Countdown Top UK 100 albums of the decade 2010 - 2019

[Ome]

I hope you can join me as we countdown the biggest albums of the 10s which have been unveiled by the Official Charts Company

I originally planned to do one 'decade' countdown at a time, but then thought it would be more fun doing them side by side. I simply hope that I manage always post the albums in this thread and the singles in that appropriate thread. thread

This countdown will include both studio and greatest hits albums, however, there is no data for the compilation albums. It does still include soundtracks.

16 greatest hits album feature in the Top 100 of the decade rundown


How many albums did you buy from this list?

Are there any surprises, maybe some albums you thought would be higher in the countdown and likewise lower in the countdown?



Look out for some of the biggest 70s and 80s stars appearing in here while noticing that some big artists don't appear anywhere.

 

[Ome]

100. Four – One Direction

The fourth studio album by English-Irish boy band One Direction, released on 17 November 2014 by Columbia Records and Syco Music. Two singles were released from the album, "Steal My Girl" and "Night Changes", both achieving platinum status in the US, and scoring the band their tenth and eleventh UK top-ten hits. The album was also One Direction's last with member Zayn Malik, who announced he was leaving the band on 25 March 2015.
With Four, One Direction became the first band to have their first four albums debut at number one in the United States. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Four was the sixth best-selling album of 2014, with 3.2 million copies sold worldwide




99. Direct Hits – The Killers

Direct Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock band The Killers, released on November 11, 2013 by Island Records. The album includes tracks from the band's first four studio albums and features two new tracks - "Shot at the Night" and "Just Another Girl", produced by Anthony Gonzalez of M83 and Stuart Price respectively.

Regarding the album's release, vocalist Brandon Flowers noted, "This record feels like a great way to clean everything up and move onto the next thing."

According to vocalist Brandon Flowers, Direct Hits was originally entitled Cream. He notes, "The initial idea, which maybe was better, was Cream. It was my idea. It was a play on the fact that we put out a B-sides compilation called Sawdust. And so it made sense to call the ones that were our best Cream." Flowers' original idea for the album sleeve featured the Hoover Dam and a reservoir of cream

 

[Ome]

98. Outta This World – JLS

The second studio album from English boy band and The X Factor runners-up JLS. It was released in Ireland on 19 November 2010 and in the United Kingdom on 22 November 2010. The album received negative to mixed reviews from music critics. It debuted at number two in the UK, and at number four in Ireland, selling 152,000 copies in its first week in the UK. Since its release, the album has sold over 650,000 copies



97. Greatest Hits – Westlife

The twelfth major album release by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released on 18 November 2011 by RCA Records and Sony Music. Greatest Hits is the group's second greatest hits album following Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits Volume 1 (2002) and their last before their split months later and reformation six years later.

The compilation reached #4 in the UK Albums Chart; it is the lowest peaking position for a Westlife album. Despite the peak history of the album in the United Kingdom, it sold more than 600,000 units and is certified 2x Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry as of November 2018 making it as one of their best-selling albums of all time in the UK.


In other countries, the album debuted at the #1 position on the Irish Albums Chart, while it peaked within the top forty of New Zealand and Norway. It charted at number-seventy at the South Korean Year-end Albums Chart with a recorded 2,449 number of sales.


The album has been reissued with the title Greatest Hits: Gold Series in a limited gold tinted CD in Australia on 27 October 2017.

 

[Ome]

96. Red – Taylor Swift

The fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 22, 2012, by Big Machine Records. Inspired by past romantic relationships evoking "red" intense, tumultuous emotions that Swift was experiencing during conception of the album, Red touches on Swift's recurring themes of romance and heartbreak, but represents a more mature perspective and also explores the pressure of being in the public eye. Featuring collaborations with Gary Lightbody and Ed Sheeran, the album musically experiments with new genres for Swift such as heartland rock and dubstep.

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 1.2 million copies, giving Swift her third consecutive number-one album and making her the first female artist to have two million-selling album openings. It was Swift's first chart-topper in the UK, and also topped charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Red has sold 4.4 million copies in the US and six million copies worldwide. It was supported by seven singles, four of which reached the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100: the number-one single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", "Begin Again", "I Knew You Were Trouble", and "Red". The album's supporting world tour ran from March 2013 to June 2014 and grossed over $150 million.



95. Greatest Hits – Guns N’ Roses

Released on March 23, 2004. Released by Geffen Records in part because of the delay in the making of Chinese Democracy, the album was subject to lawsuits by band member Axl Rose and former band members, in an attempt to block its release due to its tracklisting.


Despite the album having almost no promotion, it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and number three on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release. Greatest Hits re-entered the Billboard 200 at number three in March 2012, selling about 85,000 copies as part of a promotion by both Amazon and Google Play that saw the album sold for 25 cents for one day. The album has proven a popular seller, selling over six million copies in the United States by 2018. Greatest Hits is one of the longest-charting albums in the Billboard 200 era, being one of only seven albums to notch at least 400 weeks on the chart by June 2017. As of July 2018, it has spent 441 weeks on the chart.

 

[Ome]

94. Ghost Stories – Coldplay

The sixth studio album by British rock band Coldplay. Co-produced by the band with Paul Epworth along with returning Mylo Xyloto producers Daniel Green and Rik Simpson, it was released by Parlophone on 16 May 2014.

The album was further promoted by five singles: "Magic", the lead single, released in March; "Midnight", released in April; "A Sky Full of Stars", released in May; "True Love", released in August; and "Ink", released in October. It was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 57th Grammy Awards. At the 2015 Billboard Music Awards it was named Top Rock Album.


The album received mixed to positive reviews, with many critics praising the band's return to the more somber, melancholy style found in their earlier music, though some found the album repetitive and lacking direction. It is reported by several media outlets that Chris Martin has said that the album was inspired by his and Gwyneth Paltrow's split in 2014


93. The Thrill of it All – Sam Smith

The second studio album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith. It was released on 3 November 2017 through Capitol Records.

The Thrill of It All topped the UK Albums Chart in its first week of release with 97,328 combined units (consisting of 83,637 sales and 13,691 sales-equivalent streams), giving Smith their second number-one album in the nation after In the Lonely Hour (2014). It also had the fifth-largest opening there at the time for a 2017 album. The record fell to number two the next week with a combined total of 52,781 units. before returning to the top spot three weeks later and being displaced by Ed Sheeran's ÷ the following week. In Australia, the album opened at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming the singer's second album to enter at that position after In the Lonely Hour. It additionally debuted at number one on the Irish and Scottish charts.


The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 237,000 album-equivalent units, including 185,000 pure sales, giving Smith their first chart-topper and highest opening sales in the United States. It also had the country's seventh-largest album opening of the year at the time. The Thrill of It All dropped to number two the following week, earning 66,000 album-equivalent units. It also became their first number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, debuting with 16,000 units, including 9,500 copies.

 

[Ome]

92. Since I Saw You Last – Gary Barlow

The fourth solo studio album released by British singer-songwriter Gary Barlow. The album was released by Polydor Records on 22 November 2013 in Ireland, and on 25 November in the United Kingdom. It debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, and met with a mixed critical reaction.


It is Barlow's first full-length solo album in fourteen years, following 1999's Twelve Months, Eleven Days. It features a range of genres, described by Barlow as a mixture of pop, folk pop and alternative. The album's lead single, "Let Me Go", was released a week before the album, and became Barlow's 21st UK top 3 single





91. If You Wait – London Grammar

The debut studio album by English indie pop band London Grammar. It was released on 6 September 2013 by Metal & Dust Recordings and Ministry of Sound. Seven singles were released from the album: "Metal & Dust", "Wasting My Young Years", "Strong", "Nightcall", "Hey Now", "Sights" and "If You Wait". The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 33,130 copies

 

[Ome]

90. Caustic Love – Paolo Nutini

The third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini, released on 14 April 2014 by Atlantic Records. After releasing his critical and commercial successful album Sunny Side Up (2009), Nutini began touring which ended two years later. In February 2011, Nutini began writing and recording the album Caustic Love, which was co-produced by Nutini with Dani Castelar.


Upon release, Caustic Love was met with positive reviews from music critics, who noted the album as "the best UK R&B album since the 1970s blue-eyed-soul heyday." Commercially the album was a success; it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with 109,000 copies sold, making it the fastest-selling album of the year in the region. It was also selected on December 8, 2014 by Apple to become the Best Album in iTunes' 'Best of 2014'






89. Greatest Hits – Queen

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released worldwide on 26 October 1981. The album consisted of Queen's biggest hits since their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye", up to their 1980 hit "Flash" (though in some countries "Under Pressure", the band's 1981 chart-topper with David Bowie, was included). There was no universal track listing or cover art for the album, and each territory's tracks were dependent on what singles had been released there and which were successful.


Greatest Hits was a commercial success worldwide. It received further boosts in sales following the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1991, and the release of the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody in 2018. In the UK, the album spent four weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold consistently well throughout the 1980s, becoming the fourth-biggest selling album of the decade. As of October 2019, Greatest Hits has spent 868 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, has been certified twenty times platinum, and is the best-selling album of all time in the UK, with sales of over six million copies. It has been certified eight times platinum in the US, three times platinum in Canada, fifteen times platinum in Australia, and ten times platinum in New Zealand, and in total has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, making it the band's best-selling album and one of the best-selling albums of all time

 

[Ome]

88. Fall to Grace – Paloma Faith

The second studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith. It was released by RCA Records on 28 May 2012.

The album's lead single was "Picking Up the Pieces", which was released on 20 May 2012 and peaked at number 7, making it Paloma's highest charting single until "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" peaked at number 6. Fall to Grace peaked at number 2 in the UK and was certified Double Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry after selling more than 600,000 copies. Four more singles were released from the album, "30 Minute Love Affair", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Just Be" and "Black & Blue". Paloma embarked on her second tour in early 2013 to promote the album.

Fall to Grace debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for the week ending 2 June 2012, behind Gary Barlow's Sing. The position marked Paloma's highest charting album with sales of 35,024. The following week, the album fell one place to number three with 14,373 copies sold. The album dropped to number five in its third week, selling 18,308 copies.





87. In and Out of Consciousness – Robbie Williams

The second greatest hits compilation album by the British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams, after his first greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits, which was released in 2004. The album, which features 39 songs, was released in October 2010 and is his last album under his recording contract with EMI. The lead single of the album is "Shame", co-written by and featuring fellow Take That member Gary Barlow. The song is their first collaboration in 15 years since Williams left Take That in 1995.


The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, making it Williams' ninth album to debut at number one and his first since Rudebox released in 2006. It has been certified Platinum, selling over 41,000 copies on its first day of release and 120,000 copies during its first week, making the album the second-fastest selling of the year in the UK. The album topped the charts in Austria and Germany, and charted within the top five of the charts in Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland

 

[Ome]

86. Decade in the Sun: Best Of – Stereophonics

A compilation album of greatest hits by Stereophonics. It features tracks from all six of the band's previous albums, beginning from the 1997 debut release, Word Gets Around, all the way through to 2007's Pull the Pin, plus two brand new songs, "You're My Star" and "My Own Worst Enemy". "You're My Star" was also released as a single.

The two-disc album features five songs from Just Enough Education to Perform, seven songs from Performance and Cocktails, seven songs from Word Gets Around, four songs from Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, six songs from You Gotta Go There to Come Back, four songs from Pull the Pin, one song from Reload, two b-sides, two non-album singles and two new songs for this album. The one-disc album features five songs from Just Enough Education to Perform, four songs from Performance and Cocktails, four songs from Word Gets Around, three songs from Language. Sex. Violence. Other?, one song from You Gotta Go There to Come Back, one song from Pull the Pin and two new songs for this album.





85. Swings Both Ways – Robbie Williams

The tenth studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. It is his second swing album after 2001's Swing When You're Winning; unlike the latter, which had one original composition, this album features an equal mix of both covers and original material. The album marked Williams' first major work with former longtime collaborator Guy Chambers since 2002's Escapology. Chambers produced the album and co-wrote most of the album's new material with Williams.


The album was released on 15 November 2013 and debuted atop the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 109,000 copies, becoming the UK's 1,000th number one album. It was also Williams' eleventh album to top the chart, putting him joint-second with Elvis Presley for the most UK number one albums. Internationally, the album charted strongly and charted in the top 10 in Ireland, Australia, Belgium, Italy and Sweden, in addition to reaching number one in Austria, Croatia, Germany and Switzerland. As of June 2014, the album has sold over 1.6 million copies worldwide. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Swings Both Ways was the 18th global best-selling album of 2013

 

[That Bowie Girl]

I don't have any of these on CD or Albums. I have begun to collect again after losing all of mine but it's taking time. I have mainly been buying.............Bowie

I do need to check out buying more Killers CD's again if I don't get spotify.

 

[Long Lashes]

Ghost Stories – Coldplay

Greatest Hits – Queen

Fall to Grace – Paloma Faith

I have these three so far

 

[Ome]

84. Only By the Night – Kings of Leon

The fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Kings of Leon, released worldwide in September 2008. Writing for the band's fourth album commenced just days after the release of their third, Because of the Times.

The album was certified the best-selling album in Australia, certified nine times platinum. It also went on to be the highest selling album of 2008 in Australia, the third best selling album of 2008 in the UK, winning two Brit Awards, and the 18th best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK. Furthermore, two singles from the album have found high chartings, "Sex on Fire" coming in at number one in Ireland, the UK, Australia, and on the United States' Hot Modern Rock Tracks, and at number two in New Zealand. The album's second single "Use Somebody" also charted at number two in the UK, and at number two in Australia, along with being the band's first top 10 hit in the U.S. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2009 Grammy Award with the song "Sex on Fire" receiving two nominations itself. Worldwide sales of the album exceed 6.2 million copies, according to a press release by the band.


"Sex on Fire" came in at number one on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008, with "Use Somebody" number three, "Closer" number 24 and "Crawl" number 70.







83. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 – Eminem

The eighth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013 by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. This album serves as a sequel to his third album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin served as executive producers for The Marshall Mathers LP 2. It was recorded from 2012 to 2013 with several producers, including Rick Rubin, Luis Resto, Emile Haynie, and Alex da Kid. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 also features guest appearances from Skylar Grey, Rihanna, Nate Ruess, and rapper Kendrick Lamar, among others.

As of early 2014, the album has sold 3.8 million copies worldwide. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 57th Grammy Awards.

 

[Ome]

82. No More Idols – Chase & Status

The second studio album by English drum and bass production duo Chase & Status, released on 28 January 2011. No More Idols marks the first major full-length release by Chase & Status since their debut album More than Alot three years prior; a period in which the group signed a major management deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation and focused more on producing for other artists including Rihanna's 2009 album Rated R.


Produced entirely by the group, No More Idols features vocal contributions from primarily UK talent including Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, Clare Maguire, Tempa T, White Lies and long-time collaborator Plan B amongst others. Upon its release, the album met with generally positive reviews, receiving comparisons to similar acts such as Pendulum and The Prodigy. The genre-bending production style employed on the album was noted as a stand-out feature. The album was preceded by three singles which attained UK chart success. No More Idols was announced as the seventeenth biggest-selling album of 2011 in the UK, with sales exceeding 461,000 copies.


The song "No Problem" was included in the soundtrack of the game FIFA 12 and "Blind Faith" in the video games Dirt 3 and Forza Horizon






81. The Lady Killer – Cee Lo Green

The third studio album by American singer CeeLo Green. It was released November 5, 2010, by Elektra Records. Production for the album was handled by Salaam Remi, Element, The Smeezingtons, Fraser T Smith, Paul Epworth, and Jack Splash.


The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. It achieved respectable chart success elsewhere and produced three singles, including the international hit "f*** You". The album has sold 498,000 copies in the United States as of October 2012, and it has been certified double Platinum in the United Kingdom. The Lady Killer received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its production, classicist soul music approach, and Green's singing

 

[Ome]

80. Unapologetic – Rihanna

The seventh studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 19, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded between June and November 2012, during promotion of her sixth album, Talk That Talk (2011)

The album produced seven singles including the international hits "Diamonds" and "Stay". The former peaked at number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 where it became Rihanna's twelfth number one song, tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for fourth most number one songs in the history of the chart. Prior to its release, Rihanna promoted the album with the 777 Tour which consisted of a seven-date promotional tour in which she performed seven concerts each in a different city in North America and Europe in seven days. To further promote the album, Rihanna embarked on her fourth worldwide concert tour, entitled the Diamonds World Tour.






79. 4 – Beyoncé

The fourth solo studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on June 24, 2011 by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Following a career hiatus that reignited her creativity, Beyoncé was inspired to create a record with a basis in traditional rhythm and blues that stood apart from contemporary popular music.

4 was promoted in mid-2011 by television performances and festival appearances, such as Beyoncé's headlining Glastonbury Festival set. The album received generally positive reviews by music critics; several publications included it on their year-end lists. It was her fourth consecutive album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200, and it also reached number one in Brazil, France, Ireland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 4 spawned the international singles "Run the World (Girls)", "Best Thing I Never Had", "Party", "Love On Top" and "Countdown". "Love on Top" won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 55th annual ceremony. As of December 2015, 4 has sold 1.5 million copies in the United States.

 

[Ome]

78. A Perfect Contradiction – Paloma Faith

The third studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith, released by Sony Music Entertainment on 10 March 2014. Musically, the album is a pop album, with elements of R&B, jazz, soul, Motown and disco. The album received mixed to positive reviews; it spawned six singles; "Can't Rely on You", "Only Love Can Hurt Like This", "Trouble with My Baby", "Ready for the Good Life", "Leave While I'm Not Looking" and "Beauty Remains"; the first two of these charted within the top 10 in the United Kingdom and "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" topped the charts in Australia.


On 15 September 2014, it was announced that a repackaged version of the album, entitled A Perfect Contradiction: Outsiders' Edition, will be released on 10 November 2014, postponed from the original date of 3 November 2014. It features three new songs as well as a rearranged version of "Changing", Faith's collaboration with Sigma.







77. Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg

The self-titled debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Jake Bugg. It was released on 15 October 2012 in the UK. It was released in the United States on 9 April 2013. The album has received generally favourable reviews from critics. It was nominated for the 2013 Mercury Prize.


On 21 October 2012, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. On 18 October, it entered the Irish Albums Chart at number ten, before climbing to number eight in its second week and eventually reaching No. 3 in July 2013. The album has also charted in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. It has sold over 604,100 copies in the UK and has been certified Platinum by the BPI.The album has sold 604,100 copies in the United Kingdom and is the 57th best selling album of the 2010 decade. The album debuted at number 75 on the US Billboard 200 with 6,000 copies sold.It has since gone two times platinum in the UK

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Only one tick from me so far.

89. Greatest Hits – Queen

But it's ruined my secret hope that I would own none of them.

 

[Ome]

it's ruined my secret hope that I would own none of them.

I'm guessing you will be in for a few surprises then.

 

[Ome]

76. Every Kingdom – Ben Howard

The debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Ben Howard. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2011 as a digital download, on CD, on LP and as a 200 copy limited edition cassette. It reached a peak chart position of number four in the UK Albums Chart on 24 February 2013 following his success at the Brit Awards that week. The songs on the album were written by Ben Howard and produced by Chris Bond. The cover art was designed by Owen Tozer, based on photography by Mickey Smith and Roddy Bow.

The song "Black Flies" was featured in the 2017 Square Enix / Deck Nine game Life is Strange: Before the Storm's fourth, Bonus episode as the ending song of the episode.


The album was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Prize.







75. Science & Faith – Script

The second studio album by Irish pop rock band The Script. It was released in Ireland on 10 September 2010, via RCA Records. It was preceded by the lead single, "For the First Time", on 3 September 2010. It debuted at number one in Ireland and United Kingdom, selling 70,816 copies in its first week in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Science & Faith debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 49,000 copies. The album has sold 314,000 copies in the US, and over 1.5 million worldwide. The album was met with generally mixed reviews

 

[Ome]

74. To Be Loved – Michael Bublé

The eighth studio album and sixth major label studio album by Canadian-Italian vocalist and songwriter Michael Bublé. The album was released in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2013, before issuing in Canada on April 22 and the United States on April 23. The album was preceded by the release of the lead single, the original composition "It's a Beautiful Day", released on February 25, 2013. The album features four original songs and ten cover versions.


To Be Loved debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 197,000 copies in the first week in the United States. As of September 20, 2016, the album has sold 881,000 copies in the United States. In the United Kingdom, To Be Loved had sold 631,224 copies as of December 2013, thus becoming the third best-selling album of the year. As of October 2016, the album had sold 784,420 copies in the UK. In Canada it sold 139,000 copies in 2013.






73. My World 2.0 – Justin Bieber

The debut studio album by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The album was released on March 19, 2010, by Island Records. It is considered the second half of a two-piece project, being supplemented by Bieber's debut extended play My World (2009).

The album was preceded by the lead single, "Baby", featuring American rapper Ludacris, which was released on January 18, 2010, and two promotional digital singles, "Never Let You Go" on March 2, 2010, and "U Smile" on March 16, 2010. "Somebody to Love" aired on the radio as the album's third official single on April 20, 2010, and "U Smile" was eventually released to radio as the album's fourth official single on August 24, 2010. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

 

[Long Lashes]

A Perfect Contradiction – Paloma Faith

Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg

Two more of mine