So who came out on top in 2020? Market leaders Universal had a stellar
2019, so it was always going to be hard to top those results. While the major was comfortably on top across all consumption measures, market share was off slightly on All Albums AES (down 0.3 percentage points on last year to 36.5%) and flat on Artist Albums AES (down just 0.1 points).
In a declining market, Universal did
increase its share for Artist Album Sales (up 1.4 points to 35.9%) and All Album Sales (up 0.4 points to 36.7%). Hawkes credits the work of their labels and “innovation” during Covid. “I’d say the eclectic nature of our roster has been an important factor – a great mix of new artists and an incredible catalogue,” he says. “Our labels were also quick to establish a strong release schedule even sooner than anybody anticipated. And on catalogue, I think it’s fair to say people were looking for an element of familiarity in their listening at the beginning of lockdown – I know I was! “At a time when touring and live shows
have not been possible, our teams have been busy ensuring that artists have had the tools and platforms to help them connect with their fans. From sending out home recording kits to organising virtual promo tours and brand showcases, they have left no stone unturned when it comes to keeping creativity flowing and opening up new commercial opportunities.” Sony’s quieter release slate
resulted in market share declines on Artist Album Sales (down 1.5 points to 15.7%) and All Album Sales (down two points to 18.8%). But the No.2 music company still
“Music has got to be one of the most dynamic industries”
DEREK ALLEN WARNER MUSIC
are keeping on listening to the album,” Wood explains. Warner Music numbers can sometimes be subject to the effect of Ed Sheeran, who didn’t have a new record last year. The major’s All Music AES share of 16.3%
was down 0.3 points, while its preferred All Music Artist AES figure was down from 17.3% to 16.7%. Track streams were stable (17.1%). Despite strong catalogue titles, including
a No.1 vinyl result for Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (Rhino), Warner was down in Artist Album Sales (14.6%, down 3.3 points on 2019) and All Album Sales (13%, down 2.2 points). As well as vinyl sales, classic albums
and greatest hits are lodging in the charts because the streaming model is encouraging consistent consumption of existing chart albums and old favourites. Which explains why The Greatest Showman (Atlantic) was No.1 in the overall compilations chart of 2020.
With sales of 190,864, The Greatest
Showman would have finished in the main Top 10 albums of 2020 if the rules hadn’t changed for soundtracks a year ago. “It just goes and goes,” smiles Allen. “Stick it on TV, and everyone’s singing along and listening to it.” Back in the main chart, the
top debut of the year was the posthumous Pop Smoke album Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon (Polydor/Republic) at No.6 (222,052). The pandemic’s impact on
Power surge: AC/DC’s Power Up was one of Sony’s big Q4 successes
had a strong streaming performance and was the only major to increase market share year-on-year for Track Streams (from 21.7% to 21.8%). In Q4, Sony’s Track Streams share was up by 0.4 points year-on-year. “Five years ago, that is probably something you wouldn’t
have thought [would happen], we were much more dependent on gifting albums [in Q4],” he says. “We’ve had a very good year in the track market.” Of course, some of that is down to Styles, who played his
part in Sony’s year-on-year 0.1 point increase to a 21.8% share in the major’s preferred All Music AES metric. All Music Artist AES (21.4%) was up by the same amount. So can Harry Styles continue to perform for Sony in 2021? With Fine Line reaching a new peak and streaming accounting for almost 90% of weekly sales, Wood says it’s an album that exemplifies the new consumption model. “It’s different from a purchase model, because now people
release schedules meant that none of the majors secured a 2020 UK debut album breakthrough in the overall Top 100. KSI’s Dissimulation (RBC/BMG) was the biggest UK debut at No.62 (84,006). But the majors are relaxed
about changing consumption. “In the purchase world, a
customer was limited on the number of chart units they could contribute to, as they were only going to buy [a certain number] of albums a year,” explains Wood. “Now you have all the music in the world to listen to.” Of course, there was no shortage of debuts from the last
few years in the overall Top 100, including Dua Lipa’s self-titled record from 2017 (No.25,128,359). So we should probably expect Dua Lipa’s sophomore
album to be a prominent feature of our 2021 analysis? “There’s a lot more in the tank on that project, there’s new music and two awards ceremonies – the BRITs and Grammys – which we’re hoping she’ll perform well in,” says Allen. “And then at some point when the pandemic unravels, we can get back to an industry that has all of its parts working, with people listening to music and getting live going. Because we know that those two things have always gone hand in hand.” Here’s to the future…
SALES STATISTICS 2020
SALES PERIOD 2020 2019
% CHANGE
AUDIO STREAMS (SEA*) 125,173,598 104,175,881 +20.2%
SINGLES (TEA**) 3,167,220 4,069,232 -22.2%
DIGITAL ALBUMS 5,936,878 7,333,434 -19.0%
PHYSICAL ALBUMS 21,102,341 27,977,671 -24.6%
TOTAL (AES***) 155,380,036 143,556,218 +8.2%
* STREAMING EQUIVALENT ALBUMS ** TRACK EQUIVALENT ALBUMS *** ALBUM EQUIVALENT SALES DATA NOW INCLUDES VIDEO STREAMS. ALL STREAMS WEIGHTED ACCORDING TO WHETHER AD-SUPPORTED OR PREMIUM. 2019 FIGURES HAVE BEEN RESTATED TO PROVIDE ACCURATE COMPARISON. SOURCE: BPI
musicweek.com
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent EMI
Lewis Capaldi
Harry Styles Fine Line Columbia
Future Nostalgia Warner Records
Dua Lipa
When We All Fall Asleep... Interscope
Billie Eilish
Heavy Is The Head Atlantic/Merky
Stormzy
Shoot For The Stars, Aim For... Republic Records
Pop Smoke
No 6 Collaborations Project Asylum
Ed Sheeran
Greatest Hits EMI
Queen
Elton John Diamonds Mercury/UMC
Fleetwood Mac 50 Years - Don’t Stop Rhino
Music To Be Murdered By Interscope
Eminem
Taylor Swift Folklore EMI
Ed Sheeran Divide Asylum
Rhino/Warner Records Post Malone
Fleetwood Mac Rumours
Hollywood’s Bleeding Republic Records
High Expectations Polydor
Mabel
Legends Never Die Interscope
Juice Wrld
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe Together At Christmas Decca
Gold - Greatest Hits Polydor
ABBA
(What’s The Story) Morning Glory? Big Brother
Oasis
Bob Marley & The Wailers Legend Tuff Gong
Lady Gaga Chromatica Interscope
Republic Records/XO Oasis
The Weeknd After Hours
Time Flies - 1994-2009 Big Brother
Warner Records
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa
AC/DC Power Up Columbia
Becky Hill Get To Know Polydor
Curtain Call - The Hits Interscope
Eminem
Little Mix Confetti RCA
Don’t Smile At Me Interscope
Billie Eilish
Bruce Springsteen Letter To You Columbia
Big Conspiracy Black Butter
J Hus
Kylie Minogue Disco BMG
Apple Corps Parlophone
Jax Jones Snacks Polydor
Taylor Swift Lover EMI
What A Time To Be Alive Relentless
Tom Walker
Michael Jackson Number Ones Epic
Goodbye & Good Riddance Polydor
Juice Wrld Music Week | 35
The Beatles 1
David Bowie Legacy
TOP 40 ALBUMS 2020
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
