According to new figures released by the BPI, rock is the UK's favourite genre. So, now you know.
A statement released by the organisation this morning revealed that a record 31,291 new albums were released across over 16 official genres in the UK last year (that, by the way, is more than double the amount of new long players released in 1996), and of those releases, it was rock that came out top, enjoying a 36.2% share of the albums market and also gaining a best-ever 23.5% market share in singles.
The figures also reveal a growth in the success of British bands, with seven out of the top ten rock albums and nine of the top ten rock singles, in 2005, coming from homegrown talent. Over all, British artists accounted for 49.4% of 2005's album sales, its highest share since 1998. Pop, of course, remains dominant in the singles market, but recent releases from the likes of Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs and Oasis helped contemporary rock increase its share of the singles and albums market last year.
BPI chairman Peter Jamieson said: "Few businesses offer so much choice to the consumer as the record industry does to the music fan. Record companies support a hugely diverse range of genres. But ultimately it's the music fan who decides what's successful. Last year they decided by some margin that 2005 was predominantly a year of home-grown British rock bands."
But all you rock fans out there, don't get too excited. MOR is on the up too, boosted by acts such as Il Divo and evil tulip-woman Katie Melua.