British acts dominate the biggest selling debut albums of 2011

New data from the Official Charts Company reveals that the biggest selling debut albums of 2011 are predominantly by British artists. 

Out of all the debut albums released this year to date, 8 of the Top 10 are by British acts, with award winning London singer Jessie J, and Ed Sheeran, who holds the record for the fast selling digital debut album in Official Chart history, occupying the top two positions.

This great run of form for UK music proves how diverse our home-grown scene really is with the likes of indie rockers The Vaccines (4) standing shoulder to shoulder with rising London singer Katy B (5), X Factor winner  Matt Cardle (9), and even a Golden Globe Award-winning actor, Hugh Laurie (8).

With eight female solo artists in the Top 20, the list also supports figures released by the BPI earlier this month which revealed a new era of Girl Power. Female artists now account for one in three (33.3%) albums sold in the UK; an all-time chart record, surpassing even the heyday of the Spice Girls.

The Top 20 biggest selling debut albums of 2011 to date also shows which of the Gallagher brothers has come out on top since Oasis disbanded in 2009. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (3) debuting at Number 1 in the Official Album Charts last month has helped put the elder Gallagher three places above ‘Different Gear, Still Speeding’, the debut album from brother Liam’s Beady Eye (6).

The full Top 20 debut albums of 2011 (year to date) is as follows:

01 WHO YOU ARE - JESSIE J
02 + - ED SHEERAN
03 NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS - NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
04 WHAT DID YOU EXPECT FROM THE VACCINES – THE VACCINES
05 ON A MISSION - KATY B
06 DIFFERENT GEAR STILL SPEEDING - BEADY EYE
07 KILLER LOVE - NICOLE SCHERZINGER
08 LET THEM TALK - HUGH LAURIE
09 LETTERS - MATT CARDLE
10 WATCH THE THRONE - WATCH THE THRONE
11 HELL: THE SEQUEL - BAD MEETS EVIL
12 WELCOME REALITY - NERO
13 LOVESTRONG - CHRISTINA PERRI
14 STICKS & STONES - CHER LLOYD
15 BLACK AND WHITE - WRETCH 32
16 COLOUR OF THE TRAP - MILES KANE
17 TORCHES - FOSTER THE PEOPLE
18 LIGHT AFTER DARK - CLARE MAGUIRE
19 MINE & YOURS - MARY BYRNE
20 ALEXIS JORDAN - ALEXIS JORDAN

Ed Sheeran - Lego House on MUZU.