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Lewis Capaldi and The Weeknd have been named among the best-selling artists of 2020 in the UK.
New data published by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) today (January 4) sheds light on what the UK listened to and bought in 2020, with the findings also revealing that recorded music consumption in the UK rose by 8.2% last year.
- Read more: The 50 best albums of 2020
There were 139 billion audio streams in the UK in 2020 (up by over a fifth compared to 2019) as nearly 200 artists had their music streamed over 100 million times. 155 million albums (or their equivalent) were either streamed or purchased by UK music lovers last year, with the coronavirus pandemic not having an adverse effect on the recorded music market.
The BPI noted that that while the pandemic has had a “devastating effect on the live sector”, demand for record music “initially dipped around the start of the first lockdown, but listening rebounded across streaming and physical formats and grew throughout the year”.
The BPI have also announced that streaming now accounts for four-fifths (80.6%) of the UK’s overall music consumption. Physical formats still enjoyed strong sales in 2020, however, with vinyl sales increasing by over a tenth (11.5%) as almost 4.8 million copies were purchased â a 13th year of consecutive growth for vinyl in the UK – and cassette sales doubling to rack up 156,542 copies, their highest total since 2003.
16 million CDs were also bought in 2020, representing 10.3% of the UK’s recorded music consumption.
In terms of individual best-sellers, Capaldi’s 2019 debut ‘Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent’ continues to be the record to beat as it was crowned the UK’s best-selling album in 2020, as it was in 2019. Harry Stylesâ ‘Fine Line’ was the second best-selling album of 2020 in the UK, with Dua Lipa‘s ‘Future Nostalgia’ rounding off the podium.
Billie Eilish, Stormzy and the late Pop Smoke also feature in the top 10 best-selling albums of 2020 in the UK. You can see the full list below.
Official Albums Chart of 2020
1. Lewis Capaldi – âDivinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extentâ
2. Harry Styles – âFine Lineâ
3. Dua Lipa – âFuture Nostalgiaâ
4. Billie Eilish – âWhen We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?â
5. Stormzy – âHeavy Is The Headâ
6. Pop Smoke – âShoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moonâ
7. Ed Sheeran – âNo. 6 Collaborations Project’
8. Queen – âGreatest Hitsâ
9. Elton John – âDiamondsâ
10. Fleetwood Mac – â50 Years â Donât Stopâ
The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ has been named as both the UK’s best-selling single and most-streamed track of 2020, with Tones & I‘s ‘Dance Monkey’ and SAINt JHN‘s ‘Roses’ rounding out the top three in both countdowns. You can see those two respective top 10s below.
Official Singles Chart of 2020
1. The Weeknd – âBlinding Lightsâ
2. Tones & I – âDance Monkeyâ
3. SAINt JHN – âRosesâ
4. Lewis Capaldi – âBefore You Goâ
5. Joel Corry ft MNEK – âHead & Heartâ
6. Dua Lipa – âDonât Start Nowâ
7. DaBaby ft Roddy Ricch – âRockstarâ
8. Lewis Capaldi – âSomeone You Lovedâ
9. Stormzy/Ed Sheeran/Burna Boy – âOwn Itâ
10. Harry Styles – âWatermelon Sugarâ
Most-Streamed Audio Tracks of 2020
1. The Weeknd – âBlinding Lightsâ
2. Tones & I – âDance Monkeyâ
3. SAINt JHN – âRosesâ
4. DaBaby ft Roddy Ricch – âRockstarâ
5. Lewis Capaldi – âBefore You Goâ
6. Dua Lipa – âDonât Start Nowâ
7. Lewis Capaldi – âSomeone You Lovedâ
8. Joel Corry ft MNEK – âHead & Heartâ
9. Roddy Ricch – âThe BoxâÂ
10. Stormzy/Ed Sheeran/Burna Boy – âOwn Itâ
The UK’s enduring love for the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Oasis, Nirvana and Amy Winehouse saw classic albums by those artists being among the 10 biggest-selling vinyl LPs of 2020, while Lady Gaga‘s latest album ‘Chromatica’ has been named as the best-selling cassette album of 2020 in the UK.
Official Vinyl Album Chart of 2020
1. Fleetwood Mac – âRumoursâ
2. Oasis – â(Whatâs The Story) Morning Glory?â
3. Amy Winehouse – âBack To Black’
4. Nirvana – âNevermindâ
5. Harry Styles – âFine Lineâ
6. Kylie Minogue – âDiscoâ
7. Queen – âGreatest Hitsâ
8. AC/DC – âPower Up’
9. Arctic Monkeys – âLive At The Royal Albert Hallâ
10. IDLES – âUltra Monoâ
Official Cassette Albums Chart of 2020
1. Lady Gaga – âChromaticaâ
2. 5 Seconds Of Summer – âCalmâ
3. Yungblud – âWeirdâ
4. The 1975 – âNotes On A Conditional Formâ
5. Blackpink – âThe Albumâ
6. Selena Gomez – âRareâ
7. Kylie Minogue – âDiscoâ
8. Dua Lipa – âFuture Nostalgiaâ
9. Haim – âWomen In Music Pt IIIâ
10. The Streets – âNone Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Aliveâ
Last month Capaldi released âDivinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent: Finaleâ, a deluxe version of his best-selling album.
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