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The UK's Official Top 40 biggest studio albums of the 21st Century
We celebrate National Album Day by unveiling the UK's biggest records since January 2000.
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October 12 marks National Album Day 2019, the second annual celebration of the album format, which has been enjoyed by music fans across the globe for 70 years.
To mark the occasion, Official Charts is revealing the UK's Top 40 biggest studios albums of the 21st Century. The chart, which aired asa special Pick of the Pops on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds between 1pm - 3pm, is based on physical sales, downloads and streams since January 1 2000.
Adele’s 2011 album 21 is Number 1 on the chart, with her 2015 album 25 coming in at Number 3, and a total of three albums ranking within the Top 40, with her debut album 19 placing at Number 26.
Adele's triology of albums have a combined total of 11.17 million chart sales, including 5.16 million for 21. The record is the UK's best-selling album of all-time by a solo artist, certified 17x Platinum.
Meanwhile, 25 is UK's fastest-selling album of all-time, with over 800,000 paid-for sales in its first week of release, and is also the quickest to reach three million sales in UK chart history. Its current chart sales figure stands at 3.56 million.
The Top 5 albums on the chart are by British acts, with a 50/50 split of male to female artists in the Top 10. In all, the Top 10 records have racked up 35 million chart sales, made up of 29.3 million physical copies, 3.8 million downloads and 2.2 million sales-equivalent streaming units.
Amy Winehouse claims the UK's second biggest album of the 21st Century with her second studio album Back to Black, the last record released in her lifetime. The collection has just over 4 million chart sales to date, powered by 87% physical sales.
Like Adele, Ed Sheeran also lands two entries in the Top 5. His 2014 album X is the UK's fourth biggest of the millennium (3.5 million), while 2017's ÷ is in fifth (3.4 million). ÷ holds a UK chart record for the highest first week sales for a male artist.
In sixth place, with the best-selling debut album of all-time, is James Blunt's Back to Bedlam. Featuring the hit singles You're Beautiful and Wisemen, Back to Bedlam has racked up 3.37 million chart sales. Close behind in seventh place is Leona Lewis' debut album Spirit (3.18m), an eight-week chart-topper across 2007-2008.
Michael Bublé claims the highest entry for an international artist at Number 8 with his chart-topping sixth album Crazy Love (3.15m), while Dido's debut record No Angel (3.09m) is at Number 9. David Gray's seminal album White Ladder (3.04m) rounds out the Top 10 at Number 10.
Lady Gaga's 2009 debut The Fame just misses out on a Top 10 placing at Number 11; and Kings of Leon score the most popular album by a group with Only By The Night in 12th, edging out Coldplay in 13th with A Rush Of Blood To The Head.
Michael Bublé and Dido chalk up another Top 20 entry each with Christmas (14) and Life For Rent (15), while Coldplay lock down a further two slots in the Top 20 with X&Y (18) and Parachutes (20).
Other acts to feature in the millennium Top 50 include Take That, Scissor Sisters, Eminem, Sam Smith, Robbie Williams and Rihanna.
The UK's Official Top 50 biggest studio albums of the millennium
| POS | TITLE | ARTIST | PEAK | YEAR |
| 1 | 21 | ADELE | 1 | 2011 |
| 2 | BACK TO BLACK | AMY WINEHOUSE | 1 | 2006 |
| 3 | 25 | ADELE | 1 | 2015 |
| 4 | X | ED SHEERAN | 1 | 2014 |
| 5 | DIVIDE | ED SHEERAN | 1 | 2017 |
| 6 | BACK TO BEDLAM | JAMES BLUNT | 1 | 2004 |
| 7 | SPIRIT | LEONA LEWIS | 1 | 2007 |
| 8 | CRAZY LOVE | MICHAEL BUBLE | 1 | 2009 |
| 9 | NO ANGEL | DIDO | 1 | 2000 |
| 10 | WHITE LADDER | DAVID GRAY | 1 | 1999 |
| 11 | THE FAME | LADY GAGA | 1 | 2008 |
| 12 | ONLY BY THE NIGHT | KINGS OF LEON | 1 | 2008 |
| 13 | A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD | COLDPLAY | 1 | 2002 |
| 14 | CHRISTMAS | MICHAEL BUBLE | 1 | 2011 |
| 15 | LIFE FOR RENT | DIDO | 1 | 2003 |
| 16 | BEAUTIFUL WORLD | TAKE THAT | 1 | 2006 |
| 17 | HOPES AND FEARS | KEANE | 1 | 2004 |
| 18 | X&Y | COLDPLAY | 1 | 2005 |
| 19 | SCISSOR SISTERS | SCISSOR SISTERS | 1 | 2004 |
| 20 | PARACHUTES | COLDPLAY | 1 | 2000 |
| 21 | COME AWAY WITH ME | NORAH JONES | 1 | 2002 |
| 22 | THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP | EMINEM | 1 | 2000 |
| 23 | IN THE LONELY HOUR | SAM SMITH | 1 | 2014 |
| 24 | + | ED SHEERAN | 1 | 2011 |
| 25 | EYES OPEN | SNOW PATROL | 1 | 2006 |
| 26 | 19 | ADELE | 1 | 2008 |
| 27 | OUR VERSION OF EVENTS | EMELI SANDE | 1 | 2012 |
| 28 | SWING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | 1 | 2001 |
| 29 | PROGRESS | TAKE THAT | 1 | 2010 |
| 30 | HOT FUSS | KILLERS | 1 | 2004 |
| 31 | AMERICAN IDIOT | GREEN DAY | 1 | 2004 |
| 32 | THE CIRCUS | TAKE THAT | 1 | 2008 |
| 33 | ROCKFERRY | DUFFY | 1 | 2008 |
| 34 | SING WHEN YOU'RE WINNING | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | 1 | 2000 |
| 35 | BY THE WAY | RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS | 1 | 2002 |
| 36 | SONGS ABOUT JANE | MAROON 5 | 1 | 2003 |
| 37 | ESCAPOLOGY | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | 1 | 2002 |
| 38 | EMPLOYMENT | KAISER CHIEFS | 2 | 2005 |
| 39 | THE GREATEST SHOWMAN | MOTION PICTURE CAST RECORDING | 1 | 2017 |
| 40 | LOUD | RIHANNA | 1 | 2010 |
©2019 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.
Article image: Invision/AP/Shutterstock
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Piran
Adele's album chart statistics are amazing! Looking forward to her return. :)
Also surprised that 'The Greatest Showman' barely made the Top 40... I thought it'd be a lot higher given that the soundtrack spent nearly 30 weeks at #1!
nicosnectarinegirl
@Johnny Mcvey Chart Masters recently reported that 21 has sold 5.225 million copies in the UK and with Adele's 4th album on the horizon 1st single reportedly to be released this week her catalog will sell well in the Holiday period this year possibly earning updated certs from BPI 18 x platinum for 21 12 x platinum for 25 and 10 x platinum for 19
D
Daren
Table says top 50 albums but it only lists 40
Johnny McVey
If Adele's sold 11.6m albums in the 21st century, with 5.1m for 21 and 3.56m for 25, that would mean that 19 is on 2.94m.
That can't be true, given that Life for Rent and Beautiful World (which are way above 19) were on less than that this time last year.
Bengy
Now corrected to 11.17m.
So 11.17 - 5.16 - 3.56 = 2.45m.
M
Michael
Top 10 is so Rock and Roll. Not
Biblical X Madferit
We need the rock n roll
Bengy
The Top 10 records have racked up 35 million chart sales.
But this leaves only 6.51m for the 2 Ed albums which is impossible if to be greater than Blunt's 3.37m.
Must be problems with rounding.