For the first time since the year-end chart was introduced more than 50 years ago, a British artist accounted for all of Britain’s ten most popular songs that year.
Harry Styles’ ubiquitous As It Was topped the UK’s biggest hits of 2022. Ed Sheeran has two of his songs on the list, and new artists such as South London songwriter Cat Burns and Scottish dance duo LF System have joined Kate Bush. Appearing in the latest series of the Netflix drama Stranger Things, he was originally number three.
Leon Neville, Research and Insights Director at the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), said it was “amazing” that British artists dominated given the global competition created by streaming. said. “This outstanding achievement is a testament to the continuing wealth of musical talent emerging from across the UK country and region, fueled by the passion, investment and skill of British Records His Label.”
However, only singles by Styles and LF System have actually been released in 2022. Aside from Bush’s ’80s hits, the rest of the Top 10 were released in his 2020 and his 2021. The chart shows the long tail effect of streaming. Glass Animals’ Heat Waves was released two years before him, but in early 2022 after his record-breaking 59-week ascent to the top spot.
It also reveals the benefits of getting superstars on your remixes. Nigerian pop star Fireboy DML released his song Peru in the summer of 2021, but found greater success six months later when he released a version with Ed Sheeran. Burns ‘Go has grown steadily since his debut on TikTok in 2020, leading to the latest version of Sam Smith released this summer. All versions of the same song (including newly recorded guest verses or remixes) count towards the original’s chart position.
The UK singles sweep is just one of the booms BPI has reported on the UK music scene for 2022. The UK’s consumption of recorded music has more than doubled in the last five years, rising from 147 billion audio streams in 2021 to 159 billion in 2022.
By 2022, over 3 billion audio streams will be generated on average every week. Normally, he would need 1.3 million streams to break into the UK Top 40, and 7 million combined audio and video streams to secure a No. 1 single. Last year, 159 million albums or equivalent streaming units were consumed. This year’s figure is 166.1m.
This year’s top 10 albums were also dominated by older releases and compilations of greatest hits. Only #1 Styles’ Harry’s House and her #3 Taylor Swift’s Midnights have been released in 2022. Similar old compilations from Eminem, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and Abba filled the rest of the list.
Consumer ownership of albums across the board is plummeting, with digital downloads down 18.9% from 2021 and physical albums (CDs, vinyl, cassettes and other niche formats) down 13.1% overall. .
Nonetheless, the majority of No 1 albums continue to come from physical sales, accounting for 38 of 52 weeks in 2022. To calculate album-equivalent sales from streaming figures, The Official Charts Company takes the 12 most-streamed songs from one of his albums and lowers the weight of the top two songs to match the rest (hit to avoid the single distorting the album’s performance). The paid premium service gives him a total of 1,000 streams and the free, ad-supported service gives him 6,000 streams.
Record sales increased for the 15th year in a row, reaching a record high of 5.5 million copies. This is his best since 1990, when his Phil Collins record appeared at the top of the list. Unlike streaming-dominated singles and entire album charts, 2022 will see eight of his top 10 releases, Swift’s Midnights, Styles’ Harry’s His House, Arctic’s His Monkees. The his car took the lead.
CD sales continue to plummet to 11 million from 14 million in 2021, a 19.3% decline. His 2022 album, Gold Rush Kid, from Swift, Arctic Monkeys and George Ezra, has sold quite a few in this format. Cassette sales represent a small portion of the overall market, but the format continues to grow, dominated by Dance Fever by Florence + The Machine, Will of the People by Muse, West London rappers and Central Sea’s 23 , reaching 195,000 units, an increase of 5.2%.
The market share occupied by independent record labels increased for the fifth consecutive year, from 26.9% in 2021 to 28.6% in 2022. The biggest new independent album is Arctic Monkeys’ The Car, which was overthrown by Swift’s rulers. Achieved 120,000 units at midnight in October. Their dominoes Her label mate Wet Leg’s self with his title debut is his one of nine indie albums to hit number one on the UK album charts in 2022 was one.
Top 10 most popular UK singles in 2022
1 Harry Styles – As It Was
2 Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits
3 Fireboy DML & Ed Sheeran – Peru
4 Cat Burns – Go
5 Ed Sheeran – Shivers
6 Kate Bush – Run Up That Hill
7 Glass Animals – Heatwave
Eight Lost Frequencies and Calum Scott – Where Are You Now
9 LF System – Afraid to Feel
10 Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under
Top 10 most popular UK albums of 2022
1 Harry Styles – Harry’s House
2 Ed Sheeran –=
3 Taylor Swift – Midnight
4 The Weeknd – Highlights
5 Olivia Rodrigo Sour
6 Eminem – Curtain Call: The Hits
7 Elton John – Diamond
8 Fleetwood Mac – 50 Years – Don’t Stop
9 Little Mix – Between Us
10 Abba – Gold – Greatest Hits