British acts dominate the list of million+ selling artists in Europe this year, so well done us (well, you really, we don't have any artists to sell a million). Of the 36 IFPI Platinum Awards presented to million selling albums across Europe this week, 19 went to British artists, including The Kooks, Sugababes, Katie Melua, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. Robbie, in fact, takes three of the awards - with 'Intensive Care', 'Greatest Hits' and 'Rudebox' all passing million sales landmarks in 2006. The latter, in fact, sold over 2 million in its first week of sale, and this despite much reported fears that the more eclectic new long player from the "troubled" Robbie Williams (TM the 3am Girls) would not sell so well.
Commenting on the Awards, Peter Jamieson of UK record label trade body BPI, told CMU: "These latest figures confirm that we are going through a golden age for new British music, even by our own high standards. The success UK music is enjoying today bodes well for future years because as ever in music, it's the hits of today which pay for the hits of tomorrow."
For all you list fans out there, here's the full list of the 19 Euro best sellers from UK artists, including the "level" of their award (ie James Blunt's album went 'five times platinum' - or past the 5 million sales landmark - in 2006).
James Blunt - Back To Bedlam (Warner/Atlantic) - 5
Robbie Williams - Greatest Hits (EMI/Chrysalis) - 5
Robbie Williams - Intensive Care (EMI/Chrysalis) - 5
Coldplay - X&Y (EMI/Parlophone) - 4
Coldplay - Parachutes (EMI/Parlophone) - 4
Radiohead - OK Computer (EMI/Parlophone) - 3
Gorillaz - Demon Days (EMI/Parlophone) - 2
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment (Universal/Polydor) - 2
Katie Melua - Piece By Piece (Dramatico) - 2
KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope (Relentless) - 2
Robbie Williams - Rudebox (EMI/Chrysalis) - 2
Rod Stewart - The Story So Far (Warner/Rhino Records) - 2
Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae (EMI) - 1
Keane - Under The Iron Sea (Universal/Island) - 1
Muse - Black Holes & Revelations (Warner) - 1
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open (Universal/Fiction) - 1
Sugababes - Taller In More Ways (Universal/Island) - 1
The Kooks - Inside In/Inside Out (EMI/Virgin) - 1
The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang (EMI/Virgin) - 1