Ahead of Record Store Day, which takes place this coming Saturday, we’ve got some stats for you.
Indeed, the Official Charts Company has released data on the best-selling vinyl albums from the last decade, and it may not surprise you to find out that pop superstar Taylor Swift is leading the pack - even overtaking the legendary David Bowie.
Swift charts an impressive three albums in the top four best-selling vinyls of the past decade. Her 2022 album ‘Midnights’ tops the list with 129,000 sales in the UK (despite it being her weakest release), and the 2024 and 2023 albums ‘The Tortured Poet’s Department’ and ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ are both in second and fourth position respectively.
See what you make of the Top 10 releases of the last decade:
- Taylor Swift - ‘Midnights’
- Taylor Swift - ‘The Tortured Poets Department’
- Harry Styles - ‘Harry’s House’
- Taylor Swift - ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’
- David Bowie - ‘Legacy’
- Harry Styles - ‘Fine Line’
- Ed Sheeran - ‘Divide’
- David Bowie - ‘Blackstar’
- Billie Eilish - ‘When We Fall Asleep Where Do We Go’
- Tame Impala - ‘Currents’
Elsewhere, the best-selling vinyl albums of 2025 (so far) were revealed, with UK singer-songwriter Sam Fender topping the list with his third album ‘People Watching’.
Not that Taylor was far behind, as her ‘Lover (Live From Paris)’ record came in second, an album which had a resurgence earlier this year thanks to special edition heart-shaped Valentine’s Day release.
Here are the best-selling vinyl albums of 2025 so far:
- Sam Fender – ‘People Watching’
- Taylor Swift – ‘Lover (Live From Paris)’
- Sabrina Carpenter – ’Short N’ Sweet’
- Lady Gaga – ‘MAYHEM’
- Chappell Roan – ‘The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess’
- Fontaines D.C. – ‘Romance’
- Kendrick Lamar – ’GNX’
- Fleetwood Mac – ’Rumours’
- Manic Street Preachers – ‘Critical Thinking’
- Billie Eilish – ’Hit Me Hard And Soft’
The most recent release in the list is Lady Gaga's ‘MAYHEM’. In our review, we said: “Through her varied approach to her music career, her multidisciplinary artistry, and excitingly unorthodox celebrity persona, Gaga has paved her own route to stardom. ‘Mayhem’ feels like the first time she’s looked backwards. It’s not a bad album at all, it’s just not the sort of revolutionary work you hope for with a Gaga release.”
As for Fontaines D.C. and Kendrick Lamar’s most recent albums, they both made our Best Albums of 2024 list.
Record Store Day celebrates its 18th edition this year and is celebrated globally on Saturday 12 April. Stay tuned to Euronews Culture for our preview of the must-have RSD releases of 2025.
