‘Beautiful World’
35) Keane – ‘Hopes And Fears’
36) U2 – ‘The Joshua Tree’
37) Jeff Wayne – ‘The War Of The Worlds’
38) Scissor Sisters – ‘Scissor Sisters’
39) Phil Collins – ‘But Seriously’
40) Coldplay – ‘X&Y’
41) Alanis Morissette – ‘Jagged Little Pill’
42) Mike Oldfield – ‘Tubular Bells’
43) Travis – ‘The Man Who’
44) Tracy Chapman – ‘Tracy Chapman’
45) Coldplay – ‘Parachutes’
46) Abba – ‘Greatest Hits’
47) Original Soundtrack – ‘Grease’
48) Robbie Williams – ‘I’ve Been Expecting You’
49) Ed Sheeran – ‘X’
50) Norah Jones – ‘Come Away With Me’
51) Paul Simon – ‘Graceland’
52) Original Cast Recording – ‘The Sound Of Music’
53) George Michael – ‘Ladies And Gentleman – The Best Of’
54) Fleetwood Mac – ‘Tango In The Night’
55) Eminem – ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’
56) Robbie Williams – ‘Swing When You’re Winning’
57) Take That – ‘Progress’
58) Snow Patrol – ‘Eyes Open’
59) Take That – ‘The Ultimate Collection’
60) REM – ‘Automatic For The People’
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