New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ IFPI) Music buyers' long-running love affair with the Now That's What I Call
Music series and the successful launch of new dance, reggae and running-themed volumes generated strong growth for sales of compilation albums in 2012, new Official Charts Company data revealed today by the BPI confirmed.
Sales of compilation albums rose by 7.2% in 2012, with growth continuing well into 2013 and sales increasing by 11.8% in the first three months of this year. Compilations make up a 21.0% share of all albums sold, with 26 titles selling more than 100,000 copies in 2012, up from 18 the year before.
Digital downloads grabbed a bigger slice of compilation sales in 2012 - almost a quarter (23.5%) were bought online last year, compared to 16.3% in 2011. Digital accounted for more than 40% of sales on some best-selling titles and almost half (48.5%) of the fourth-biggest selling compilation of 2012, Now That's What I Call Christmas.
Geoff Taylor, BPI Chief Executive said: "Despite the availability of tracks as individual downloads, compilations - led by the Now series - are confounding expectations and performing better than ever. Not only are music fans getting superb value from double and triple album titles brimming with hits, but a string of newly-themed albums have established themselves over the last year."
With 2.9m cumulative annual sales of the three main Now titles in 2012 - up from 2.7m the year before - the Now series recorded its highest tally since 2001. The success of the Now brand across the year was mirrored by high chart placings for their Christmas title and new releases built around the themes of running, reggae, Disney and Number Ones.
Some other familiar titles were found in the year-end top 20, with new volumes in the Pop Party, Live Lounge, Clubland and Dreamboats & Petticoats series all selling well. New titles to make their mark included Keep Calm & Relax - a three-disc set featuring tracks by Ellie Goulding, Sade and Bruno Mars - and Be My Baby, a 1960s pop / soul-flavoured release including The Chiffons, The Shirelles and Aretha Franklin.
Dance compilations, including Ministry Of Sound's Anthems 90s and XX - Twenty Years, helped the genre grab a quarter (25.5%) share of the compilations market for the first time in six years. Swedish House Mafia followed up their 2010 compilation Until One with Until Now, while the compilation accompanying the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games, Isles Of Wonder, sold over 120,000 copies by the end of the year.
Official Compilations Chart 2012
| 1. |
Now That's What I Call Music 83 |
EMI TV / UMTV |
| 2. |
Now That's What I Call Music 82 |
EMI TV / UMTV |
| 3. |
Now That's What I Call Music 81 |
EMI TV / UMTV |
| 4. |
Now That's What I Call Christmas |
EMI TV / Rhino / UMTV |
| 5. |
Pop Party 10 |
Rhino (Warners) / UMTV |
| 6. |
Now That's What I Call Running |
EMI TV / UMTV |
| 7. |
BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge 2012 |
Columbia / Rhino / UMTV |
| 8. |
Anthems 90s |
Ministry Of Sound |
| 9. |
Keep Calm And Relax |
RCA Label / Rhino (Warners) |
| 10. |
Until Now - Swedish House Mafia |
Virgin |
| 11. |
Be My Baby |
Columbia Label Group |
| 12. |
Now That's What I Call Reggae |
EMI TV / UMC / UMTV |
| 13. |
Now That's What I Call Music 80 |
EMI TV / UMTV |
| 14. |
Now That's What I Call A No.1 |
EMI TV / UMTV |
| 15. |
Now That's What I Call Disney |
EMI TV |
| 16. |
Ultimate Clubland - A Decade In Dance |
UMTV |
| 17. |
Dreamboats and Petticoats - Six |
EMI TV / UMTV |
| 18. |
XX - Twenty Years |
Ministry Of Sound |
| 19. |
Motown Anthems |
UMTV |
| 20. |
Isles Of Wonder - The Opening Ceremony |
Decca / UMC |
Source: Official Charts Company 
