Female artists (and Oasis) drove UK music sales in 2025

To almost no-one’s surprise, Taylor Swift once again dominated the UK music charts in 2025, cementing her status as an unparalleled force in the global music industry. The star’s highly anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, released in October, immediately soared to the top, registering an impressive 642,000 chart sales by year-end. This figure, a testament to her loyal fanbase and critical acclaim, positioned it as the year’s undisputed biggest seller, outpacing rivals by a significant margin and demonstrating her enduring commercial prowess. Critics lauded The Life of a Showgirl for its introspective lyricism and expansive pop-rock sound, with lead single "Spotlight Syndrome" becoming a radio staple and stream magnet, contributing heavily to the album’s initial sales burst and sustained popularity.

However, 2025 wasn’t solely about the established titans. Women across the board led the charge, with a vibrant new wave of British talent powering the music industry to a truly record-breaking year. Combined sales of albums (physical and streaming equivalents) rose by a robust 4.8% to 201 million units, marking the strongest growth in over a decade. This resurgence was significantly fueled by breakout British artists like Olivia Dean and Lola Young, whose fresh perspectives and compelling artistry resonated deeply with audiences, both at home and increasingly, abroad.

A particularly striking narrative of the year was the monumental resurgence of Manchester legends Oasis. Following their much-hyped reunion tour – a series of stadium-filling concerts that sold an astonishing 1.4 million tickets across the UK and Europe – the band experienced an unprecedented sales boost for their extensive back catalogue. Their blockbuster comeback helped them shift over one million albums during 2025, a remarkable feat for a group that had been inactive for over a decade. The band’s greatest hits compilation, Time Flies… 1994–2009, saw a renewed surge in popularity, becoming the fourth biggest album of the year. Not far behind, their seminal 1995 album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? – an anthem for a generation – re-entered the Top 10 at seventh place, proving the enduring power of their iconic anthems and the electrifying energy of Liam and Noel Gallagher finally sharing a stage once more. Fans flocked to witness the brothers reconcile for a series of unforgettable performances, igniting a wave of nostalgia that translated directly into tangible sales and streams for their timeless discography.

These impressive figures were officially revealed by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the trade association for the UK recorded music industry, in their annual market report. The report underscored the continued dominance of streaming, which now accounts for a staggering 89% of the overall music market. The Official Charts Company, the industry body responsible for compiling the UK’s weekly music charts, calculates that 1,000 streams of songs from an album are equivalent to one album ‘sale’, a metric that highlights the shift in consumption habits.

In total, music fans streamed an astronomical 210.3 billion songs over the course of the year. US singer Alex Warren’s confessional pop hit "Ordinary" emerged as the year’s most-played track, demonstrating the global reach of viral hits. However, "Ordinary" was a rare new release to make such a profound impact at the very top of the singles chart. A notable trend for 2025 was the persistent presence of older songs, which continued to clog up the upper echelons of the charts. Six of the Top 10 best-selling tracks had originally been released in 2024, indicating a longer shelf-life for popular singles in the streaming era. Even more remarkably, Chappell Roan’s cult anthem "Pink Pony Club" found a renewed lease of life, soaring to unexpected heights five years after its initial release in 2020, primarily driven by TikTok virality and a burgeoning queer fanbase. This phenomenon suggests that algorithmic discovery and social media trends are increasingly shaping what listeners consume, giving older tracks a fresh chance at mainstream success.

Domestically, 2025 was truly a banner year for new female talent. Brighton-born Lola Young, with her distinctive blend of confrontational and confessional pop, landed the year’s second-biggest single with her raw and emotionally charged track "Messy." Her eponymous debut album, a critical darling, earned her a coveted nomination for Best New Artist at the upcoming Grammy Awards, signaling her arrival on the international stage.

Not to be outdone, Olivia Dean made history by becoming the first woman in UK chart history to achieve both her first number one single, "Man I Need," and her first number one album, The Art Of Loving, in the very same week. Dean’s soulful, jazz-inflected pop garnered widespread acclaim, with The Art of Loving praised for its warmth and intimacy. Asked why her songs had resonated with so many people, Dean shared her vision for the album: "I wanted it to feel just like a hug – comforting," she told the BBC’s Sidetracked podcast. "I just said everything needs to feel warm and intimate." Her incredible year also saw her achieve four simultaneous top 10 hits, an extraordinary feat, and she is set to cap off her triumphant 2025 with a prestigious appearance on Jools Holland’s legendary Hootenanny, solidifying her status as one of the UK’s most exciting new voices.

Further breakthroughs were observed for confessional songwriters Skye Newman, whose minimalist acoustic sound gained a loyal following, and Sienna Spiro, known for her powerful vocal delivery and intricate electronic production. Meanwhile, established female artists like Raye, PinkPantheress, and Wet Leg continued to consolidate their initial waves of success, both at home and internationally. Raye’s defiant R&B anthems and PinkPantheress’s viral bedroom pop continued to dominate playlists, while Wet Leg’s deadpan indie-rock charm saw them touring extensively and selling out venues globally. On the singles chart, female artists collectively accounted for an impressive two-thirds of 2025’s number one hits, underscoring their overwhelming impact. Former Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall also made a spectacular solo debut, achieving the biggest opening week for a debut album by a female artist with her critically-acclaimed and theatrically-inspired That’s Showbiz, Baby!, proving her transition from girl group stardom to solo success was unequivocally triumphant.

Beyond streaming, physical music formats also told a compelling story of revival and niche growth. Vinyl sales, defying digital trends, have now risen for an astonishing 18 successive years. In 2025, they increased rapidly once again, up a substantial 13% year-on-year to reach 7.6 million units. Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl led the vinyl pack, showcasing her power across all formats. Swift also scored another entry in the Top 10 with Lover (Live From Paris), a highly sought-after limited edition release that was only available for 72 hours on her official website. According to the Official Charts Company, this exclusive vinyl sold a remarkable 47,000 copies in that short window, subsequently becoming the first album to reach number one on pure sales (with no streams contributing to its total) in eight years, highlighting the immense collectibility and fan dedication surrounding her releases.

Overall, vinyl sales have doubled in the last decade, and are now on course to overtake Compact Discs for the first time since the 1990s. The two formats are currently separated by just 2 million sales, with 9.7 million Compact Discs sold in 2025. This marks a stark decline from ten years ago, when CD sales stood at a robust 47.3 million, illustrating the rapid shift in consumer preferences towards both streaming and the nostalgic, tactile experience of vinyl.

Although very much a niche market, cassettes also experienced a surprising resurgence, with a 53.8% sales increase to 164,491 units in 2025. The soundtrack to Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man was, for reasons that remain delightfully unclear to industry analysts, the year’s best seller on tape, tapping into a unique blend of nostalgia and novelty for collectors.

In its comprehensive annual report, the BPI highlighted that a new generation of British talent had achieved significant international success in 2025, broadening the global footprint of UK music. Both Olivia Dean and Lola Young broke into the highly competitive US Billboard charts and secured nominations for Best New Artist at next year’s prestigious Grammy Awards, underscoring their burgeoning international appeal. Rock acts, including the genre-bending Yungblud, the enigmatic Sleep Token, the critically acclaimed Wolf Alice, and the ever-ethereal Florence + The Machine, also made substantial waves abroad, selling out tours and topping alternative charts across continents. Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran continued his remarkable global dominance, becoming the first overseas artist to top India’s Spotify Charts since 2021 with his heartfelt single "Sapphire," showcasing the diverse appeal of British music.

These achievements were "an impressive feat, given more acts than ever are vying for audience attention in a saturated global market," stated Dr. Jo Twist, CEO of the BPI. "The UK is still the second largest exporter of music globally, which is amazing, but we can’t be complacent because streaming has opened the floodgates to every bit of recorded music that’s ever been made, making competition fiercer than ever." Dr. Twist emphasized the critical role of the domestic ecosystem: "Luckily, we have a brilliant infrastructure in the UK, from grassroots venues and music education to robust A&R and independent labels, which helps those artists reach global success – but it’s a tough competitive environment and that’s why we need the continued, proactive support of the British government." She advocated for ongoing investment in music education, streamlined visa processes for touring artists, and robust intellectual property protection to ensure the UK’s vibrant music scene continues to thrive on the world stage. 2025, therefore, stands as a testament to the dynamic and evolving nature of the UK music industry, driven by the powerful voices of female artists and the unexpected, yet exhilarating, return of a legendary rock band.