OASIS have achieved a major milestone in British music history, with their iconic 1995 album ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ officially becoming the United Kingdom’s bestselling studio album of all time, overtaking The Beatles’ legendary catalogue.
The updated rankings released by the Official Charts Company (OCC) as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations combine traditional album sales with streaming figures accumulated over the past decade.
While two greatest hits compilations continue to occupy the top positions overall, Oasis’ second studio album has emerged as the highest-ranking studio record on the list.
Queen’s ‘Greatest Hits’ remains the UK’s bestselling album overall with 7.8 million chart units, followed by ABBA’s ‘Gold’ compilation with 7.1 million chart units.
Oasis’ ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ ranks third overall with 6.2 million chart units since its release, making it the most successful studio album in UK chart history.
The album’s resurgence was boosted by the Gallagher brothers’ highly anticipated Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour, which reignited global interest in the band’s music.
When it was released in 1995, the album became one of the fastest-selling records in British music history, ranking second at the time only behind Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’.
The renewed popularity of Oasis has also been fuelled by the success of their signature song ‘Wonderwall’, which recently returned to prominence after being embraced as an unofficial anthem during England’s World Cup campaign.
The song climbed to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, nearly three decades after its original release.
The latest OCC rankings also saw Adele’s 2011 album ‘21’ rise to fourth place with 5.7 million chart units, making it the only album released in the 21st century to enter the top 10.
Oasis and Adele’s albums both moved ahead of The Beatles’ 1967 classic ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, which previously held the title of the UK’s bestselling studio album when the rankings were last compiled in 2016. The Beatles album now sits at 5.6 million chart units.
The top 10 is completed by some of the most influential albums in music history, including Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’ at No. 6, Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ at No. 7, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ at No. 8, Bob Marley & The Wailers’ ‘Legend’ at No. 9 and Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ at No. 10.
Among more recent releases, Ed Sheeran’s 2017 album ‘Divide’ ranks No. 13 with 4.5 million chart units, becoming the most streamed album of the 2010s in the UK.
Sheeran’s other albums, ‘Multiply’ (2014) and debut album ‘Plus’ (2011), also feature in the top 70 rankings at No. 16 and No. 53 respectively.
The updated chart highlights the enduring commercial power of classic British and international albums, with decades-old records continuing to dominate despite major changes in how audiences consume music. - July 23, 2026
