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Oasis overtake The Beatles in all-time UK album chart

Paul GlynnCulture reporter
Reuters Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher of Oasis receive the applause of fans while on stage together at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California in September 2025Reuters
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Oasis's second album (What's The Story) Morning Glory? has officially overtaken the biggest-selling album by their heroes The Beatles in the list of the UK's most popular albums of all-time.

The Gallagher brothers' 1995 album, which contains hits like Wonderwall and Don't Look Back in Anger, is third on the all-time best-sellers list, which has been published by the Official Charts Company.

The Beatles' 1967 psychedelic masterpiece Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was third on the same list a decade ago, has now dropped to number five.

Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits collection remains the biggest seller overall with 1992's Abba Gold in second place, while Adele's 2011 album 21 has moved up to fourth place.

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The all-time list was released on Wednesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the weekly UK album chart.

In total, (What's The Story) Morning Glory? has racked up 6.2 million UK chart units - streams and sales combined - according to the Official Charts Company.

Last year, there was renewed interest in Oasis's music due to their much publicised worldwide reunion tour. The setlist lent heavily on tracks from the album, including Some Might Say and Champagne Supernova.

In 2022, Queen's compilation LP made history as the first album to pass seven million UK chart units.

Only Swedish pop maestros Abba have breached the seven million mark since, making it an elite club.

Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac's 1977 classic Rumours and Bob Marley's best-of album Legend have both moved into the all-time top 10 over the past 10 years.

UK Official Albums Chart - all-time top 10

  1. Greatest Hits - Queen
  2. Gold - Abba
  3. (What's the Story) Morning Glory - Oasis
  4. 21 - Adele
  5. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
  6. Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
  7. The Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
  8. Thriller - Michael Jackson
  9. Legend - Bob Marley and The Wailers
  10. Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits

(What's the Story) Morning Glory? received surprisingly mixed reviews from the British music press when it was released in October 1995. But it went on to win best British album at the 1996 Brit Awards and has stood the test of time.

Wonderwall, from the album, became hugely popular again this summer with England fans and players singing it together at the World Cup in North America.

The booming rock ballad Don't Look Back in Anger also took on a greater significance after it was sung, impromptu, at a vigil for those who lost their lives in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.

Becca Monahan and Chris Austin, interim co-managing directors of the Official Charts, congratulated Oasis on the album's achievements in a joint statement.

"Three decades on, its scale and influence remain extraordinary - a defining British record that continues to unite generations, fill stadiums and soundtrack lives," they noted.

Oasis Songwriter Noel Gallagher was born three days after The Beatles released their Sgt Pepper album.

Olivia Rodrigo tops 2020s chart

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The chart - released every Friday in the UK - began on 22 July 1956, with Frank Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers! becoming the first number one.

Reflecting more recent tastes, the Charts Company has also published a list of the most-streamed albums of the 2020s, led by Olivia Rodrigo's Sour.

The US singer's breakout record, which carries hits like Drivers License and Good 4 U, has spent a total of 268 weeks on the chart since its release in June 2021.

The critically-acclaimed Sour was inspired by heartbreak and feelings of loneliness. "Nobody understood how I was feeling or related to it, so I think by writing songs about exactly how I felt I was creating like a friend for me," the pop-rock star said in her 2022 Disney+ documentary Driving Home 2 U.

Recent Glastonbury headliner Rodrigo pipped Ed Sheeran's = and Taylor Swift's Folklore to the top spot.

Swift has two albums in the top 10, which also includes records by Sabrina Carpenter, Noah Kahan, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, SZA and late US rapper Pop Smoke.

The UK's most-streamed albums of the 2020s so far:

  1. Sour - Olivia Rodrigo
  2. = - Ed Sheeran
  3. Folklore - Taylor Swift
  4. Short N' Sweet - Sabrina Carpenter
  5. Midnights - Taylor Swift
  6. Stick Season - Noah Kahan
  7. Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa
  8. Harry's House - Harry Styles
  9. SOS - SZA
  10. Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon - Pop Smoke