Record year for albums in UK

The UK record industry has enjoyed its best ever year for album sales, new figures out today show.

Music fans have snapped up a record 237 million albums in the twelve months to the end of September this year.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the trade association which represents record companies, said the success of new British artists like Keane and the Streets had contributed to the 3% increase in album sales in the UK.

The BPI also confirmed today that download sales could be amalgamated into the singles chart next year.

And it “could only be a matter of time” before downloads on mobile phones are included, it said.

In the last quarter, if downloads are included in the figures, single sales were up by 9%.

Around 1.75 million tracks were legally downloaded from websites in the three months from July.

But when downloads are not included, figures show a 12% decline in single sales.

British record companies sold £1,218.4 million worth of albums in the 12 months to the end of September – a 2.7% increase from the previous year.

Today’s figures also show that British acts have topped the chart of the best-selling albums of the year, in the 12 months to the end of September 2004.

Dido’s Life for Rent was the best-selling album followed by Will Young’s Friday Child.

Elephunk, the album by US act Black Eyed Peas, was the third best-selling in the UK, followed by another British album, Katie Melua’s Call off the Search.

Eleven of the top 20 albums of the year were from British-signed acts, and four of these were debuts.

BPI chairman Peter Jamieson said: “The British record industry’s continued investment in new British talent is paying off.

“While albums from new British artists are selling well, the booming DVD market is making an impact and the legal download market shows that demand remains high for single-track purchases.”

He said: “We should be proud of the achievements of British artists in particular, and the resilience of the UK music market in general.”

Top 20 albums – 12 months to end of September 2004

1. Life for Rent, Dido

2, Friday’s Child, Will Young

3, Elephunk, Black Eyed Peas

4, Call off the Search, Katie Melua

5, Number Ones, Michael Jackson

6, In time – The Best Of – 1988-2003, REM

7, Feels Like Home, Norah Jones

8, Hopes and Fears, Keane

9, A Present for Everyone, Busted

10, Greatest Hits, Red Hot Chili Peppers

11, Permission to Land, Darkness

12, Scissor Sisters, Scissor Sisters

13, Greatest Hits, Guns n’ Roses

14, Confessions, Usher

15, Twentysomething, Jamie Cullum

16, Anastacia, Anastacia

17, Songs about Jane, Maroon 5

18, Three, Sugababes

19, A Grand Don’t Come for Free, Streets

20, Turnaround, Westlife