The Official biggest albums of 2024

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has Officially been crowned the UK’s biggest album of 2024.

Spending 10 non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 since its release in May, Tortured Poets has earned 783,800 chart units over the last seven months. It’s the most-streamed and best-selling album of the year, with a hefty physical sales total of 313,800.

Upon its release, The Tortured Poets Department earned the biggest opening week for an album in the UK in seven years when it shifted 270,000 chart units in its first week. Not only that, it marked the biggest opening week for an international act in 18 years, the fastest accumulation of 12 Number 1 albums ever, and her third Official Chart Double.

Just three weeks ago, TTPD made history again when it earned its tenth week atop the Official Albums Chart - making it the first international solo artist album to achieve 10 non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 in 25 years, and the only one this century (since Shania Twain’s Come On Over in 1999).

In total, Taylor enjoys six places in the year-end Top 40, with Tortured Poets… joined by 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (15), Love (17), Folklore (19), Midnights (22) and Reputation (27).

The BPI revealed today that the total UK albums market has increased 9.7% in 2024 to 200.5 million albums (or their equivalent), marking a decade of uninterrupted growth.

In 2024 we've witnessed the first increase in sales of physical albums in two decades, up year-on-year by 1.4% to 17.4 million physical sales. Powered by a 17th consecutive rise in vinyl purchases, the UK vinyl market reaches a three-decade high, up 9.1% to 6.7 million units, and while catalogue continues to play an important role in the vinyl revival, new-release vinyl is increasingly driving vinyl sales. In fact, in 2024 seven of the Top 10 best-selling vinyl albums were new releases. See the best-selling vinyl albums and vinyl singles of 2024.

British acts have fared well this year, with more than 20 of this year’s Number 1 albums made up of British groups and solo acts.

The decline in CD sales has slowed for another year, with purchases falling by just 2.9% to 10.5 million units – in 2023 they decreased by 6.9% on the previous year.

MORE: The biggest songs of 2024

In second place on the End of Year list is last year’s biggest album, The Highlights by The Weeknd which finishes just ahead of one of the year’s most exciting records, Short N’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter at Number 3.

Short N’ Sweet spent two non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 this year, and spawned five Top 40 singles including three Number 1s; Espresso, Please Please Please and Taste.

Noah Kahan’s Stick Season comes in at Number 4, marking the culmination of a huge year for the Vermont singer-songwriter who also claimed the biggest single of 2024 with its title track.

Rounding out the Top 5 is Billie Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, the singer’s third UK Number 1 album which earned Billie the biggest opening week of her career back in May.

Chappell Roan’s debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess may not have charted on its original release in 2023, but in 2024 it’s flown all the way into the 6th biggest album of the year. One of the most exciting breakout artists of this year, Chappell really is proving that perseverance pays off.

The biggest new album by a British act is Charli xcx’s BRAT (8), also the biggest album by a British solo artist. Despite stalling at Number 2 upon its release, the album spawned seven Top 40 hits and became a cultural moment. With the release of its incredible remix version Brat and it's completely different but also still brat in October, the album finally reached Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart.

Moon Music by Coldplay (9) has had a very impressive year, too, as it earns the title of best-selling album on CD of the year, with over 204,000 copies sold on the format, and most downloaded album too.

Outside of the Top 10 are several more 2024 Number 1s, including Oasis' Definitely Maybe (20) which returned to the top following its 30th anniversary in August and scooped the best-selling vinyl reissue of 2024, Ariana Grande’s ex chart-topper Eternal Sunshine (29), Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grace) (32) and Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism (40).

Linkin Park see their best-of Papercuts: Singles Collection 2000-2023 land at Number 31 following their flawless comeback earlier this year, while Teddy Swims’ breakout collection I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) lands at Number 34.

See the Top 40 below, or view the end of year Official Albums Chart Top 100 in full here.

The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2024

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