Adele, Ed Sheeran, ABBA and Olivia Rodrigo had the top albums of 2021 in the U.K., according to a new survey of the year in music released by the BPI, based on Official Charts Company data. The ove…
and Olivia Rodrigo had the top albums of 2021 in the U.K., according to a new survey of the year in music released by the BPI, based on Official Charts Company data.
The 5.7% streaming increase in the U.K. added up to a total of 147 billion audio streams. It was spread out among hitmakers, with 180 artists topping the 100-million stream mark and close to 2,000 artists earning at least 10 million streams. The year-end album chart had “30” in the lead, even with Adele’s blockbuster having come out only about six weeks before the end of the year. Sheeran’s “=” was in second place, followed by ABBA’s comeback, “Voyage,” in third —both of them also late fall arrivals that made up for lost time.
On the end-of-year singles chart, there were two artists who each landed a pair of tunes in the upper ranks. Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” and “Drivers License” came in at Nos. 2-3, while the Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears” and “Blinding Lights” landed at Nos. 4 and 9. But it was Sheeran earning the top spot among singles, with “Bad Habits” at No. 1. Adele and ABBA, despite having their new releases ride at near the top of the album chart, did not land any singles in the top 10.