List of number-one albums (UK)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series of articles on British music

BPI • OCC
Charts Singles chart (#1s; Records) Albums chart (#1s) Download chart (#1s)
Awards BRIT Awards • Mercury Prize NME Awards
Periods Pre-1950 • 1950s & 60s 1970s • 1980s 1990s - Present
Origins and influences Overview England • Scotland • Wales Ireland • Caribbean
Genres Classical • Britpop • Brithop Opera • Rock • Jazz
Major music publications NME • Melody Maker Music Week • Record Collector Record Mirror • Record Retailer Smash Hits • Sounds Q • Kerrang! • fRoots
Other links Bands • Musicians Festivals • Venues
Timeline 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • (full list)
This box: view • talk • edit

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 Record Retailer chart from March 1960 to March 1972 and the Music Week chart from then onwards. In January 1989 the compilation album chart started, and compilation albums were excluded from the main chart.

As of 13 January 2008 831 albums have topped the UK albums chart.

[edit] Records

The original soundtrack of South Pacific holds the record for the most weeks at Number 1, with a cumulative total of 115 weeks, including one stretch of 70 consecutive weeks. A fairly distant second place is held by the The Sound of Music soundtrack with a cumulative total of 70 weeks. Third is the King and I soundtrack with a cumulative total of 48 weeks. Fourth is the highest non soundtrack Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel with a cumulative total of 33 weeks.

The second longest consecutive streak is held by The Beatles first album Please Please Me which spent 30 weeks at the top before being knocked off by the band's second album, With the Beatles, which was itself at the summit for 21 weeks. This means The Beatles were at number one for 51 consecutive weeks in all - a total not bettered by any other artist.

The biggest fall from number one was The Wu-Tang Clan's 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever, which fell from Number One to Number 14.