It’s that time of year when there are lots of album of the year lists being shared. You can read about the favorite 2024 albums of some of our writers too. We’ve already seen a surprise in the Billboard 200 chart for 2024 with the lack of new rock music. Another set of year-end charts has just been released with a different shock omission.
They have been published in the UK by the Official Charts Company. Their lists of the top 10 albums and the top 20 songs for 2024 reveal only very limited representation from UK artists. Especially so for the top songs of the year where a historic new low is hit. There’s also a similar absence of new rock music in there too.
In the top 10 album charts of 2024, the list is led, in this case unsurprisingly, by Taylor Swift and The Tortured Poets Department. The album chart, though, only has two UK artists in there. Maybe two and a half at a real push. Charli XCX comes in at number eight with Brat. That’s closely followed by Coldplay at number nine with Moon Music. Oh, and that half, well Fleetwood Mac started off in the UK and is at number seven with 50 years - Don’t Stop.
Top 10 biggest albums of 2024 (Official Charts Company)
- Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department
- The Weeknd – The Highlights
- Sabrina Carpenter – Short N’ Sweet
- Noah Kahan – Stick Season
- Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft
- Chappell Roan – The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess
- Fleetwood Mac – 50 Years - Don’t Stop
- Charli XCX - Brat
- Coldplay – Moon Music
- Olivia Rodrigo – Guts
It’s the biggest song list of 2024, though, with the biggest shock. For the first time since these charts began in 1970, there is not a single UK artist in the top ten. The chart is dominated by US singer-songwriters, though not Taylor Swift. She does appear further down at number 11 with “Cruel Summer.” The top UK artist follows that at number 12 with “Stargazing” by Myles Smith.
Top 10 Biggest Songs of 2024 (Official Charts Company)
- "Stick Season" – Noah Kahan
- "Beautiful Things" – Benson Boone
- "Espresso" – Sabrina Carpenter
- "Lose Control" – Teddy Swims
- "Too Sweet"– Hozier
- "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" – Shaboozey
- "Birds Of A Feather" – Billie Eilish
- "Good Luck, Babe!" – Chappell Roan
- "Austin" – Dasha
- "Please Please Please" – Sabrina Carpenter
That's not encouraging at all for music in the UK. The availability of music around the world via streaming and online platforms does make it much more accessible to listeners no matter where the artist is from. I'm sure we’ll see a UK pushback in 2025, but it’s a warning sign for artists there for sure.