Queen's 'Greatest Hits' crowned as UK's best selling album ever
Queen’s best of album ‘Greatest Hits’ has brushed aside all competition to become the UK’s best selling record ever.
The 1981 compilation stands alone as the first and only record to have smashed the six million sales barrier (its tally currently stands at 6.1million) in the UK and dwarfs ABBA’s ‘Gold: Greatest Hits’ in second spot which has sold 5.2million copies.
Testament to its enduring popularity, since its release ‘Greatest Hits’ has spent 729 weeks – that’s more than 14 years – in the album chart top 100.
"What a great bit of news to wake up to!" Brian May said this morning. “The most popular album? Well, I always thought the band showed promise, but this is beyond our boyhood dreams! Thanks folks!"
Roger Taylor added: "Incredible...marvellous...humbling...thank you...I feel good!"
Other albums that feature in the 60 biggest sellers countdown to mark the Official Charts’ 60th birthday include The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at no.3 (5.1million sales), Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ at no.7 (4.42million sales) and Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ at number 8 (4.41million sales).
Queen’s ‘Greatest Hits II’ also makes it into the Top 10 at no.10 with almost 4 million albums sold.
Elsewhere, Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’ is at 11, Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat Out of Hell’ is at 19, U2’s ‘The Joshua Tree’ is at 36 and Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ is at 42.
Official Charts chief executive Martin Talbot said: “In celebration of 60 years of the UK’s Official Album Chart, it is fantastic that we can crown Queen as the kings of the Anniversary Top 60. With seven albums by British acts in the all-time Top 10, it is a great list for homegrown talent.”