Sam Fender’s People Watching claims the best-selling vinyl album of 2025 so far!
Congratulations are in order for Sam Fender who claims the best-selling vinyl album of 2025 so far, selling 53,000 copies of his latest album People Watching on vinyl since its February release, according to Official Charts.
As well as earning the biggest opening week of Fender's career, Official Charts also confirmed People Watching to be the fastest-selling vinyl album of the century by a British artist after shifting 43,000 copies on vinyl in its first seven days on sale, topping both the Official Albums Chart and Vinyl Albums Chart that week.
Second place needs no introduction, Lover (Live from Paris) was Taylor Swift’s fourth live album, consisting of tracks she performed at a one-off City of Lover concert in 2019. The record netted Taylor her 13th UK Number 1 album back in February, overtaking Madonna to become the female artist with the most UK Number 1 albums. It shifted over 46,800 vinyl copies in just one week in 2025, putting it at Number 2 in the year-to-date vinyl best sellers list.
In third place, and also in a record-breaking year, is Sabrina Carpenter who set a new solo record for securing the longest Top 5 streak in Official Albums Chart history. Short n’ Sweet first charted 45 weeks ago and is yet to drop out of the Top 5. In 2025, Sabrina released a deluxe version of the album, including a 2LP format on blue vinyl featuring bonus tracks, including a version of Please, Please, Please with Dolly Parton. The record comes in at Number 3, selling 20,200 vinyl units this year.
Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM, which topped the Official Albums Chart in March, breaks into the Top 5 at Number 4, with vinyl sales of over 18,500 in the first half of the year.
Nothing common about the people behind the Pulp success earlier this month. Their eighth studio album More, released through Rough Trade Records in June 2025 marked their first UK Number 1 album in 27 years. With just two weeks of sales propelling them all the way to Number 5 in the year-to-date Official Vinyl Chart, this record is one to watch as the remainder of the year plays out.
Fontaines DC take up the sixth spot with their album Romance, followed by Chappell Roan’s debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which continues to be taken to heart by the British public, landing at Number 7.
Fleetwood Mac’s iconic 11th studio album Rumours continues its remarkable run on vinyl, securing the Number 8 spot. The enduring popularity of the collector classic underscores its timeless appeal to both longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Meanwhile, Sleep Token’s highly-anticipated 2025 release Even in Arcadia debuts strongly, making the Top 10 at Number 9. The album’s performance signals a powerful reception from the band’s rapidly growing fan base.
Rounding out the Top 10 is Oasis’s second studio album, 1995’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (10). With the band’s worldwide stadium tour set to dominate this summer, as well as a 30th anniversary 3 LP reissue on its way in October, interest in their back catalogue is on the rise.
And finally, Wicked, the Motion Picture Cast Recording makes the Top 20 (19). Featuring hits including Defying Gravity, which gave Cynthia Erivo her first-ever UK Top 10 single, the album topped the Official Compilations Chart for a staggering 16 weeks straight from November through to March 2025 as Wicked Mania took hold in Britain. It’s the only motion picture soundtrack to make the best-selling vinyl albums of the year so far.
