Top 100 British Record Collection

Compiled by The Official UK Chart Company

Queen’s Greatest Hits is the most successful album ever in Britain. Elton John ranks 54 in this Top 100 of the past 50 years.

It took The Official UK Charts Company six months to plough through 50 years of sales figures to produce the ratings.

There is no place for Bob Dylan or The Rolling Stones — but Jason Donovan and Robson & Jerome make it. Robbie Williams has most albums in the list with six.

Here is the complete Top 100 (sales in millions):

1 Greatest Hits – Queen 5.41
2 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles 4.81
3 (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis 4.31
4 Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits 3.96
5 Gold: Greatest Hits – Abba 3.94
6 The Dark Side Of The Moon – Pink Floyd 3.78
7 Greatest Hits II – Queen 3.64
8 Thriller – Michael Jackson 3.58
9 Bad – Michael Jackson 3.56
10 The Immaculate Collection – Madonna 3.40
11 Stars – Simply Red 3.36
12 Come On Over – Shania Twain 3.34
13 Rumours – Fleetwood Mac 3.14
14 Urban Hymns – Verve 3.10
15 No Angel – Dido 3.02
16 Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel 3.01
17 Talk On Corners – The Corrs 2.95
18 Spice – Spice Girls 2.92
19 Back To Bedlam – James Blunt 2.90
20 White Ladder – David Gray 2.85
21 Bat Out Of Hell – Meat Loaf 2.84
22 Life For Rent – Dido 2.79
23 But Seriously – Phil Collins 2.74
24 1 – The Beatles 2.69
25 The Man Who – Travis 2.67
26 The Joshua Tree – U2 2.66
27 Greatest Hits – Abba 2.60
28 Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield 2.58
29 A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay 2.57
30 I’ve Been Expecting You – Robbie Williams 2.56
31 Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette 2.55
32 Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters 2.54
33 Legend – Bob Marley & The Wailers 2.52
34 Hopes And Fears – Keane 2.49
35 War Of The Worlds – Jeff Wayne 2.45
36 The Sound Of Music – Soundtrack 2.44
37 Dirty Dancing – Soundtrack 2.43
38 Ladies And Gentlemen: The Best Of – George Michael 2.41
39 Grease – Soundtrack 2.37
40 Come Away With Me – Norah Jones 2.36
41 X&Y – Coldplay 2.35
42 Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman 2.342
43 Robson & Jerome – Robson & Jerome 2.34
44 Tango In The Night – Fleetwood Mac 2.33
45 Parachutes – Coldplay 2.32
46 Automatic For The People – REM 2.27
47 Whitney – Whitney Houston 2.24
48 The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem 2.23
49 Swing When You’re Winning – Robbie Williams 2.21
50 Graceland – Paul Simon 2.20
51 Sing When You’re Winning – Robbie Williams 2.18
52 Saturday Night Fever – Soundtrack 2.15
53 The Bodyguard – Soundtrack 2.14
54 The Very Best Of – Elton John 2.13
55 Simply The Best – Tina Turner 2.12
56 Kylie: The Album – Kylie Minogue 2.11
57 Falling Into You – Celine Dion 2.10
58 Life Thru A Lens – Robbie Williams 2.08
59 Greatest Hits – Eurythmics 2.06
60 Escapology – Robbie Williams 2.04
61 Greatest Hits – Robbie Williams 2.00
62 Let’s Talk About Love – Celine Dion 1.99
63 Dangerous – Michael Jackson 1.98
64 True Blue – Madonna 1.96
65 Appetite For Destruction – Guns N’ Roses 1.95
66 No Jacket Required – Phil Collins 1.94
67 Abbey Road – The Beatles 1.93
68 A New Flame – Simply Red 1.92
69 By The Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers 1.91
70 Can’t Slow Down – Lionel Richie 1.89
71 Songs About Jane – Maroon 5 1.87
72 Crossroad: Best Of – Bon Jovi 1.86
73 Stripped – Christina Aguilera 1.85
74 Greatest Hit – Simon and Garfunkel 1.84
75 Carry On Up The Charts – Beautiful South 1.83
76 Play – Moby 1.82
77 The Colour Of My Love – Celine Dion 1.817
78 Born To Do It – Craig David 1.816
79 The Greatest Hits – Texas 1.809
80 Nevermind – Nirvana 1.807
81 South Pacific – Soundtrack 1.803
82 Justified – Justin Timberlake 1.802
83 American Idiot – Green Day 1.80
84 Be Here Now – Oasis 1.798
85 Back To Front – Lionel Richie 1.794
86 Out Of Time – REM 1.79
87 Call Off The Search – Katie Melua 1.78
88 Employment – Kaiser Chiefs 1.772
89 By Request – Boyzone 1.771
90 Bat Out Of Hell II – Meat Loaf 1.75
91 Definitely Maybe – Oasis 1.74
92 Just Enough Education To Perform – Stereophonics 1.73
93 The Hardline According To – Terence Trent D’Arby 1.72
94 Missundaztood – Pink 1.712
95 Let Go – Avril Lavigne 1.711
96 Performance And Cocktails – Stereophonics 1.71
97 Older – George Michael 1.70
98 Parallel Lines – Blondie 1.69
99 Fever – Kylie Minogue 1.682
100 10 Good Reasons – Jason Donovan 1.681

Return to Cornflakes & Classics 2006