The Official Top 20 biggest Americana albums of 2021

Tonight, the Official Charts Company reveals that Taylor Swift's Evermore was the best-selling Americana album of 2021 in the UK, while Barry Gibb's magnificent Greenfields - The Gibbs Brothers Songbook, was the biggest UK Americana release of last year.

The newly-unveiled Americana list is revealed after the seventh annual UK Americana Awards, which took place January 27 on YouTube. Bee Gees legend Barry Gibb picked up the prize from Official Charts chief executive Martin Talbot for the official biggest UK Americana release of the year, as verified by the Official Charts Company.

Watch Barry Gibb's acceptance speech here

On news of his award, Barry Gibb commented: “This is a wonderful thing! I would really like to thank the UK Americana Awards for recognising this album. It’s amazing that this can happen to me at this point in my life. I really am grateful to a lot of people. Firstly, my son Stephen who brought this wonderful idea to my attention. He played me a Chris Stapleton record which blew my socks off and inspired this album. I would also like to thank Dave Cobb for his passion, his patience, and his wonderful team. I’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to all of the legendary artists that took part. Making an album like this is a labour of love. Once again, thank you very much!”

He adds "Americana music is real music, and I've always tried to gravitate towards that."

Other notable winners on the night included Allison Russell and Yola, both double-winners; Allison scooped International Artist of the Year and International Album of the Year for ‘Outside Child’, while Yola won UK Artist of the Year and UK Album of the Year for ‘Stand For Myself’.

Lady Nade picked up UK Song of the Year with “Willing”, Brandi Carlile  International Song of the Year for “Right On Time”. Meanwhile Lucinda Williams scooped the International Lifetime Achievement Award, Beth Orton walked away with the Trailblazer Award and Lauren Housley was welcomed into the Americana fold as recipient of this year's Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award.

The UK's best-selling Americana albums of 2021

Taylor Swift’s ninth album, the surprise-released Evermore, became her sixth UK Number 1 in December 2020 following that year’s Folklore. She has since scored another two Number 1 albums during 2021 with (Taylor’s Version) editions of Fearless and Red. Taylor is also the first and only female artist to have eight UK Number 1 albums this century.

Back in January 2021, Barry Gibb landed his first ever solo Number 1 album with Greenfields - Gibb Brothers Songbook, a collection of country interpretations of classic Bee Gees hits, featured collaborations with the likes of Dolly Parton and Olivia Newton-John. It topped the Official Americana Chart, and spent eight weeks on the Official Albums Chart. See where all The Bee Gees' hit songs and albums charted. 

At Number 3 is Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’s second collaboration Raise The Roof, which peaked at Number 5 in December 2021. Elsewhere in the Americana chart, both Phoebe Bridgers and Bruce Springsteen have two entries in the Top Ten, with Bridgers at 4 with Punisher and Stranger In The Alps at 8. Bruce’s Letter To You (last year’s biggest Americana album) is at 5 and The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts is at 9.

Like Americana music? Check out the weekly Official Americana Albums Chart, published Fridays at 5.45pm. The biggest Americana albums of the week (defined in partnership with the Americana Music Association UK) and compiled by the Official Charts Company based on sales in the UK of downloads, CDs, vinyl and other formats, plus streams, across a seven day period.

Official Top 20 biggest Americana albums of 2021

The Official Americana Albums Chart is published every Friday at 5.45pm here at OfficialCharts.com.