There are 28 albums that Classic Rock recognizes as rock (although one should define what is rock and what is not) that are present in the top 200 positions of the chart and none of them were released this year.
Just 29 of the Top 200 albums on Billboard's year-end 2024 chart were from rock artists. Depressingly, none of them were released this year. All but five of the 29 were greatest hits collections. Besides Rumours, the only non-compilation rock albums to make the chart were Nirvana's Nevermind, AC/DC's Back in Black, Linkin Park's [Hybrid Theory] and Sublime's self-titled 1996 album.
In a brand-new Top 40 from the Official Charts Company, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours takes the top spot in a countdown of the best-selling vinyl albums of the 21st Century that were originally released between 1970 and 1999.
Commissioned by Greatest Hits Radio as part of its Vinyl Revival Day, songs from the chart will play out on the station between 1 and 4pm this Thursday.
Either side of the chart countdown, Ken Bruce (10am – 1pm) and Simon Mayo (4pm – 7pm) will be going back to where it all started for them as broadcasters, and playing a selection of their track listings on the day from original vinyl. Listeners will also be able to send in requests and their disc of choice will be played on air, on a record player!
This music lovers bonanza is all taking place to celebrate Cash for Kids Day which this year sees the children’s charity raising funds to combat holiday hunger, and the Official Charts Company have generously donated this chart to the station to show their support for this hugely important cause.
Having fallen out of favour in the CD era of the 1990s, vinyl sales have been on the rise for several years now. In fact, this surge in popularity resulted in the Office of National Statistics including them in their 2024 basket of goods and services reflecting changing consumer tastes – an indication of just what a mainstream purchase vinyl records are now becoming.
Originally released in 1977, Rumours tops this chart having sold just under 280,000 copies on vinyl this millennium. The best-selling album of all time – Queen’s Greatest Hits – only makes it to number five on this chart and is trumped by albums from Pink Floyd (The Dark Side of the Moon), Nirvana (Nevermind) and Oasis (What’s The Story Morning Glory). Manchester in general is well represented in the Top Ten with the Stone Roses at number 7 and another Oasis album, Definitely Maybe, also in that top ten.
“If Stevie and I, and John and Chris had remained as couples, the stability of the band would not have been very good,” he said, per the book Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac. “It was like that was a necessary thing to go through to eliminate all those weird vibes. And, we respect each other a lot more now.”
