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National Album Day 2021 to put the spotlight on women in music
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 8 March 2021
Organisers of the UK’s National Album Day have announced that this year’s edition, on 16 Oct, will specifically celebrate women in music, “shining a light on the huge contribution made by women and female-identifying artists to our music and culture through the art form of the album”. This is being announced today, of course, to coincide with International Women’s Day.
To accompany that announcement, record label trade group BPI and the Entertainment Retailers Association have also published two charts based on album sales and streaming data since 2000. The first is the ten best-selling female artists when UK album sales and streams are all added up, while the second is the ten best performing albums from female music-makers of the last two decades. Adele appears three times in the latter, meaning she – somewhat unsurprisingly – tops the former.
Commenting on all this, BPI boss Geoff Taylor and ERA chief Kim Bayley, say in a joint statement: “We are delighted that National Album Day is returning for a fourth edition, shining a light this year on the tremendous contribution women make to music through the album format, supported by our official partners Bowers & Wilkins and BBC Sounds”.
“While the ways in which fans enjoy music constantly evolve”, they add, “the album remains central to artists’ self-expression and to fans’ understanding of what an artist has to say. National Album Day is an opportunity for artists and fans alike to celebrate this much-loved artform and remind ourselves of its continuing power to tell stories, influence and inspire”.
And here are those charts, based on all your favourite Official Charts Company data…
Top ten female album atists in the UK since 2000
1. Adele
2. Pink
3. Madonna
4. Rihanna
5. Dido
6. Amy Winehouse
7. Kylie Minogue
8. Beyonce
9. Britney Spears
10. Lady Gaga
Top ten albums by female artists in the UK since 2000
1. Adele – 21
2. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
3. Adele – 25
4. Leona Lewis – Spirit
5. Lady Gaga – Fame
6. Dido – No Angel
7. Dido – Life For Rent
8. Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
9. Adele – 19
10. Emeli Sande – Our Version Of Events
