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And Finally Artist News Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Retail
Major labels dominate most popular music of 2020
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 6 January 2021
The BPI has told us that music consumption was up in 2020, but what exactly were people listening to? Well, a whole load of major label releases, it turns out. Even on cassette. Actually, the cassette chart is almost exclusively populated by Universal’s Polydor label.
Rounding up the year in sales and streams, the Official Charts Company has released lists revealing the most popular albums and tracks overall in 2020, as well as the best-selling vinyl and cassette releases, and the most-streamed tracks.
Indie label releases are difficult to find in any of the charts – with none at all in the top ten tracks, albums and streaming tracks. However, with a few appearances in the physical product lists, this is actually an improvement on last year.
In the 2019 lists, the only indie release was a Kylie Minogue best of on cassette, which was released by BMG. Do we count BMG as an indie label? Well, do we? Maybe we don’t need to worry about that though, as the compilation was a joint release with Warner.
In 2020, BMG managed to get a Kylie cassette into the top ten on its own, with her latest studio album ‘Disco’. The album also made the vinyl top ten, as did two unquestionably indie releases – Arctic Monkey’s ‘Live At The Royal Albert Hall’ and Idles’ ‘Ultra Modern’, which crept in at numbers nine and ten respectively.
Anyway, I think quite some time ago I asked what people were actually listening to in 2020. So, let’s get on with finding out. Here are the various UK top tens of last year.
Albums Chart Of 2020 (sales and streams)
1. Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (Universal Music/EMI)
2. Harry Styles – Fine Line (Sony Music/Columbia)
3. Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia (Warner Music/Warner Records)
4. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
5. Stormzy – Heavy Is The Head (Warner Music/Atlantic/Merky)
6. Pop Smoke – Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon (Universal Music/Polydor/Republic Records)
7. Ed Sheeran – No. 6 Collaborations Project (Warner Music/Atlantic/Asylum)
8. Queen – Greatest Hits (Universal Music/EMI)
9. Elton John – Diamonds (Universal Music/EMI/Mercury)
10. Fleetwood Mac 50 Years – Don’t Stop (Warner Music/Rhino)
Singles Chart Of 2020 (sales and streams)
1. The Weeknd – Blinding Lights (Universal Music/Republic/XO)
2. Tones & I – Dance Monkey (Warner Music/Parlophone)
3. Saint Jhn – Roses (Sony Music/RCA/Ministry + Hitco)
4. Lewis Capaldi – Before You Go (Universal Music/EMI)
5. Joel Corry feat MNEK – Head & Heart (Warner Music/Atlantic/Asylum/Perfect Havoc)
6. Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now (Warner Music/Warner Records)
7. Dababy feat Roddy Ricch – Rockstar (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
8. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved (Universal Music/EMI)
9. Stormzy/Ed Sheeran/Burna Boy – Own It (Warner Music/Atlantic/Merky)
10. Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar (Sony Music/Columbia)
Vinyl Albums Chart Of 2020
1. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (Warner Music/Warner Records/WEA)
2. Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (Sony Music/Big Brother)
3. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black (Universal Music/Island)
4. Nirvana – Nevermind (Universal Music/Polydor/Geffen)
5. Harry Styles – Fine Line (Sony Music/Columbia)
6. Kylie Minogue – Disco (BMG)
7. Queen – Greatest Hits (Universal Music/UMC)
8. AC/DC – Power Up (Sony Music/Columbia)
9. Arctic Monkeys – Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Domino Recordings)
10. Idles – Ultra Mono (Partisan)
Cassette Albums Chart Of 2020
1. Lady Gaga – Chromatica (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
2. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Calm (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
3. Yungblud – Weird (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
4. The 1975 – Notes On A Conditional Form (Universal Music/Polydor/Dirty Hit)
5. Blackpink – The Album (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
6. Selena Gomez – Rare (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
7. Kylie Minogue – Disco (BMG)
8. Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia (Warner Music/Warner Records)
9. Haim – Women In Music Pt III (Universal Music/Polydor)
10. The Streets – None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive (Universal Music/Island)
Track Streams Chart Of 2020
1. The Weeknd – Blinding Lights (Universal Music/Republic/XO)
2. Tones & I – Dance Monkey (Warner Music/Parlophone)
3. Saint Jhn – Roses (Sony Music/RCA/Ministry + Hitco)
4. Dababy feat Roddy Ricch – Rockstar (Universal Music/Polydor/Interscope)
5. Lewis Capaldi – Before You Go (Universal Music/EMI)
6. Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now (Warner Music/Warner Records)
7. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved (Universal Music/EMI)
8. Joel Corry feat MNEK – Head & Heart (Warner Music/Atlantic/Asylum/Perfect Havoc)
9. Roddy Ricch – The Box (Warner Music/Atlantic)
10. Stormzy/Ed Sheeran/Burna Boy – Own It (Warner Music/Atlantic/Merky)
