The best-selling album in British history
Since records began in 1956, the Official Charts have been monitoring the musical tastes of the British public weekly. When examined over an extended period, their data paints a portrait of the nation’s collective record collection and highlights the albums stored in the homes of millions across the land.
While many will imagine the top of the list is dominated by famous British acts such as The Beatles, Adele, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran and Oasis, none of those reputable acts are placed in first position. In fact, many of the best-selling albums in British history are greatest hits compilation albums rather than original studio records.
In recent years, the demand for greatest hits albums seemed to have significantly waned due to streaming albums making the entirety of an artist’s back catalogue available within a touch of a button. Therefore, there’s no need to listen to a greatest hits compilation, which combines the biggest hits of their career into one package when everything they’ve made is accessible.
In theory, the greatest hits compilation should be consigned to history. For decades, they were a useful tool which allowed buyers to sample the most famous work from a musical act before deciding to dig deeper into their repertoire of material. While services such as Spotify could have rendered this art form obsolete, against the odds, they’ve remained a popular medium.
At any given week, compilation albums from Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Michael Jackson, Queen, Oasis, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and more will all chart within the top 100. Despite having all of the music in the world in the palm of our hands, the ordinary listener still finds themselves returning to the same compilations.
According to the Official Charts, no album in history has sold more copies than Queen’s 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits. The LP, which contains songs such as ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, ‘Somebody To Love’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘, has sold over seven million copies in Britain alone. Since its release over 40 years ago, Greatest Hits has spent over 1,060 weeks in the chart, equating to over two decades.
Upon hearing the news in 2019, guitarist Brian May told the Official Charts: “What a great bit of news to wake up to! The most popular album? Well, I always thought the band showed promise, but this is beyond our boyhood dreams! Thanks folks!”
Meanwhile, drummer Roger Taylor added: “Incredible… marvellous… humbling… thank you… I feel good!”
Additionally, Queen’s later compilation album Greatest Hits II, released in 1991, has sold over four million copies in the same region.
Although Queen’s LPs are revered to a degree, the success of their compilation releases shows they are more of a singles band. The group’s studio albums aren’t often mentioned in the same breath as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or The Dark Side of the Moon, but they could go toe-to-toe with anyone regarding their greatest hits.
