Official Charts Company launches new discovery-focused Official Classical Chart

The Official Charts Company today announces the launch of the Official Classical Chart, a brand-new weekly classical new releases chart dedicated to showcasing the freshest classical album releases making an impact across the UK.              

Developed in close collaboration with the UK classical music industry, and supported by BBC Radio 3, the UK’s new Official Classical Chart is focused squarely on discovery. The UK’s first new classical chart launch in over a decade is designed to platform the latest classical recordings, and connect new audiences with the modern faces and sounds of the genre. The chart will highlight classical albums released within the last 12 months only, ranked by combined UK sales and streams.

According to Official Charts Company data, in 2025 more than 1.34 million classical albums were snapped up in the UK, with the British public enjoying the genre in more ways than ever before. While streaming makes up over two thirds of UK classical consumption today, sales of classical albums on vinyl have accelerated, rising 25% year on year in 2025, almost double the growth rate of the UK’s surging vinyl market.

The genre’s biggest British solo release of 2025 belonged to Firedove by Anna Lapwood - the 30-year old official organist of the Royal Albert Hall - with the top homegrown debut of 2025 coming courtesy of Liverpudlian virtuoso pianist Brad Kella - winner of Channel 4’s The Piano.

Ludovico Einaudi’s The Summer Portraits took home the title of the biggest classical release of the year overall across all formats, while Hans Zimmer’s The World Of – PT II – A New Dimension was classical’s best seller on vinyl.

Compiled by the Official Charts Company, the Official Classical Chart will publish every Friday 5.45pm at OfficialCharts.com, with weekly on-air support from BBC Radio 3’s Essential Classics. The new rundown will be boosted by promotion across both Radio 3 and Official Charts’ digital channels, tapping into a combined audience of over 2.4 million.

Sales and streams start counting from today, 6 February 2026, the first chart will publish on Friday 13 February. From world-famous composers and musicians, to emerging British artists shaping the future of classical music, the new UK ranking will offer a definitive weekly snapshot reflecting the breadth, vitality and continued evolution of the genre.

By shining a spotlight on new releases specifically, the Official Classical Chart reinforces the shared commitment of Official Charts and BBC Radio 3 to supporting and celebrating the UK classical music landscape and its next generation of hits and hitmakers.

Artists and industry figures from across the classical music space share their thoughts on the new chart initiative:

Martin Talbot, chief executive, Official Charts Company comments:

“We are delighted to have partnered with the classical industry to launch this brand-new Official Chart, showcasing the freshest classical talent. While the classical genre has roots reaching back over many centuries, it is also a thriving sector of contemporary innovation and inventiveness – and, in the modern digital era, there is faster, easier access to explore all of this creativity than ever before. Thank you to BBC Radio 3 and the wider classical community for their passion for this project.”

Sam Jackson, Controller, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms, adds:

“BBC Radio 3 broadcasts more new recordings and premieres of classical music than any other radio station across programmes including The New Music Show, Radio 3 in Concert and Record Review. Now listeners will have another opportunity to engage with the most popular and exciting musical voices shaping the classical world, as BBC Radio 3 airs selections from the Official Classical Chart every week.”

Becky Lees, Director of LSO Live and Co-Chair of the BPI Classical Committee, and Stefania Passamonte, Founder and CEO of Master Chord Records and Co-Chair of the BPI Classical Committee comments:

“The launch of the Official Classical Chart reflects a shared commitment across our industry to spotlight the most vibrant new classical recordings. As Co-Chairs of the Classical Committee at the BPI, we’re proud to support an initiative that celebrates innovation and connects listeners with the artists redefining the classical landscape.”

British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, says:

“I’m so excited about the launch of the new Official Classical Chart. This is really important for classical music because it is something that has typically been left out of the mainstream, so it’s very exciting that it can now reach a wider audience.”

Adrian Chandler of baroque string ensemble La Serenissima:

“The introduction of the Official Classical Chart is huge for classical music because it shows what people are actually listening to and loving right now.

For too long classical has been seen as a kind of museum piece but the reality is there’s an incredibly vibrant scene out there of new recordings, new discoveries and artists doing all sorts of things. A chart makes all of that visible and it celebrates what’s connecting with audiences - gold dust for musicians, labels, and anyone trying to find their way into this world. It puts classical music in conversation with the rest of the industry, and that’s where it belongs.”

Classical pianist Boris Giltburg, adds:

“Whether you listen to Bach whose music was written 300 years ago, or Beethoven, or Rachmaninov from 100 years ago, it is all music that can touch and move us today because it speaks a universal language which transcends culture, time and boundaries.

All of us who live and breathe classical music have the burning desire to share it with as many people as possible and I hope that the launch of the new Official Classical Chart will bring classical music to the attention of many more.”

Joseph Fort, Conductor of King’s College Choir London:

“The introduction of an Official Classical Chart is tremendously important for the classical scene because it recognises what we do and it shows the extraordinary variety, quality and sheer quantity of recordings coming out every week. The classical music industry is so alive at the moment and perhaps nowhere more so than in recordings and new releases and the Official Classical Chart will recognise and capture that.”

Sarah Thwaites, Label Director, Sony Classical

“It’s incredibly exciting that the Official Classical Chart will open the door for even more artists - particularly rising talent - to be discovered, enjoyed and celebrated. Anna Lapwood is an inspiration, paving the way for the next generation of exceptional musicians, and it’s fantastic to have BBC Radio 3 providing such a great platform for artists to reach new fans.”