A new study by the BPI has found Glasgow to be the third most successful city in the UK in the last 12 months in terms of album sales, the second behind Liverpool outside of London.
Nearly two-thirds of the past year’s most successful UK albums came from domestic artists who either grew up or formed their bands in the nations and regions outside of London, with the North West leading the way1, according to a new report from the BPI, the representative voice for independent and major record labels.
Artists in the nations and regions outside London made up 62% of the chart overall, according to the Official Charts Company data used for the report, underlining just how vibrant music is nationwide. The results highlight the extent to which diverse new talent, with record label backing, is emerging and succeeding across all parts of the UK, including the North and North East. If the largely London/cities based genre of rap & grime is removed, the contribution by artists from the rest of the UK is even more pronounced, with the share of music they generate rising to 74%. Nearly four-fifths of rock albums on the chart (79%) were by artists not from London.
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI, BRIT Awards & Mercury Prize, said: “The UK has long been recognised as one of the world’s leading music cultures, with a track record of producing globally successful superstars. This new BPI analysis highlights that artistic talent continues to be nurtured and developed across all parts of the UK, and it’s this rich diversity both musically and geographically, supported by record labels, that is the key to our global music status and should be protected and enhanced.”
Together, Liverpool and Manchester accounted for 17 of the top 300 albums by UK artists in the last 12 months. Taking the North West as a whole, there are 29 albums by artists from this region on the top 300 chart. Glasgow, Birmingham and Brighton also featured as major music locations in the BPI survey, with Bristol, the Yorkshire cities of Sheffield and Leeds, Nottingham and Wigan completing the Top 10.
Read more about the report on the BPI website.