UK Record Sales 1964–2008
Trade delivery figures are no longer reported by BPI, instead retail sales data now forms the base for most BPI statistics. Please see the following two pages for such data:

Trade deliveries 1964–2008, million units

YearSingles % LP % MC % 8T/CD % MD % Total Albums%
1929T 60.000
1938T 6.000
1945T 10.000
1959T 60.000
1964T 64.000 24.000
1965T 56.000-12.50%
1966T 46.000-17.86%
1967T 46.000
1968T 44.000-4.35%
1969T 41.000-6.82%
1970T 41.000
1971T 43.0004.88%
1972T 46.2007.44% 59.300 4.900 3.200 67.400
1973T 54.60018.18% 81.00036.59% 9.800100.00% 5.70078.13% 96.50043.18%
1974T 62.70014.84% 89.50010.49% 14.00042.86% 6.2008.77% 109.70013.68%
1975T 56.900-9.25% 91.6002.35% 16.50017.86% 3.700-40.32% 111.8001.91%
1976T 56.900 83.800-8.52% 16.000-3.03% 2.200-40.54% 102.000-8.77%
1977T 62.1009.14% 81.700-2.51% 18.50015.63% 1.100-50.00% 101.300-0.69%
1978T 88.80043.00% 86.1005.39% 20.60011.35% 0.600-45.45% 107.3005.92%
1979T 89.1000.34% 74.500-13.47% 23.20012.62% 0.100-83.33% 97.800-8.85%
1980T 77.900-12.57% 67.400-9.53% 25.2008.62% 92.600-5.32%
1981T 77.400-0.64% 64.000-5.04% 28.90014.68% 92.9000.32%
1982T 78.6001.55% 57.800-9.69% 31.5009.00% 89.300-3.88%
1983T 74.000-5.85% 54.300-6.06% 35.80013.65% 0.250 90.3501.18%
1984T 77.0004.05% 54.100-0.37% 45.40026.82% 0.900260.00% 100.40011.12%
1985T 73.800-4.16% 53.000-2.03% 55.40022.03% 3.100244.44% 111.50011.06%
1986T 67.500-8.54% 52.300-1.32% 69.60025.63% 8.400170.97% 130.30016.86%
1987T 63.413-6.05% 52.155-0.28% 74.4236.93% 18.162116.21% 144.74011.08%
1988T 60.118-5.20% 50.208-3.73% 80.8748.67% 29.19660.75% 160.27810.74%
1989T 61.1141.66% 37.897-24.52% 83.0402.68% 41.72642.92% 162.6631.49%
1990T 58.858-3.69% 24.719-34.77% 75.076-9.59% 50.85321.87% 150.648-7.39%
1991T 56.302-4.34% 12.892-47.85% 66.788-11.04% 62.83023.55% 142.510-5.40%
1992T 52.921-6.01% 6.664-48.31% 56.449-15.48% 70.48512.18% 133.598-6.25%
1993T 56.2766.34% 4.959-25.59% 55.698-1.33% 92.85731.74% 153.51414.91%
1994T 63.04912.04% 4.512-9.01% 56.0430.62% 116.35625.31% 176.91115.24%
1995T 70.71112.15% 3.621-19.75% 53.365-4.78% 139.15919.60% 196.14510.87%
1996T 78.26410.68% 2.447-32.42% 46.210-13.41% 159.73114.78% 208.3886.24%
1997T 87.021*11.19% 2.4751.14% 36.629-20.73% 158.756-0.61% 197.860-5.05%
1998T 79.373-8.79% 2.208-10.79% 32.242-11.98% 175.71510.68% 0.240 210.4056.34%
1999T 80.0590.86% 2.2592.31% 18.403-42.92% 176.8670.66% 0.43480.63% 197.963-5.91%
2000T 66.080-17.46% 3.16840.24% 11.378-38.17% 201.62414.00% 0.299-31.03% 216.4699.35%
2001T 59.532-9.91% 2.620-17.30% 4.610-59.48% 218.6308.43% 0.072-75.92% 225.9324.37%
2002T 52.532-11.76% 2.218-15.34% 1.866-59.52% 221.6141.36% 0.016-77.78% 225.714-0.10%
2003T 36.425-30.66% 2.008-9.47% 0.903-51.61% 233.9505.57% 0.003-81.25% 236.8644.94%
2003T 36.425-30.66% 2.008-9.47% 0.903-51.61% 233.9505.57% 0.003-81.25% 236.8644.94%
2004T 37.2062.14% 1.468-26.89% 0.463-48.73% 237.4381.49% 0.000-100.00% 239.3691.06%
2005T 53.20943.01% 1.182-19.48% 0.58125.49% 229.248-3.45% 231.011-3.49%
2006T 71.50034.38% 222.5*-4.89%
2007T 89.30024.89% 193.8*-12.81%
2008T 116.90030.91% 188.7*-2.63%
YearSingles % LP % MC % CD % MD % Total Albums%
*) Subtracting Elton John's 4.770m sales of "Something About The Way You Look Tonight / Candle In The Wind 1997" leaves 82.25m delivered singles. For 1997 there is still a rise of 5.1% and the reduction in 1998 is halved to 3.5%.
Albums 2006 onwards: estimate due to change in definition.

Sources:

Statistical Handbooks and Yearbooks of the BPI -- British Phonographic Industry Ltd., and surveys by the BPI and IFPI published by
Music Week, MBI, IFPI, and the BPI Website.

[First created in 1995, last revised 26.06.2010]
[www.zobbel.de – Dipl.-Bibl.(FH) Tobias Zywietz – all rights reserved]