The resurgence of vinyl sales in the UK continues, with recent figures from the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) revealing that almost one of every five albums sold in Britain in 2020 (18 per cent to be precise) was purchased on vinyl. Last year was the 13th consecutive year in which vinyl sales increased, with sales of 12 inch records now on a similar footing to vinyl sales in the early 1990s.
The Official Charts Company have today revealed the 40 biggest selling albums on vinyl in the UK in 2020, and it’s been a good year for Nirvana, AC/DC, Queen and Idles who all have records in the top 10. Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind was the fourth biggest-selling album on vinyl in the UK in 2020, Queen’s perennially popular Greatest Hits proved to be the seventh best-selling set, while AC/DC phenomenally successful comeback album Power Up ranked at number 8, and Idles’ Ultra Mono was the UK’s tenth biggest seller.
The biggest selling album on vinyl in the UK in 2020 was Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, which was originally released in 1977. Rock legends Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd and The Beatles also feature in the top 20, at numbers 19, 13 and 15 respectively, with Letter To You, The Dark Side Of The Moon and Abbey Road.
The full list of the top-selling vinyl albums in the UK in 202 is:
1. Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
2. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis
3. Back To Black – Amy Winehouse
4. Nevermind – Nirvana
5. Fine Line – Harry Styles
6. Disco – Kylie Minogue
7. Greatest Hits – Queen
8. Power Up – AC/DC
9. Live At The Royal Albert Hall – Arctic Monkeys
10. Ultra Mono – IDLES
11. MTV Unplugged – Liam Gallagher
12. Legend – Bob Marley & The Wailers
13. The Dark Side Of The Moon – Pink Floyd
14. When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go – Billie Eilish
15. Abbey Road – The Beatles
16. Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent – Lewis Capaldi
17. A Hero’s Death – Fontaines D.C.
18. Chromatica – Lady Gaga
19. Letter To You – Bruce Springsteen
20. The Bonny – Gerry Cinnamon
21. The Stone Roses – Stone Roses
22. Folklore – Taylor Swift
23. The Slow Rush – Tame Impala
24. Hot Fuss – The Killers
25. Legacy – David Bowie
26. A Celebration Of Endings – Biffy Clyro
27. Rough And Rowdy Ways – Bob Dylan
28. Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not – Arctic Monkeys
29. Definitely Maybe – Oasis
30. Notes On A Conditional Form – The 1975
31. Kiwanuka – Michael Kiwanuka
32. Closer – Joy Division
33. AM – Arctic Monkeys
34. McCartney III – Paul McCartney
35. Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
36. Unplugged In New York – Nirvana
37. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
38. Gold: Greatest Hits – Abba
39. Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
40. The Universal Want – Doves
