Sales of digital albums have already smashed the 2010 record, selling 21.3 million copies, two months ahead of the year end, new Official Charts Company data released by BPI reveals today.
The news follows the success of Coldplay’s hotly anticipated new album, Mylo Xyloto, which sold more than 80,000 digital copies in week one, breaking the record for the highest number of digital copies to be sold in a first week of release – and becoming the latest album to pass 100,000 downloads. Digital accounted for 40% of the band’s first week album sales.
Digital albums now represent 26.2% share of total album sales, up from 17.5% during 2010, according to the Official Charts Company data. This year, the Top 10 biggest digital albums have all sold more than 100,000 digital copies, including albums by Lady Gaga, Jessie J and Ed Sheeran.
Adele’s 21 remains the biggest selling digital album of all time – selling almost twice as many copies as Lady Gaga’s The Fame in second place - and continues to reign at the top of the year-to-date’s Official Digital Albums chart with almost 670,000 downloads sold to date. Adele remains the clear digital sales leader in 2011, selling close to 800,000 digital albums this year including 125,000 downloads for her debut album 19.
Other big-selling digital albums include Rihanna’s Loud and Bruno Mars’ debut album, Doo Wops & Hooligans.
BPI Chief Executive, Geoff Taylor, said, “It’s encouraging to see such strong sales in the digital albums market before the Christmas gifting season gets properly underway. For the last five consecutive years, the final week of the year has been the biggest in terms of digital album sales, as consumers spend digital music gift vouchers received at Christmas and try out legal digital music services on their new iPods, tablets and laptops.
“In the last week of 2010, digital album sales topped a record 800,000. This year we may see the 1 million weekly sales barrier broken for the first time, despite the adverse impact of illegal sites and tough economic conditions.
“Music fans have more ways than ever before to buy music and a great selection of exciting new albums to look forward to before the end of the year.”
As the festive season approaches, a strong release schedule will see new albums released by Rihanna, One Direction, Susan Boyle, Westlife, Kate Bush, REM, Birdy, The Black Keys, and the late Amy Winehouse.