Boyband One Direction enjoyed the biggest selling ‘artist album’ of 2013 in the UK according to figures released by the British Phonographic Industry.
Released last November, their album ‘Midnight Memories‘ had shifted around 685,000 copies by the end of the year, though the biggest selling album overall in Britain during 2013 was once again a Now! compilation – on this occasion ‘Now That’s What I Call Music! 86‘.
The most popular album of 2012 – Emeli Sande‘s ‘Our Version Of Events‘ – was second last year, while Arctic Monkeys had the eighth biggest seller thanks to ‘AM‘.
According to the BPI’s chairman Tony Wadsworth, this list apparently shows ‘the British public’s affinity for British music is alive and kicking’.
“For an impressive ninth year in a row, a UK artist signed, developed and supported by a British record label has claimed the best-selling artist album on home turf,” Wadsworth continued. “The hat-trick of chart achievements from One Direction, Bastille and Arctic Monkeys has certainly set a high benchmark for UK acts to follow in 2014, but we say watch this space.”
Top 10 best selling artist albums of 2013 (UK):
1/ One Direction – ‘Midnight Memories’
2/ Emeli Sande – ‘Our Version Of Events’
3/ Michael Buble – ‘To Be Loved’
4/ Robbie Williams – ‘Swing Both Ways’
5/ Olly Murs – ‘Right Place, Right Time’
6/ Bruno Mars – ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’
7/ Rod Stewart – ‘Time’
8/ Arctic Monkeys ‘AM’
9/ Gary Barlow – ‘Since I Saw You Last’
10/ Ellie Goulding – ‘Halcyon’