The
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
is a weekly
record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include ...
based on album sales from Friday to Thursday in the United Kingdom (the chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday until 2015). It listed only
physical
Physical may refer to:
* Physical examination, a regular overall check-up with a doctor
* ''Physical'' (Olivia Newton-John album), 1981
** "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John song)
* ''Physical'' (Gabe Gurnsey album)
* "Physical" (Alcazar song) (2004)
* ...
album sales until 2007, after which it has also included albums sold
digitally, and from March 2015, includes streamed tracks. The chart is currently compiled by the
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
(OCC) on behalf of the UK music industry, and each week's new number one is first announced on Friday evenings (Sunday evenings until July 2015) by
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
on
their weekly chart show.
The album chart was first published by ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
'' on 28 July 1956—the album at number one that week was ''
Songs for Swingin' Lovers!'' by
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
. , 1,000 different albums have reached the top of the chart; 12 artists have topped the chart with nine or more different albums. The most successful act is
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, who have reached number one with fifteen records and spent 176 weeks at the top, longer than any other artist.
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
is the most successful solo artist with 14 number-one albums, while
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
is the most successful female artist with 12 number ones.
Artists
The following artists have been credited on at least nine different number-one albums, as recognised by the OCC. Appearances on compilation albums featuring various artists are not included. Artists with the same amount of number-one albums are ordered by the earlier date of accumulation.
See also
*
List of artists by number of UK Singles Chart number ones
*
List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom
The best-selling album in the United Kingdom is ''Greatest Hits'', a compilation album by the British rock band Queen that was first released in 1981. , it has sold more than 7 million copies, of which approximately 124,000 have been from ...
*
List of one-hit wonders on the UK Albums Chart
*
List of UK Albums Chart Christmas number ones
*
List of UK Albums Chart number ones
This is a list of the number one hits in the UK Albums Chart, from its inception in 1956 to the present. The sources are the ''Record Mirror'' chart from 1956 to the end of 1958, the ''Melody Maker'' chart from November 1958 to March 1960, the ''Re ...
References
Notes
External links
Official UK Albums Top 100at the
Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
The Official UK Top 40 Albums Chartat
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Artists By Total Number Of UK Number One Albums
Lists of artists by record chart achievement