Oasis's 1995 album (What's The Story) Morning Glory? has climbed to third place on the UK's all-time best-selling albums list, surpassing The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Key facts
- •(What's The Story) Morning Glory? has reached 6.2 million UK chart units.
- •The UK album chart began on 22 July 1956, with Frank Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers! as the first number one.
- •Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits remains the overall biggest-selling album in the UK.
- •Olivia Rodrigo's Sour is the most-streamed album of the 2020s, having spent 268 weeks on the chart since June 2021.
- •The all-time best-sellers list was updated to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the weekly UK album chart.
The Official Charts Company has released an updated list of the UK's most popular albums of all time to mark the 70th anniversary of the weekly chart. Oasis's 1995 release, (What's The Story) Morning Glory?, has officially moved into third place, pushing The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band down to fifth. The ranking, which combines sales and streaming data, highlights the enduring commercial success of the Gallagher brothers' record.
By the numbers
Chart Rankings and Milestones
Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits collection remains the UK's biggest-selling album, followed by Abba's 1992 release Abba Gold. Adele's 2011 album 21 currently holds the fourth position. (What's The Story) Morning Glory? has accumulated 6.2 million UK chart units. Only Queen and Abba have reached the seven million unit milestone, a feat achieved by Queen in 2022. Other albums, including Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Bob Marley's Legend, have also entered the top 10 over the last decade.
Cultural Impact and History
Despite receiving mixed reviews upon its October 1995 release, (What's The Story) Morning Glory? won best British album at the 1996 Brit Awards. The album's tracks have maintained cultural relevance, with 'Don't Look Back in Anger' becoming a significant anthem following the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. Additionally, the Official Charts Company released a list of the most-streamed albums of the 2020s, with Olivia Rodrigo's Sour taking the top spot ahead of records by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Entertainment & Arts.
