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Pop dominates single sales, though rock regains highest share of albums
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 12 February 2014
Pop is no longer the most popular genre in the UK. Not in terms of album sales anyway, as rock returns to the top after a brief drop in popularity in 2012. However, pop holds its crown in terms of single sales.
According to new stats from the BPI and Official Charts Company, pop took the largest share of the singles market in 2013 with 36.2% (down from 38.5% in 2012). Rock only managed to make up 21.4% of that domain, though this is still its best share of single sales since 2009.
As for albums, rock took the top spot, with a 33.8% share of the market, its highest since 2010, putting in back in the top position, having lost out to pop in 2012 (which in 2013 dropped from 33.5% to 31% when it comes to LP market share).
Despite pop albums making up all five of the biggest sellers of 2013 – Nows 86, 85 and 84, One Direction’s ‘Midnight Memories’ and Emeli Sandé’s ‘Our Version Of Events’ respectively – new long players by Arctic Moneys, Jake Bugg, Mumford & Sons and Rod Stewart, as well as strong showings from catalogue sales and increased interest in vinyl helped rock to regain its dominance. Mumford & Sons?
Elsewhere, other genres saw a boost, particularly dance music, which gained its largest share of the albums market since 2006, with 8.3% – this aided by releases from Rudimental, Calvin Harris and Disclosure. And you can argue that those are really pop records all you like, it’s not going to change anything.
And speaking of blurred lines between genres, what the BPI is calling ‘contemporary urban’ also saw a boost, with R&B taking 5.7% of album sales and hip hop taking 3.6%. Meanwhile, Robbie Williams and Michael Buble took MOR/Easy Listening to an 8.1% share.
BPI’s Gennaro Castaldo told CMU: “While the appeal of pop remains consistent, the popularity of rock music tends to ebb and flow a little more, reflecting as it does the excitement that can quickly build around new acts as they burst through. With Arctic Monkeys now taking on near-iconic status, and the likes of Jake Bugg and Bastille to name a few connecting with a new generation of fans, rock music looks set to enjoy another wonderfully vibrant period”.
And here’s all that information and more in list form:
Shares of album sales by genre:
Rock (33.8%)
Pop (31%)
Dance (8.3%)
MOR/Easy Listening (8.1%)
R&B (5.7%)
Hip hop (3.6%)
Classical (3.2%)
Country (1.7%)
Jazz (1.3%)
Folk (1.2%)
Blues (0.9%)
Reggae (0.7%)
Children’s (0.2%)
World (0.2%)
Spoken word (0.1%)
New age (0.1%)
Share of single sales by genre:
Pop (36.2%)
Rock (21.4%)
Dance (16.1%)
R&B (13.5%)
Hip hop (8.6%)
MOR/Easy Listening (1.6%)
Classical (0.7%)
Reggae (0.5%)
Country (0.5%)
Folk (0.3%)
Jazz (0.2%)
Top ten highest selling albums of 2013:
1. Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Music 86
2. Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Music 85
3. Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Music 84
4. One Direction – Midnight Memories
5. Emeli Sandé – Our Version Of Events
6. Michael Bublé – To Be Loved
7. Robbie Williams – Swings Both Ways
8. Olly Murs – Right Place Right Time
9. Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox
10. Rod Stewart – Time
