The UK’s best-selling singles and albums of 2022 revealed

Virgin Radio

4 Jan 2023, 08:45

The best-selling singles of 2022 have been revealed,  with the likes of Kate Bush, Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran topping the charts in the UK.

According to the Official Charts Company, the year’s most popular songs were all released by British artists- something that hasn’t happened in five decades.

The top spot was claimed by Styles with his hit As It Was, with Ed Sheeran’s Bad Habits coming in at second place. Peru, Sheeran’s collaboration with Fireboy, claimed third, followed by Cat Burns’ Go, Sheeran’s Shivers, Bush’s Running Up That Hill (which found a new audience with Stranger Things season four) and Glass Animals’ Heat Waves following closely behind.

Completing the top 10 were Lost Frequencies and Calum Scott’s Where Are You Now, LF System’s Afraid To Feel and Sam Fender’s Seventeen Going Under.

In terms of the UK’s most popular albums in 2022, Styles also topped the charts with his third studio album Harry’s House, followed by Sheeran’s ‘=’ and Taylor Swift’s Midnights. Coming in fourth and fifth place was The Weeknd’s The Highlights and Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour.

Making up the second half of the top 10 were a number of greatest hits compilations, including Eminem’s Curtain Call, Elton John’s Diamonds, Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years- Don’t Stop, Little Mix’s Between Us and ABBA’s Gold.

In other news, the UK’s most-watched TV shows of 2022 have also been revealed with the likes of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here and the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II claiming the top spots.

The UK’s 10 most popular singles of 2022:

1. Harry Styles – As It Was

2. Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits

3. Fireboy DML and Ed Sheeran – Peru

4. Cat Burns – Go

5. Ed Sheeran – Shivers

6. Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill

7. Glass Animals – Heat Waves

8. Lost Frequencies and Calum Scott – Where Are You Now

9. LF System – Afraid to Feel

10. Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under

The UK’s 10 most popular albums of 2022:

1. Harry Styles – Harry’s House

2. Ed Sheeran – =

3. Taylor Swift – Midnights

4. The Weeknd – The Highlights

5. Olivia Rodrigo – Sour

6. Eminem – Curtain Call: The Hits

7. Elton John – Diamonds

8. Fleetwood Mac – 50 Years – Don’t Stop

9. Little Mix – Between Us

10. Abba – Gold – Greatest Hits