The UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart are two of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling singles/albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Since 2004 the chart has been based on the sales of both physical singles/albums and digital downloads, with airplay figures excluded from the official chart. A total of 30 singles (1 of which claimed the top spot in 2012) and 35 albums (3 of which claimed the top spot in 2012) claimed the top spot in 2013.
Every song which reached number one between 27 April and 13 July sold over 100,000 copies during its first week of sales although it failed to break a record which was previously held in 1997 where the number one single would sell 100,000 copies or more in its first week of sales every week from 28 June 1997 through to 3 January 1998.
Album sales, however, were at an all-time low with only 93,200,000 albums sold. It was also the first time since 1984 where an artist studio album released in the same period, failed to sell over a million copies by the end of the year.
Following the release of David Bowie's comeback single "Where Are We Now", singles became eligible to chart, before the release of its parent album.
In the singles chart, James Arthur returned to the top of the charts, having reached number one in 2012 with "Impossible". Bingo Players, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Avicii, Nicky Romero, The Saturdays, PJ & Duncan, Duke Dumont, Daft Punk, Naughty Boy, Robin Thicke, Icona Pop, John Newman, Miley Cyrus, Ellie Goulding, OneRepublic, Lorde, Storm Queen, Martin Garrix, Alesso and Sam Bailey have all claimed their first number 1 single as a lead artist.
In the albums chart, Emeli Sandé, Calvin Harris and Mumford & Sons returned to the top of the charts, having reached number one in 2012 with Our Version of Events, 18 Months and Babel. Biffy Clyro, Bastille, Rudimental, Caro Emerald, Daft Punk, Disclosure, Tom Odell, JAY Z, Robin Thicke, Jahméne Douglas, Richard & Adam, Avenged Sevenfold, The 1975, Haim, Miley Cyrus and John Newman have all claimed their first number 1 album.
Emeli Sandé continued her chart success in the albums chart when her album Our Version of Events, which was the biggest selling album in 2012 was also the biggest selling album in 2013 throughout its entirety until it was surpassed during the final week of 2013 by One Direction's third album Midnight Memories, which ended the year as 2013's biggest selling album, pushing Sandé into second place.
"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams has spent the most weeks at number one in the singles with five and Les Misérables by Les Misérables, Our Version of Events by Emeli Sandé and The Impossible Dream by Richard & Adam have all spent the most weeks at number one in the albums with four.
Chart achievements X Factor 2013 winner Sam Bailey scored the Christmas number-one single of 2013. The single sold 148,853 copies in its first week to become the lowest-selling Christmas number one since Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman scored Christmas number 1 in 2001 when "Somethin' Stupid" sold 110,000 copies in the Christmas week and also, the second lowest-selling X Factor winner's single.
Number ones
Number-one singles
+KeyBest-selling single of the year Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Sales References 5 January "Impossible" James Arthur 183,660 12 January 73,778 19 January "Scream & Shout" will.i.am featuring Britney Spears 62,250 26 January 54,823 2 February "Get Up (Rattle)" Bingo Players featuring Far East Movement 74,061 9 February 51,450 16 February "Thrift Shop" Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz 83,672 23 February "I Could Be the One" Avicii vs Nicky Romero 90,999 2 March "One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)" One Direction 112,616 9 March "Mirrors" Justin Timberlake 85,918 16 March 66,572 23 March 69,240 30 March "What About Us" The Saturdays featuring Sean Paul 114,259 6 April "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble" PJ & Duncan 83,748 13 April "Need U (100%)" Duke Dumont featuring A*M*E 92,179 20 April 58,321 27 April "Waiting All Night" Rudimental featuring Ella Eyre 107,099 4 May "Get Lucky" Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers 155,215 11 May 163,384 18 May 123,112 25 May 113,883 1 June "La La La" Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith 145,326 8 June "Blurred Lines" Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams 190,572 15 June 198,856 22 June 193,783 29 June 133,052 6 July "I Love It" Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX 124,890 13 July "Love Me Again" John Newman 124,885 20 July "Blurred Lines" Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams 82,593 27 July "Wake Me Up" Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc 266,524 3 August 154,525 10 August 124,356 17 August "We Can't Stop" Miley Cyrus 128,159 24 August "Burn" Ellie Goulding 116,857 31 August 80,095 7 September 62,270 14 September "Roar" Katy Perry 179,534 21 September 103,444 28 September "Talk Dirty" Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz 159,888 5 October 75,732 12 October "Counting Stars" OneRepublic 67,880 19 October "Wrecking Ball" Miley Cyrus 107,362 26 October "Counting Stars" OneRepublic 65,981 2 November "Royals" Lorde 82,551 9 November "The Monster" Eminem featuring Rihanna 74,674 16 November "Look Right Through" Storm Queen 105,559 23 November "Animals" Martin Garrix 105,767 30 November "Somewhere Only We Know" Lily Allen 80,917 7 December "Under Control" Calvin Harris & Alesso featuring Hurts 74,704 14 December "Somewhere Only We Know" Lily Allen 46,279 21 December 47,676 28 December "Skyscraper" Sam Bailey 148,853
Number-one albums
+KeyBest-selling album of the year Chart Date(week ending) Album Artist Sales References 5 January Our Version of Events Emeli Sandé 72,763 12 January 18 Months Calvin Harris 35,946 19 January Our Version of Events Emeli Sandé 30,045 26 January Les Misérables Les Misérables 55,954 2 February 48,392 9 February Opposites Biffy Clyro 71,584 16 February Les Misérables Les Misérables 35,834 23 February 39,101 2 March Our Version of Events Emeli Sandé 39,856 9 March 38,929 16 March Bad Blood Bastille 56,572 23 March The Next Day David Bowie 94,048 30 March The 20/20 Experience Justin Timberlake 105,888 6 April 56,147 13 April 26,242 20 April Paramore Paramore 39,234 27 April To Be Loved Michael Bublé 121,415 4 May 46,018 11 May Home Rudimental 63,363 18 May The Shocking Miss Emerald Caro Emerald 34,246 25 May Time Rod Stewart 57,628 1 June Random Access Memories Daft Punk 165,091 8 June 52,801 15 June Settle Disclosure 44,633 22 June 13 Black Sabbath 47,694 29 June Yeezus Kanye West 25,400 6 July Long Way Down Tom Odell 43,764 13 July Babel Mumford & Sons 25,580 20 July Magna Carta... Holy Grail JAY Z 39,386 27 July Blurred Lines Robin Thicke 25,981 3 August Love Never Fails Jahméne Douglas 18,904 10 August The Impossible Dream Richard & Adam 28,982 17 August 24,864 24 August 19,325 31 August 17,664 7 September Hail To The King Avenged Sevenfold 21,147 14 September The 1975 The 1975 31,538 21 September AM Arctic Monkeys 157,329 28 September 57,486 5 October Mechanical Bull Kings of Leon 71,765 12 October Days Are Gone Haim 37,005 19 October Bangerz Miley Cyrus 30,759 26 October Tribute John Newman 29,756 2 November PRISM Katy Perry 53,827 9 November Reflektor Arcade Fire 45,252 16 November The Marshall Mathers LP 2 Eminem 143,034 23 November ARTPOP Lady Gaga 65,608 30 November Swings Both Ways Robbie Williams 108,622 7 December Midnight Memories One Direction 237,338 14 December 124,535 21 December Swings Both Ways Robbie Williams 126,168 28 December 126,330
Number-one single downloads {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;" |- ! Chart date(week ending) !! Song !! Artist(s) !! References |- | 5 January || "Impossible" || James Arthur || |- | 12 January || rowspan="3"|"Scream & Shout" || rowspan="3"|will.i.am featuring Britney Spears || |- | 19 January || |- | 26 January || |- | 2 February || rowspan="2"|"Get Up (Rattle)" || rowspan="2"|Bingo Players featuring Far East Movement || |- | 9 February || |- | 16 February || "Thrift Shop" || Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz || |- | 23 February || "I Could Be the One" || Avicii vs Nicky Romero || |- | 2 March || "One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)" || One Direction || |- | 9 March || rowspan="3"|"Mirrors" || rowspan="3"|Justin Timberlake || |- | 16 March || |- | 23 March || |- | 30 March || "What About Us" || The Saturdays featuring Sean Paul || |- | 6 April || "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble" || PJ & Duncan || |- | 13 April || rowspan="2"|"Need U (100%)" || rowspan="2"|Duke Dumont featuring A*M*E || |- | 20 April || |- | 27 April || "Waiting All Night" || Rudimental featuring Ella Eyre || |- | 4 May || rowspan="4"|"Get Lucky" || rowspan="4"|Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers || |- | 11 May || |- | 18 May || |- | 25 May || |- | 1 June || "La La La" || Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith || |- | 8 June || rowspan="4"|"Blurred Lines" || rowspan="4"|Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams || |- | 15 June || |- | 22 June || |- | 29 June || |- | 6 July || "I Love It" || Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX || |- | 13 July || "Love Me Again" || John Newman || |- | 20 July || "Blurred Lines" || Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams || |- | 27 July || rowspan="3"|"Wake Me Up" || rowspan="3"|Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc || |- | 3 August || |- | 10 August || |- | 17 August || "We Can't Stop" || Miley Cyrus || |- | 24 August || rowspan="3"|"Burn" || rowspan="3"|Ellie Goulding || |- | 31 August || |- | 7 September || |- | 14 September || rowspan="2"|"Roar" || rowspan="2"|Katy Perry || |- | 21 September || |- | 28 September || rowspan="2"|"Talk Dirty" || rowspan="2"|Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz || |- | 5 October || |- | 12 October || "Counting Stars" || OneRepublic || |- | 19 October || "Wrecking Ball" || Miley Cyrus || |- | 26 October || "Counting Stars" || OneRepublic || |- | 2 November || "Royals" || Lorde || |- | 9 November || "The Monster" || Eminem featuring Rihanna || |- | 16 November || "Look Right Through" || Storm Queen || |- | 23 November || "Animals" || Martin Garrix || |- | 30 November || "Of The Night" || Bastille || |- | 7 December || "Under Control" || Calvin Harris & Alesso featuring Hurts || |- | 14 December || "Story Of My Life" || One Direction || |- | 21 December || "Hey Brother" || Avicii || |- | 28 December || "Skyscraper" || Sam Bailey ||
Number-one album downloads {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;" |- ! Chart date(week ending) !! Album !! Artist !! References |- | 5 January || rowspan="2"|Now 83 || rowspan="2"|Various Artists || UK Albums Download Chart 5 January 2013 |- | 12 January || UK Albums Download Chart 12 January 2013 |- | 19 January || 18 Months || Calvin Harris || |- | 26 January || rowspan="2"|Les Misérables || rowspan="2"|Les Misérables || |- | 2 February || |- | 9 February || Opposites || Biffy Clyro || |- | 16 February || Jake Bugg || Jake Bugg || |- | 23 February || Holy Fire || Foals || |- | 2 March || Babel || Mumford & Sons || |- | 9 March || Our Version of Events || Emeli Sandé || |- | 16 March || Bad Blood || Bastille || |- | 23 March || The Next Day || David Bowie || |- | 30 March || The 20/20 Experience || Justin Timberlake || |- | 6 April || rowspan="2"|Now 84 || rowspan="2"|Various Artists || |- | 13 April || |- | 20 April || Paramore || Paramore || |- | 27 April || To Be Loved || Michael Bublé || |- | 4 May || Tape Deck Heart || Frank Turner || |- | 11 May || rowspan="2"|Home || rowspan="2"|Rudimental || |- | 18 May || |- | 25 May || English Rain || Gabrielle Aplin || |- | 1 June || rowspan="2"|Random Access Memories || rowspan="2"|Daft Punk || |- | 8 June || |- | 15 June || rowspan="2"|Settle || rowspan="2"|Disclosure || |- | 22 June || |- | 29 June || Yeezus || Kanye West || |- | 6 July || Long Way Down || Tom Odell || |-