The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Since 2004 the chart has been based on the sales of both physical albums and digital downloads. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 2012, as well as albums which peaked in 2011 and 2013 but were in the top 10 in 2012. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
One hundred and sixty-three albums were in the top 10 this year. Seventeen albums from 2011 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year. Halcyon by Ellie Goulding debuted this year but its peak position was not until two years later in 2014. Eighteen artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 2012. Carly Rae Jepsen, Emeli Sandé, Little Mix, Nicki Minaj and Rita Ora were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 album in 2012.
+ by Ed Sheeran, returned to the top spot in the first week of 2012. The first new number-one album of the year was Born to Die by Lana Del Rey. Overall, thirty-five different albums peaked at number-one in 2012, with Bruno Mars and Rihanna (2) having the joint most albums hitting that position.
Background Multiple entries One hundred and sixty-three albums charted in the top 10, with one hundred and forty-four albums reaching their peak this year (including All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra, Number Ones, Sigh No More, Teenage Dream, The Seldom Seen Kid and Whitney: The Greatest Hits, which charted in previous years but reached a peak on their latest chart run).
In 2012 18 artists scored multiple entries in the top 10. Adele, Bruno Mars, Cheryl, Elbow, Electric Light Orchestra, Green Day, Military Wives, Mumford & Sons, Olly Murs, One Direction, Rihanna, The Vaccines and Whitney Houston were the acts who had two top 10 albums this year. Cheryl (one album with Girls Aloud as well as a solo release), Green Day and Military Wives' two entries were both released this year, with All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra by Electric Light Orchestra, Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons, The Seldom Seen Kid by Elbow and Whitney: The Greatest Hits by Whitney Houston, all returning after making the top 10 before.
Chart debuts Thirty-seven artists achieved their first top 10 album in 2012 as a lead artist.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo album, or featured appearances on compilations or other artists recordings.
Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entries1Given to the Wild4—Lana Del Rey1Born to Die1—Maverick Sabre1Lonely Are the Brave2—Emeli Sandé1Our Version of Events1—Gotye1Making Mirrors4—Military Wives1In My Dreams2—Michael Kiwanuka1Home Again4—Marcus Collins1Marcus Collins7—Nicki Minaj1Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded1—Labrinth1Electronic Earth2—Moshi Monsters1Music Rox!4—Alabama Shakes1Boys & Girls3—Ren Harvieu1Through the Night5—John Mayer1Born and Raised4—fun.1Some Nights4—Frank Ocean1Channel Orange2—Lianne La Havas1Is Your Love Big Enough?4—Pnau1Good Morning to the Night1—Nas1Life Is Good8—1Handwritten2—Conor Maynard1Contrast1—Delilah1From the Roots Up5—Rick Ross1God Forgives, I Don't8—Ryan O'Shaughnessy1Ryan O'Shaughnessy (EP)9—Jessie Ware1Devotion5—1El Camino6—Trey Songz1Chapter V10 —Rita Ora1Ora1—Of Monsters and Men1My Head Is an Animal3—Two Door Cinema Club1Beacon2—Carly Rae Jepsen1Kiss9—Jonathan and Charlotte1Together5—Deadmau51Album Title Goes Here9—All Time Low1Don't Panic9—Jake Bugg1Jake Bugg1—Lawson1Chapman Square4—Little Mix1DNA3—
Notes Blunderbuss by Jack White was the singer's debut solo release, however he had previous chart success with The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. Dappy took some time away from his group N-Dubz, scoring a number 6 album Bad Intentions.
Best-selling albums Emeli Sandé had the best-selling album of the year with Our Version of Events. The album spent 67 weeks in the top 10 (including 10 weeks at number 1), sold over 2.3 million copies and was certified 8× Platinum by the BPI. 21 by Adele came in second place. Ed Sheeran's +, Born to Die from Lana Del Rey and Take Me Home by One Direction made up the top five. Albums by Mumford & Sons, Olly Murs, Michael Bublé, Coldplay and Rihanna were also in the top 10 best-selling albums of the year.
Top-ten albums Key SymbolMeaning‡Album peaked in 2011 but still in chart in 2012.♦Album released in 2012 but peaked in 2013 or 2014.(#)Year-end top-ten album position and rankEnteredThe date that the album first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the album reached in the UK Albums Chart.
Entered (week ending)Weeksintop10 Album ArtistPeak Peakreached (week ending)WeeksatpeakAlbums in 2011 41Doo-Wops & Hooligans ‡Bruno Mars 1 2 7621 ‡ (#2)Adele 1 23 34Who You Are ‡Jessie J 2 1 4What Did You Expect from The Vaccines? ‡ 4 1 114 ‡Beyoncé 1 2 15Nothing but the Beat ‡David Guetta 2 3 49+ ‡ (#3)Ed Sheeran 1 3 4Velociraptor! ‡Kasabian 1 1 7Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds ‡ Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 1 1 28Mylo Xyloto ‡ (#9)Coldplay 1 1 7Ceremonials ‡Florence + The Machine 1 1 4Stereo Typical Rizzle Kicks 5 1 18Talk That Talk ‡Rihanna 1 2 7Up All Night ‡One Direction 2 1 9In Case You Didn't Know ‡Olly Murs 1 1 6Lioness: Hidden Treasures ‡Amy Winehouse 1 1 9Heaven ‡Rebecca Ferguson 3 1Albums in 2012 1Given to the Wild 4 1 1A Flash Flood of ColourEnter Shikari 4 1 1Beyond the SunChris Isaak 6 1 15Born to Die (#4)Lana Del Rey 1 2 2Old IdeasLeonard Cohen 2 1 3Lonely Are the BraveMaverick Sabre 2 1 1Kisses on the BottomPaul McCartney 3 1 1A Different Kind of TruthVan Halen 6 1 67Our Version of Events (#1)Emeli Sandé 1 10 6Making MirrorsGotye 4 1 1Whitney: The Greatest HitsWhitney Houston 7 1 319Adele 7 1 1Hell in a HandbasketMeat Loaf 5 1 1The Essential Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston 7 1 3Wrecking BallBruce Springsteen 1 1 3In My DreamsMilitary Wives 1 1 2TuskegeeLionel Richie 7 1 1Secret SymphonyKatie Melua 8 1 2Home AgainMichael Kiwanuka 4 1 1Marcus CollinsMarcus Collins 7 1 2Sonik KicksPaul Weller 1 1 2MDNAMadonna 1 1 1Teenage DreamKaty Perry 6 1 5Pink Friday: Roman ReloadedNicki Minaj 1 1 2Electronic EarthLabrinth 2 1 2Music Rox!Moshi Monsters 4 1 1WeaponsLostprophets 9 1 4Boys & GirlsAlabama Shakes 3 1 1Love Is a Four Letter WordJason Mraz 2 1 3California 37Train 7 1 3BlunderbussJack White 1 1 1Out of the GameRufus Wainwright 5 1 1Electra HeartMarina and the Diamonds 1 1 1...Little Broken HeartsNorah Jones 4 1 4StrangelandKeane 1 2 1Standing at the Sky's EdgeRichard Hawley 3 1 1In the Belly of the Brazen Bull 9 1 1Rize of the FenixTenacious D 2 1 1Through the NightRen Harvieu 5 1 2Every KingdomBen Howard 6 1 1Not Your Kind of PeopleGarbage 9 1 1Driving Towards the DaylightJoe Bonamassa 2 1 1Born and RaisedJohn Mayer 4 1 5Number OnesBee Gees 4 1 5Some Nightsfun. 4 1 1Spirit in the RoomTom Jones 8 1 1Streets in the Sky 9 1 4SingGary Barlow 1 3 15Fall to GracePaloma Faith 2 3 2Boys Don't CryRumer 3 1 1Magic HourScissor Sisters 4 1 1Anthems – Music To Inspire A NationRussell Watson 5 1 1ValtariSigur Rós 8 1 5GracelandPaul Simon 4 1 3Life in a Beautiful LightAmy Macdonald 2 1 2Looking 4 MyselfUsher 3 1 125 Years – The ChainFleetwood Mac 9 1 2BelieveJustin Bieber 1 1 2A Million LightsCheryl 2 1 2Living ThingsLinkin Park 1 1 9OverexposedMaroon 5 2 3 1Wild OnesFlo Rida 8 1 2FortuneChris Brown 1 1 1Write It on Your SkinNewton Faulkner 1 1 2Channel OrangeFrank Ocean 2 1 1Is Your Love Big Enough?Lianne La Havas 4 1 1Cheeky for a Reason 9 1 2Good Morning to the NightElton John vs. Pnau 1 1 1Life Is GoodNas 8 1 7Ill ManorsPlan B 1 1 1Handwritten 2 1 1Dance Again... the HitsJennifer Lopez 4 1 1The Soul Sessions Vol. 2Joss Stone 6 1 2ContrastConor Maynard 1 1 1From the Roots UpDelilah 5 1 1Two Sides: The Very Best of Mike OldfieldMike Oldfield 6 1 1God Forgives, I Don'tRick Ross 8 1 1The Seldom Seen KidElbow 6 1 1Ryan O'Shaughnessy (EP)Ryan O'Shaughnessy 9 1 1FourBloc Party 3 1 1Hot Cakes 4 1 1DevotionJessie Ware 5 1 2El Camino 6 1 1Chapter VTrey Songz 10 1 4OraRita Ora 1 1 2My Head Is an AnimalOf Monsters and Men 3 1 1Dead in the BootElbow 4 1 2Come of Age 1 1 2BeaconTwo Door Cinema Club 2 1 1FiresRonan Keating 5 1 1PrivateeringMark Knopfler 8 1 1The Light Between UsScouting for Girls 10 1 3Coexist 1 1 4#3 2 1 2TempestBob Dylan 3 1 1Here's What I BelieveJoe McElderry 8 1 1ElysiumPet Shop Boys 9 1 4Battle Born 1 1 17The Truth About LovePink 2 1 1Bad 25Michael Jackson 6 1 1KissCarly Rae Jepsen 9 1 16Babel (#6)Mumford & Sons 1 3 2¡Uno!Green Day 2 1 2TogetherJonathan and Charlotte 5 1 1Album Title Goes HereDeadmau5 9 1 1Sigh No More Mumford & Sons 10 1 4The 2nd LawMuse 1 1 1Higher 6 1 2All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light OrchestraElectric Light Orchestra 10 2 22Halcyon ♦Ellie Goulding 1 3 1Long WaveJeff Lynne 7 1 1Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light OrchestraElectric Light Orchestra 8 1 1Don't PanicAll Time Low 9 1 16Jake BuggJake Bugg 1 1 2GlassheartLeona Lewis 3 1 1The Haunted ManBat for Lashes 6 1 1The SingerArt Garfunkel 10 1 4RedTaylor Swift 1 1 1Chapman SquareLawson 4 1 1Bad IntentionsDappy 6 1 1Songs from the Movies and MoreDaniel O'Donnell 7 1 1518 MonthsCalvin Harris 1 2 2The Abbey Road SessionsKylie Minogue 2 1 1American SoulMick Hucknall 6 1 1The FireMatt Cardle 8 1 1Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da DaMadness 10 1 10Take the CrownRobbie Williams 1 1 5Magic of the MoviesAndré Rieu & The Johann Strauss Orchestra 2 1 1EvolutionJLS 3 1 1Stronger TogetherMilitary Wives 5 1 1OperaAndrea Bocelli 10 1 10Take Me Home (#5)One Direction 1 1 6Merry Christmas, BabyRod Stewart 2 1 1GRRR! 3 1 2StorytellerAlfie Boe 6 1 1¡Dos!Green Day 10 1 14Unapologetic (#10)Rihanna 1 1 1DNALittle Mix 3 1 1Celebration DayLed Zeppelin 4 1 6Christmas (#8)Michael Bublé 2 1 1Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the StageSusan Boyle 7 1 16Right Place Right Time (#7)Olly Murs 1 2 5The Very Best of Neil Diamond: The Original Studio RecordingsNeil Diamond 5 2 1TenGirls Aloud 9 1 24Unorthodox JukeboxBruno Mars 1 1
Entries by artist
The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 2012, including albums that reached their peak in 2011. The figures only include main artists, with featured artists and appearances on compilation albums not counted individually for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top 10 in 2011 is also shown.
Entries Artist Weeks Albums2Adele 2819, 21Bruno Mars 8Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Unorthodox JukeboxCheryl 3A Million Lights, TenElbow 2Dead in the Boot, The Seldom Seen KidElectric Light Orchestra 3All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra, Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light OrchestraGreen Day 3¡Dos!, ¡Uno!Military Wives 4In My Dreams, Stronger TogetherMumford & Sons 8Babel, Sigh No MoreOlly Murs 9In Case You Didn't Know, Right Place Right TimeOne Direction 8Take Me Home, Up All NightRihanna 18Talk That Talk, Unapologetic 5Come of Age, What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?Whitney Houston 2The Essential Whitney Houston, Whitney: The Greatest Hits
Notes
Doo-Wops & Hooligans re-entered the top 10 at number 2 on 7 January 2012 (week ending) for six weeks. 21 re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 14 July 2012 (week ending) and at number 7 on 27 July 2012 (week ending) for four weeks. Who You Are re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 7 January 2012 (week ending) for two weeks, at number 10 on 28 January 2012 (week ending) for six weeks, at number 5 on 7 April 2012 (week ending) for six weeks, at number 7 on 16 June 2012 (week ending) and at number 7 on 25 August 2012 (week ending).