The UK Albums Chart is a music chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom.[1] Initially based solely on the sales of albums in the vinyl and CD formats, digital albums began being included from April 2006.[2] Since March 2015, the chart has also been based on audio streaming figures,[3] however the OCC still compiles a 'sales' (only) chart and still quotes these traditional sales figures in its features and articles.[4]
This is a list of the 50 best-selling albums in the UK from 1 January 2000 onwards, as compiled by the OCC (sales that occurred before 2000 are not included). Of these, only two were originally released before the year 2000: White Ladder (1998) by David Gray and Gold: Greatest Hits (1992) by ABBA.[4]
Back to Bedlam by James Blunt, which was the best-selling album of the 2000s decade,[5] was also the best-selling album of the 21st century until August 2011 when it was passed in sales by Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, following Winehouse's death the previous month.[6] Less than four months later, however, Back to Black was itself overtaken by Adele's 21.[7] As of 2024, 21 remains the biggest-selling album in the UK since 2000 (and second best-selling ever), having sold 6 million copies.[8][9]