Top Best Selling Albums by Decade…

The best-selling albums of the decade - what are they? It's no secret that each era has its own music and authors! So, if in the 60s the cult Beatles ruled the scene, then closer to zero the leaders of the charts were Oasis! Today we recall the best-selling records of the decade: from the rhythmic 60s to the modern 2010s! The rating is based on the number of copies sold in the UK... So let's get started!

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1960s)

The legendary "Sergeant Pepper" became the pinnacle not only in The Beatles' discography, but also in musical culture (at least in the 60s!) This disc was sold in a colossal circulation: more than 30 million copies! And these are the figures for 2011... The 1967 album became the personification of psychedelic images and the freedom of today's youth! It is Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has had a huge impact on several generations of both listeners and musicians. The first songs the Beatles wrote for this album were "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane". However, at manager Brian Epstein's urging, they never made the record (due to their failure to reach No. 1 in the UK). By the way: it took the band 5 months to record the album... So, the first track that was included in the album was "When I'm Sixty-Four":

An interesting fact: when John Lennon was asked which of the famous people he would like to see on the cover, the musician answered "Adolf Hitler and Jesus Christ." As you might guess, both options were rejected ... Many were also confused by the fact that the legendary King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley is not on the cover! Paul McCartney commented on this as follows:

“Elvis is such an important and significant figure that it’s not even worth mentioning him ... He is much higher than everyone else ...”

The final price of the Sgt Pepper cover was almost £3,000... Interesting fact: at the end of "A Day In The Life" a high-pitched sound was used, which only dogs perceive.

Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970s)

Bridge Over Troubled Water is the legendary album by the Simon & Garfunkel duo, which, unfortunately, became their last collaboration… After the release of the record, Art Garfunkel continued to act in films, and Paul Simon continued to make music, only now on his own… As for the record, then it was the leader in many countries of the world and, in general, sold over 25 million copies! The main hit tracks were “Bridge over Troubled Water”, “El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)”, “Cecilia” and others…

If you're curious about how the process of making this classic record came about, then you need to watch the film The Harmony Game: in it, Simon & Garfunkel tell in detail how things were at the studio ...

Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms (1980s)

In total, 29 million copies have been sold worldwide. The third best selling album of all time in the UK. The first album to hit the CD market, win a Grammy, earn enough platinum... In short: Brothers In Arms is phenomenal on every level! His production raised the bar for all subsequent music. Unfortunately, it also almost destroyed the band... By 1984, constant touring and recording schedules had not eclipsed Mark Knopfler's enthusiasm for perfection. Taking over production duties on his previous album, Love Over Gold, he went even further in the direction of a pop-oriented Americana. Brothers in Arms has a great selection of songs, including, of course, the hit track "Money for Nothing" featuring Sting, the moody "So far Away" and the amazing "Walk Of Life"...

Dire Straits toured this album for two years. On that last night of the tour, they must never have wanted to hear another note from this album again... After so many years, Brothers in Arms still echoes around the world...

Oasis: (What The Story) Morning Glory? (1990s)

Released in October 1995 (What The Story) Morning Glory? sold a record first week of sales: 347,000 copies! It was this album that spawned such timeless masterpieces as "Some Might Say" and "Don't Look Back in Anger", as well as the legendary ballad "Wonderwall" ... By the way: the last track became the leader of several countries!

It was this album that turned Oasis into a world famous rock phenomenon! It was also an important achievement in the history of British music... In total, the record sales exceeded 20 million copies worldwide, what made (What The Story) Morning Glory? one of the most commercially successful albums in history...

James Blunt: Back to Bedlam (2000s)

The brooding debut of soulful British singer James Blunt inspires the listener with hope for a rainy day, the dreary consolation of unattainable love and, finally, humility... "Back to Bedlam" - the album's title was inspired by the famous psychiatric hospital, Bethlem Royal Hospital, also known as Bedlam. The record was sold in a huge circulation: more than 11 million copies (more than 3 million copies were sold in the UK alone!) The composition “You Beautiful”, released as the third single, became an international hit ...

Back to Bedlam went platinum 10 times! To date, this is the 18th best-selling album in the history of the British charts ...

Adele: "21" (2010s)

Album "21" charming Adele - the best-selling album of the 21st century! It debuted immediately at number one in the UK after sales of 208,000 and remained at the top for 23 consecutive weeks. 21's biggest weekly sales came nine weeks after release, with over 257,000 copies sold in seven days. According to the official charts, Adele's album took six weeks to reach one million in sales, 13 weeks to reach two million, 33 weeks to reach three million and 57 weeks to reach four million in the UK...

The album has sold over 31 million copies worldwide so far! It was also the longest running number one album in the last 45 years… The main hits from the record were "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone like You" and "Set Fire to the Rain".