National Album Day announces exclusive album releases and classic reissues for its annual event on 17th October, this year celebrating Icons
Exclusive titles from artists including:
ANNE AKIKO MEYERS, ANNIE LENNOX, ARETHA FRANKLIN, BILLY BRAGG, BILLY JOEL, BOB DYLAN, BRUCE DICKINSON, BRYAN FERRY, DIRE STRAITS, DONNA SUMMER, ELBOW, EMELI SANDE, GEORGE MICHAEL, GOLDIE, INXS, JOHNNY CASH, NEW ORDER, NINA SIMONE, PARIS PALOMA, PINK FLOYD, THE PRETENDERS, PULP, SADE, SIMPLY RED, STATUS QUO, SUEDE, T. REX, THE DAMNED, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, THE WHO, AND MANY MORE
National Album Day today announces the list of acclaimed albums that are being given an exclusive limited-edition release for this annual celebration taking place on Saturday, 17th October, which this year is themed around Icons. The albums, a blend of classic reissues and new releases, will be available to purchase through physical and online retailers across the UK on National Album Day, and are available for pre-order from today. See full list at the end.
This year’s National Album Day, the ninth edition since the event launched in 2018, is once again presented in association with BBC Radio 2. The event is supported across the station and BBC Sounds.
National Album Day celebrates the “art of the album” and an art form beloved of fans and of artists who share their personal stories through it. The day, which is supported by artist Album Champions and with exclusive product releases, encourages album discovery/re-discovery and listening, especially among an engaged, younger audience. It also reinforces the enduring importance of the format at the heart of today’s diverse music ecosystem.
Other legendary icons are present in the form of Aretha Franklin Aretha's Gold, Bruce Dickinson Accident of Birth, Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls, Annie Lennox Bare, Dire Straits On Every Street, New Order Brotherhood, Sophie Ellis-Bextor The Song Diaries, Kirsty MacColl Desperate Character, The Damned Not Like Everyone Else, Pink Floyd Meddle, Paris Paloma Cacophony, M People Elegant Slumming, Emeli Sandé Our Version Of Events, Janis Joplin Pearl, and others.
A breadth of collectable classic and contemporary recordings by a diverse range of artists, many presented in strictly limited-edition coloured vinyl, are being released. The list of titles includes a reissue of George Michael’s timeless classic, Listen Without Prejudice, the 40th Anniversary edition of The Pretenders’ iconic Get Close, Elbow’s acclaimed Asleep In The Back 25th anniversary release (on marble vinyl), Goldie’s 1995 debut Timeless, Sade’s monumental Lovers Rock album. The Who are celebrating the 60th anniversary of My Generation (on red vinyl), and Phil Collins is celebrating 30 years of his iconic Dance Into The Light. Suede’s much-loved Coming Up from 1996, will be specially presented in a Zoetrope format. Iconic albums celebrating their 50th anniversaries include Bob Dylan’s renowned album Desire (on Cypress Green marbled vinyl), and Billy Joel’s highly acclaimed album Turnstiles (on Subway Token Gold vinyl. There are also Various Artist compilation albums released by Trapeze, featuring icons drawn from the world of Blues, Country, Doo Wop, and Rock ‘n’ Roll: Blues Icons: From The Delta To the City; Rock 'n' Roll Icons: A Musical Revolution; Street Corner Icons: The Story Of Doo Wop, and Country Icons: From Hillbilly To Honky Tonk.
Artists love telling their stories through the medium of the album. Earlier this month, Melanie C was announced as the latest Album Champion to come on board as a passionate advocate for the cultural importance of the album format. She joined the previously announced Album Champions PinkPantheress and Max Richter CBE – with more iconic Champions to be announced.
A Spokesperson for National Album Day said:
“It’s appropriate that for this year’s edition of National Album Day, which celebrates Icons, we are presenting to fans our strongest-ever line up of album releases and classic reissues, drawn from across all eras and genres. We thank our record label partners for delivering such an outstanding selection of titles and we look forward to working with the music retail community – on the high street, online, and digitally – alongside BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, and our Official Supporters, Cherry Red, DP World, Official Charts, PPL, Proper, and Trapeze, to offer the most engaging National Album Day yet.”
Adam & The Ants - Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill
Alter Bridge - One Day Remains
Anne Akiko Meyers - East Meets West
Annie Lennox - Bare
Aretha Franklin - Aretha's Gold
Bad Company - Live In London
Bad Company - Straight Shooter
Be Bop Deluxe - Modern Music
Billy Bragg - Talking With The Taxman About Poetry
Billy Joel - Turnstiles
Billy Ocean - Love Zone
Bob Dylan - Desire
Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth (2026 Remix)
Bryan Ferry - Boys and Girls
Creed – Human Clay
Delerium - Karma
Derek & The Dominos - Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
Desmond Dekker - Essential Artist Collection
Dire Straits - On Every Street (35th Anniversary)
Don Broco - Nightmare Tripping
Donna Summer - Four Seasons Of Love
Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Elbow - Asleep In The Back (25th Anniversary)
Emeli Sandé - Our Version Of Events
Fionn Regan - The End of History
George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice
Goldie - Timeless
Ian Dury - Mr Love Pants
INXS - Welcome To Wherever You Are
Janis Joplin - Pearl
Johnny Cash - With His Hot & Blue Guitar
Judas Priest - Turbo
Kirsty MacColl - Desperate Character
Kirsty MacColl - Desperate Character
Labi Siffre - Happy
Ladytron - Velocifero
Louise - NAKED - (30th Anniversary)
M People - Elegant Slumming
Marc Almond with Starcluster - Silver City
Max Richter - While The Flood Rages
Michael Jackson - Invincible
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (Icons And Inspirations)
Mike Peters of The Alarm - Icon 1992 - 2025
New Order - Brotherhood
Nina Simone - It Is Finished
Olivia Newton-John - Physical
Paradise Lost - Icon
Paris Paloma - Cacophony
Paul Weller - Saturns Pattern
Phil Collins - Dance Into The Light (30th Anniversary)
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Pretenders - Get Close (40th Anniversary)
Pulp - Different Class
S'Express - Original Soundtrack
Sade - Lovers Rock
Simple Minds - Street Fighting Years
Simply Red - Life
Skids - The Absolute Game (45th Anniversary)
Slade - Nobody's Fools (Expanded)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - The Song Diaries
Status Quo - Blue For You
Suede - Coming Up
T. REX - Futuristic Dragon
Tears For Fears - Seeds Of Love
The Damned - Not Like Everybody Else
The Fall - Ersatz GB (15th Anniversary)
The Farm - Spartacus
The House of Love - The Gift (Rehearsals and Live Recordings 1996 - 1988)
The Housemartins - London 0 Hull 4
The Offspring - Ixnay On The Hombre
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Framed
The Shadows - 20 Golden Greats
The Velvet Underground - Loaded
The Vines - Highly Evolved
The Who - My Generation (60th Anniversary)
Thin Lizzy - Night Life
Third World - Journey To Addis
Various Artists - Blues Icons: From The Delta To the City
Various Artists - Rock 'n' Roll Icons: A Musical Revolution
Various Artists - Street Corner Icons: The Story Of Doo Wop
Various Artists - Country Icons: From Hillbilly To Honky Tonk
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Whitesnake - Whitesnake
Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans
Please check music retail websites for album pre-order details.