Ludovico Einaudi sets new chart record for a classical artist

Ludovico Einaudi becomes first classical artist to tip the digital / physical formats balance. Plus: the Italian composer has a staggering 13 tracks in the Official Classical Singles Chart Top 20.

This week’s Official Albums Chart saw a first for classical music - Ludovico Einaudi’s In A Time Lapse became the first classical release to sell more digital downloads than physical copies.

The Italian composer’s latest album shattered the 50% barrier with a massive 72/28% digital physical split. The only previous classical album to come close to this achievement upon release was Einaudi’s 2011 compilation, Islands, which achieved an exact 50/50 digital/physical split week one.

The news comes less than a year since the Official Charts Company launched the Official Classical Singles Chart to recognise how classical fans are increasingly shifting from physical releases to digital downloads.

“Einaudi’s impressive achievement is also a perfect illustration of the coming of age of digital classical music,” says the Official Charts Company’s Managing Director, Martin Talbot. “Since we launched the Official Classical Singles Chart last spring, Ludovico Einaudi has been one of its biggest and most consistent stars - and is at Number 1 and 2 in the current Top 10.”

While Dickon Stainer, the President of Einaudi’s label, Decca Records, added:

“Ludovico is a pioneer of digital transformation for classical music. He’s a trailblazer!”

In A Time Lapse entered the Official Classical Albums Chart yesterday (Sunday, January 27) at Number 1, while it debuted at Number 24 on the Official Albums Chart and at Number 11 on the Official Digital Albums Chart Top 40. Einaudi’s tracks also account for a staggering 13 of today's Official Classical Singles Chart Top 20.

Ludovico Einaudi is no stranger to the UK charts: in 2011 BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James, a former host of the Official Chart Update, led a successful campaign to get Einaudi‘s work I Giorni into the Official Singles Chart Top 40. In the same year Professor Green sampled Einaudi’s work for his track, Astronaut, which features on the London rapper’s Top 5 album, At Your Inconvenience.