Happy 1st birthday to the UK’s Official Vinyl Charts! The year's biggest vinyl stars revealed

One year ago this week, the Official Charts Company launched the UK’s first ever - and only - dedicated weekly Official Vinyl Charts, published right here on OfficialCharts.com. 52 weeks on, and David Bowie’s legendary legacy has left its mark on the 7” and 12” world.

Just in time for Record Store Day 2016, we can reveal the standout stats from the first 365 days of the Official Vinyl Charts’ life, unveiling the best-selling releases of both the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and Official Vinyl Singles Chart.

The charts were launched last April following seven consecutive years of vinyl growth in Britain, and over the past 12 months alone, 2.39 million vinyl albums have been snapped up in the UK plus a further 222,000 singles on 7" and 12".

MORE: The Official biggest vinyl albums and singles of 2016 so far

As the charts celebrate their first birthday, topping the biggest selling vinyl albums tally is David Bowie. After his untimely death in January 2016, several of his albums were reissued in vinyl formats and his latest album Blackstar soared to the top spot multiple times. Bowie’s twenty-fifth and final album spent the longest time at Number 1, logging six weeks at the helm.

David Bowie is the Starman of the Official Chart as he scores his tenth Number 1 album with Blackstar and 18 more of his albums enter the Top 100 following the news of his death. Full story here.

Elvis Presley’s If I Can Dream was the first vinyl album to spend two weeks at Number 1 consecutively, while Adele’s 25 was also successful, managing a non-consecutive four weeks at the top.

42 acts reached the Number 1 spot over the course of the year, a mix of independent and major label releases ranging from Amy Winehouse and Jamie XX to Wolf Alice, John Grant, The Coral, Jeff Lynne’s ELO and The 1975.

Over on the Official Vinyl Singles Chart, 41 different tracks have hit Number 1 in the year since its inception. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ Riverman was the biggest selling vinyl single, while two of their other releases Lock All The Doors (2) and The Dying of the Light (4) chart within the Top 5.

David Bowie left an impression on the vinyl singles rundown too, with four of his back catalogue in the Top 10 best performers: Golden Years (3), Space Oddity (5), Fame (6) and Changes (8). Those four tracks all hit the top spot, keeping Bowie at the chart’s peak for 12 weeks in total.

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest artist albums of 2016 so far

Perhaps the most surprising Number 1 vinyl single of the year came courtesy of David Hasselhoff; The Hoff’s ‘80s throwback track True Survivor from the Kickstarter-funded short Kung Fury clinched the top spot for one week in July. Check out the latest Official Vinyl Albums and Singles charts here.

Martin Talbot, Chief Executive, Official Charts Company said: “As we celebrate the first birthday of the Official Vinyl Charts, it is encouraging to see the resurgence of this much-loved format continuing at pace in 2016.

"It is entirely fitting that Bowie’s final release, Blackstar, is the album that Britain’s vinyl shoppers have taken to their heart in droves so far this year, proving the Starman’s lasting impact on the charts, and the nation’s record collections, for undoubtedly many more years to come."

MORE: Check out the 40 biggest songs of 2016 so far

Kim Bayley of the Entertainment Retailers Association, who organise Record Store Day UK, added: "As Record Store Day approaches its 9th anniversary, the growing appeal of vinyl across generations, young and old, is reflected in the sheer diversity of artists featuring in the past 12 months in the vinyl chart. It's no surprise that with over 230 independent stores participating in this year's event and over 250 labels releasing exclusive vinyl on the day, that Record Store Day has been one of the driving forces behind the vinyl revival and the launch of the Official Vinyl Chart." 

The Official Top 20 biggest selling vinyl albums of the last 12 months are...

©2016 Official Charts Company . All rights reserved.

The Official Top 20 biggest selling vinyl singles of the last 12 months are...

©2016 Official Charts Company . All rights reserved.

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest vinyl albums and singles of 2015 revealed