Last year was a big year for music: Taylor Swift continued her record-breaking 149-date Eras Tour, Charli XCX produced the soundtrack to the summer with her culture-defining album Brat, and pop returned in a big way with artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan making waves in the industry.

With so many strong female artists making headlines in 2024, it’s extremely satisfying – and not that surprising – to see that this has been reflected in album sales.

The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association has released its figures for the bestselling albums of 2024 and women dominated the top 10, with six of the places taken by solo female artists.

Unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift took the top spot with her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, which sold 783,820 copies, while Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet came in third.

Billie Eilish took fifth position with her 2024 album Hit Me Hard And Soft, followed by Chappell Roan’s The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess. Charlie XCX’s Brat came in at number eight and Olivia Rodrigo’s 2023 album Guts took the tenth spot.

The full list of the top 10 bestselling albums of 2024:

1. Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
2. The Weeknd – The Highlights (2021)
3. Sabrina Carpenter – Short N’ Sweet (2024)
4. Noah Kahan – Stick Season (2022)
5. Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft (2024)
6. Chappell Roan – The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess (2023)
7. Fleetwood Mac – 50 Years: Don’t Stop (2018)
8. Charlie XCX – Brat (2024)
9. Coldplay – Moon Music (2024)
10. Olivia Rodrigo – Guts (2023)

2024 was a record-breaking year for music, with sales hitting a 20-year high. With an increase in streaming subscriptions and vinyl sales, we spent a total of £2.4 billion on recorded music in the UK in the last 12 months, beating the previous high of £2.2 billion in 2001.

Images: AMC Theatres