British artists dominate Official Albums Chart in 2026 with unrelenting run of chart-toppers

Martin Talbot, CEO, Official Charts Company, says: 

“What a fantastic week for Harry Styles and British music – the UK’s favourite pop star of the moment, helping set a new marker for the decade in completing 11 weeks of British acts as Albums Number 1. There is a plenty of talk of the UK’s place in the music stratosphere being under threat, but the achievements of Olivia Dean, Robbie Williams, Louis Tomlinson, Charli xcx, Mumford & Sons, Gorillaz and now Harry are showing that British talent can more than hold its own.” 

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO, BPI, comments: 

“This phenomenal 11-week run of Number 1s by British artists in the Official Albums Chart is just the latest evidence of what an incredibly exciting time it is for British music right now, coming hot on the heels of a triumphant BRIT Awards and major UK successes at the GRAMMYs. 

 “2026’s chart successes from UK artists reflect long term record label support across many stages of artist development, ranging from established superstar acts like Robbie Williams and recent global breakthroughs led by Olivia Dean, to such contemporary icons as Harry Styles. With further major releases and music moments to come in 2026, we can look ahead with a genuine sense of optimism.” 

This comes off the back of the BPI’s recent report that UK recorded music revenue, which combines income from streaming, physical music, digital downloads, synchronisation (sync), and public performances from British artists, has risen to a new high of £1.57bn, marking an 11th consecutive year of growth. Read more on that here. 

Every Official Number 1 album of 2026 so far: 

Every Official Number 1 Album of 2016