Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish, Tom Walker and more: The best-selling albums of 2019
It’s been the year of the debut album. Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish and Tom Walker have swept all before them in 2019, crashing into the charts and creating records that will still seem relevant 20 years from now.
The self-deprecating Capaldi has been the year’s biggest star, enjoying Ed Sheeran-esque levels of success with Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent.
Not that he’s got carried away by his new found fame.
Capaldi said: “It’s unreal to have finally released my debut album this year and found out that not everyone hates it.
“On the whole I’m very proud of it, although I won’t lie there’s probably a few stinkers on there, but I’m only human.
“Hope you don’t hate it but if you do don’t worry, it’s only my life’s work.”
The Scottish singer/songwriter released his debut in March and it stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks.
He’d been long-listed for BBC Music’s Sound of 2018, having spent his teen years honing his craft.
In contrast, Billie Eilish didn’t even serve the sort of apprenticeship that took Capaldi to the top.
She went to number one with When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? It was released in March and made Eilish the youngest female act in UK chart history to hit the top spot, managing the feat at 17 years, 3 months and 18 days old.
Tom Walker also hit the top spot with his debut, What A Time To Be Alive.
The record is the ninth biggest overall. Other debutants have made similar waves, including Dave’s Mercury Prize-winning Psychodrama, Jax Jones’ Snacks and AJ Tracey’s self-titled release.
And yet this year’s chart has been nothing if not eclectic. One of the most successful releases of the year was Hugh Jackman’s The Greatest Showman.
The film’s cast recording spent four weeks at Number 1 at the start of the year and the record has been an ever-present on the chart, notching up almost half a million sales.
And while debutants have stolen the spotlight, classic artists have also fared well. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is one of the biggest sellers of the year – 42 years after its release. Queen, Elton John, David Bowie, Eminem, Take That, ABBA, Bob Marley & The Wailers and The Killers have also enjoyed huge success with albums and greatest hits collections through a busy 2019.
