And Finally Artist News Education & Events Media

Radio 2 reveals UK’s biggest selling debut albums of all time

By | Published on Friday 14 October 2022

National Album Day 2022

It’s National Album Day tomorrow. You’re probably too busy putting up your decorations right now to read this. Well, if you’ve got a moment while you have a quick break from all your Album Day preparations, I wanted to let you know that the Official Charts Company and BBC Radio 2 has announced the UK’s 20 biggest debut albums of all time.

This year’s National Album Day is putting the spotlight on debut albums in particular, hence this list. And topping the chart is Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ – unbeaten since 1977. This pushes the biggest debut by a British artist – James Blunt’s ‘Back To Bedlam’ – down in to second place. And if you’re wondering – I know you are – the most recent album in the top 20 is ‘Our Version Of Events’ by Emeli Sandé, which came out in 2012.

Steve Wright will run through the full top 20 in a special show on Radio 2 this afternoon from 1-3pm. Commenting, he says: “’Bat Out Of Hell’ reaching number one as the UK’s biggest debut album of all-time might be a surprise to some, but it is a truly brilliant debut album and one which reached a whole new audience following the sad passing of Meat Loaf earlier this year. You’re in for a treat with the full chart so do tune in for a fantastic nostalgia trip with some of the most brilliant songs you’ll ever hear”.

Official Charts Company chief exec Martin Talbot adds: “Congratulations to all of the artists on this special National Album Day chart. Any artist with an album successful enough to appear on this fantastic list, the Official Debut Albums Chart, will have come out of the traps at the beginning of their careers and truly hit the ground running”.

“A debut album is, for many artists, the most personal album of their careers”, he goes on, “the only album they spend their whole lives to that point making – so, to connect with the public in such an incredible way is truly impressive”.

Anyway, if you were struggling to think what debut albums you were going to spend your day listening to tomorrow, this list might help. Though, personally, I’ll just be listening to Slipknot’s first album on repeat. Like most days.

But here it is: the UK’s Official Debut Albums Chart:

1. Meat Loaf – Bat Out Of Hell (1977)
2. James Blunt – Back To Bedlam (2004)
3. Leona Lewis – Spirit (2007)
4. Lady Gaga – The Fame (2008)
5. Dido – No Angel (1999)
6. Spice Girls – Spice (1996)
7. Keane – Hopes And Fears (2004)
8. Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill (1994)
9. Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour (2014)
10. Coldplay – Parachutes (2000)
11. Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bell (1973)
12. Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters (2004)
13. Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman (1988)
14. Ed Sheeran – + (2011)
15. Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (2002)
16. Adele – 19 (2008)
17. Guns N Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)
18. Emeli Sandé – Our Version Of Events (2012)
19. Oasis – Definitely Maybe (1994)
20. The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004)



READ MORE ABOUT: | | |