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. Before 2004, the chart was only based on the sales of physical albums. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 1996, as well as albums which peaked in 1995 and 1997 but were in the top 10 in 1996. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top ten for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).

Ninety-seven albums were in the top ten this year. Three albums from 1994 and fifteen from 1995 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack by Madonna and Various artists and Ocean Drive by Lighthouse Family were both released in 1996 but did not reach their peak until 1997. Bizarre Fruit by M People first charted in 1994 but took until 1996 to hit its highest position. The Bends by Radiohead was the only album from 1995 to reach its peak in 1996. Eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1996. are among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 album in 1996.

The first new number-one album of the year was Expecting to Fly by The Bluetones. Overall, nineteen different albums peaked at number-one in 1996, with nineteen unique artists hitting that position.

Background Multiple entries Ninety-seven albums charted in the top 10 in 1996, with seventy-nine albums reaching their peak this year.

Eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 1996. The Beatles, Boyzone, Celine Dion, Madonna, Oasis, Robson & Jerome, Simply Red, The Smurfs were the acts to chart with two albums this year.

Chart debuts artists achieved their first top 10 album in 1996 as a lead artist. had one other entry in their breakthrough year.

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 entries

Notes

Soundtracks Soundtrack albums for various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included.

Best-selling albums Alanis Morissette had the best-selling album of the year with Jagged Little Pill. The album spent 41 weeks in the top 10 (including 11 weeks at number one), sold around 2 million copies and was certified 7× platinum by the BPI.Spice by the Spice Girls came in second place. Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, Falling into You from Celine Dion and Older by George Michael made up the top five. Albums by Robson & Jerome, The Fugees, Simply Red, The Beautiful South and Take That were also in the top-ten best selling albums of the year.

Top-ten albums Key SymbolMeaning‡Album peaked in 1994 or 1995 but still in chart in 1996.♦Album released in 1996 but peaked in 1997.(#)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 Single ArtistPeak Peakreached (week ending)WeeksatpeakAlbums in 1994 32The Colour of My Love ‡Celine Dion 1 7 25Definitely Maybe ‡Oasis 1 1 26Bizarre FruitM People 3 3Albums in 1995 5The BendsRadiohead 4 1 24Stanley Road ‡Paul Weller 1 1 22HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I ‡Michael Jackson 1 1 10Said and Done ‡Boyzone 1 1 51(What's the Story) Morning Glory? ‡Oasis 1 10 15Life ‡Simply Red 1 3 3All Change ‡Cast 7 1 23Different Class ‡Pulp 1 1 5Welcome to the Neighbourhood ‡Meat Loaf 3 1 4Power of a Woman ‡Eternal 6 1 10Made in Heaven ‡Queen 1 1 12Something to Remember ‡Madonna 3 1 8Love Songs ‡Elton John 4 1 13Robson & Jerome ‡Robson & Jerome 1 7 8The Memory of Trees ‡Enya 5 1Albums in 1996 41Jagged Little PillAlanis Morissette 1 11 2First LoveMichael Ball 4 1 2Boys for PeleTori Amos 2 1 1DeliveranceBaby D 5 1 1It's a Man's WorldCher 10 1 3Don't StopStatus Quo 2 1 1The Boy with the X-Ray EyesBabylon Zoo 6 1 1Murder BalladsNick Cave and the Bad Seeds 8 1 1This World and BodyMarion 10 1 3Expecting to Fly 1 1 1Same Oul' Town 6 1 1RootsSepultura 4 1 1RelishJoan Osborne 5 1 12HitsMike and the Mechanics 3 2 3Mercury FallingSting 4 1 29Ocean Drive ♦Lighthouse Family 3 1 41Falling into YouCeline Dion 1 1 1Regular Urban SurvivorsTerrorvision 8 1 1Second Toughest in the InfantsUnderworld 9 1 1Countdown 1992–1983Pulp 10 1 2Anthology 2 1 1 7GarbageGarbage 6 2 1LovelifeLush 8 1 10Greatest HitsTake That 1 4 1Golden HeartMark Knopfler 9 1 4Wildest DreamsTina Turner 4 1 1A Maximum HighShed Seven 8 1 22Moseley ShoalsOcean Colour Scene 2 6 1Evil EmpireRage Against the Machine 4 1 2Return of the MackMark Morrison 4 1 1Fairweather JohnsonHootie & the Blowfish 9 1 1Nearly GodTricky 10 1 4To the Faithful Departed 2 1 1In SidesOrbital 5 1 91977Ash 1 1 2Walking WoundedEverything but the Girl 4 1 2The It GirlSleeper 5 1 1Wild Mood Swings 9 1 35OlderGeorge Michael 1 3 1SlangDef Leppard 5 1 16Everything Must GoManic Street Preachers 2 2 31The Score 2 1 1Down on the UpsideSoundgarden 7 1 2LoadMetallica 1 1 318 til I DieBryan Adams 1 1 3DreamlandRobert Miles 7 1 6Free Peace SweetDodgy 7 1 18Recurring Dream: The Very Best of Crowded HouseCrowded House 1 2 1NakedLouise 7 1 12The Smurfs Go Pop! 2 1 1Raise the PressureElectronic 8 1 3The Ultimate CollectionNeil Diamond 5 1 1No CodePearl Jam 3 1 4Coming UpSuede 1 1 1BilingualPet Shop Boys 4 1 3New Adventures in Hi-FiR.E.M. 1 1 17Travelling Without MovingJamiroquai 2 2 10KKula Shaker 1 2 4SpidersSpace 5 1 2NaturalPeter Andre 1 1 1From the Muddy Banks of the WishkahNirvana 4 1 6Sheryl CrowSheryl Crow 5 3 16Greatest HitsSimply Red 1 2 3StooshSkunk Anansie 9 2 2Only HumanDina Carroll 2 1 1Recovering the SatellitesCounting Crows 4 1 22Blue Is the Colour 1 1 2Dance into the LightPhil Collins 4 1 1Ugly BeautifulBabybird 9 1 9A Different BeatBoyzone 1 1 1Anthology 3 4 1 10Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack ♦Madonna and Various artists 1 1 43SpiceSpice Girls 1 15 6Around the World Hit Singles: The Journey So FarEast 17 3 2 3If We Fall in Love TonightRod Stewart 8 1 7Take TwoRobson & Jerome 1 2 5Christmas Party 8 3 1The FinestFine Young Cannibals 10 1 1Crocodile Shoes II (Original Songs from the BBC Television Serial)Jimmy Nail 10 1

Entries by artist The following table shows artists who have achieved two or more top 10 entries in 1996, including albums that reached their peak in 1995 or 1997. 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 ten in 1996 is also shown.

Entries Artist Weeks Albums

Notes

See also 1996 in British music List of number-one albums from the 1990s (UK)

References General

Specific

External links 1996 album chart archive at the Official Charts Company (click on relevant week)