# Official Record Store Chart

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The **Official Record Store Chart** is a weekly [music chart](/source/Music_chart) based on physical sales of albums in almost 100 independent [record stores](/source/Record_store) in the United Kingdom, such as [Rough Trade](/source/Rough_Trade_(shops)), [Rounder Records](/source/Rounder_Records), Jumbo and [Sound It Out](/source/Sound_It_Out).[1][2] It is compiled by the [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company) (OCC), and each week's number one is first announced on Friday evenings on the OCC's official website.

The chart's launch was first announced by the OCC on 17 April 2012[3] – at the time, British record stores were selling 4.5 million albums per year, and were contributing towards 95 per cent of the country's total vinyl sales.[4] However, [music downloads](/source/Music_download) held a considerable share of the albums market, leading to a decline in the number of outlets.[5] In promoting the chart, Martin Talbot, managing director of the OCC, remarked that he could see the benefits to both digital and physical album sales, but that there was "nothing nicer than the smell and feel of a nice chunky vinyl".[4]

The Official Record Store Chart was first broadcast by British DJ [Steve Lamacq](/source/Steve_Lamacq) on his eponymous radio programme on BBC 6 Music; the first number one was *[Boys & Girls](/source/Boys_%26_Girls_(Alabama_Shakes_album))*, the debut studio album by American band [Alabama Shakes](/source/Alabama_Shakes).[6] [Geoff Travis](/source/Geoff_Travis), founder of Rough Trade, the label that distributed *Boys & Girls*, stated that he was "very proud" that his label had achieved this feat.[7]

The first Official Record Store Chart was announced on Friday 20 April 2012, five days later than normal, to coincide with the eve of the UK's fourth annual [Record Store Day](/source/Record_Store_Day#UK), an international initiative founded to encourage purchases at record shops.[8] Talbot explained that the purpose of the chart was to "help spread the Record Store Day word throughout the year".[4]

The current number one Record Store Chart album is *This is How Happiness Feels?* by Reverend & the Makers, of the week ending 21 May 2026.

## Best-selling albums in record stores by year

Year Album Artist Record label Ref. 2012 Babel Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road/Island [9] 2013 AM Arctic Monkeys Domino [9] 2014 X Ed Sheeran Asylum [9] 2015 25 Adele XL [9] 2016 Blackstar David Bowie RCA [9] 2017 ÷ Ed Sheeran Asylum [9] 2018 Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Arctic Monkeys Domino [9] 2019 Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 Foals Warner Bros [9] 2020 Ultra Mono Idles Partisan [9] 2021 Blue Weekend Wolf Alice Dirty Hit [9]

## See also

- [List of Official Record Store Chart number ones from the 2010s](/source/List_of_Official_Record_Store_Chart_number_ones_from_the_2010s)
- [List of Official Record Store Chart number ones from the 2020s](/source/List_of_Official_Record_Store_Chart_number_ones_from_the_2020s)

## References

1. ["New chart for record shop sales"](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/new-chart-for-record-shop-sales-7654781.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. [Independent News & Media](/source/Independent_News_%26_Media). 18 April 2012. [ISSN 0951-9467](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0951-9467). [OCLC 185201487](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/185201487). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121224055027/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/new-chart-for-record-shop-sales-7654781.html) 24 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. ["Independent record store chart launched in the UK"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17742623). London: [BBC News](/source/BBC_News). 17 April 2012. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120425032900/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17742623) 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. Kreisler, Laura (17 April 2012). ["The new Official Record Store Chart is go!"](http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-new-official-record-store-chart-is-go-1345/). London: [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121022163948/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/god-save-the-queen-is-uks-first-official-classical-singles-chart-number-1-1415/) 22 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. Jamieson, Sarah (17 April 2012). ["Official Charts Company to Begin Official Record Store Chart"](http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/news/official-charts-company-to-begin-official-record-store-chart/). UK: [This Is Fake DIY](/source/This_Is_Fake_DIY). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120418122608/http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/news/official-charts-company-to-begin-official-record-store-chart/) 18 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. ["New chart for record stores"](http://news.sky.com/home/article/16210718). [Sky News](/source/Sky_News). 17 April 2012. [Archived](https://archive.today/20120711145530/http://news.sky.com/home/article/16210718) 11 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. Kreisler, Laura (20 April 2012). ["Official Record Store Chart Top 40 unveiled!"](http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-record-store-chart-top-40-unveiled-1354/). London: [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120423041439/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-record-store-chart-top-40-unveiled-1354/) 23 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. Lane, Dan (20 April 2012). ["60 seconds with Geoff Travis – founder of Rough Trade Records"](http://www.officialcharts.com/features/60-seconds-with-geoff-travis-founder-of-rough-trade-records-1353/). London: [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120629044608/http://www.officialcharts.com/features/60-seconds-with-geoff-travis-founder-of-rough-trade-records-1353/) 29 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. ["Chart for independent record sales"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120419044645/http://music.uk.msn.com/news/chart-for-independent-record-sales-1). UK: [MSN Music](/source/MSN_Music). 18 April 2012. Archived from [the original](http://music.uk.msn.com/news/chart-for-independent-record-sales-1) on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.

1. ["Record Store Day: The Official biggest albums in record shops each year 2012–2021"](https://www.officialcharts.com/galleries/record-store-day-the-official-biggest-albums-in-record-shops-each-year-2012-2021/). London: [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company). 25 April 2022.

## External links

- [Official Record Store Chart Top 40](https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/record-store-chart/) at the [Official Charts Company](/source/Official_Charts_Company)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Official Record Store Chart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Record_Store_Chart) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_Record_Store_Chart?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.