The Official Top 40 Biggest Albums of 2016 so far revealed 

Yessir, we use cookies… to make sure OfficialCharts.com is the Number 1 chart site on the interweb. Cookies remember your choices and tailor content especially for you (as Kylie & Jason might say) and by being here you consent to their use.

Adele’s 25 was the biggest album of 2015, and it looks like lightning could strike twice in 2016.

OfficialCharts.com can exclusively reveal that at the halfway mark of the year, the When We Were Young singer’s third studio collection is the UK’s biggest album of the year so far. 25 has amounted over 523,000 combined chart sales in the first six months of the year, a figure compiling physical and digital purchases as well as streaming equivalent sales.

MORE: The Official biggest selling vinyl albums and singles of 2016 so far

Discounting streams that 25 has amassed since it was added to Spotify and Apple Music in June, the album has passed the 3 million sales mark, becoming one of only 26 albums in history to do so. Adele’s second album 21 also appears in the Top 40 at Number 29.

25 is already in the Top 30 of the UK\'s best selling albums of all time, as revealed in July as part of the Official Charts Company\'s celebrations for the Official Albums Chart\'s 60th anniversary. 

Despite not having the UK’s biggest album of the year so far, the late David Bowie has the most entries in the Top 40, with five in total. His twenty-fifth and final studio album Blackstar is at 2 with 363,000 combined sales across all formats, with Best of Bowie at 5 (285,000 chart sales). Fellow hits retrospective Nothing Has Changed lands at 15, with Hunky Dory sitting at Number 34 and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust at 37.

Justin Bieber’s Purpose closely follows Blackstar, with chart sales of 353,000. Sitting in the Top 10 for 28 weeks in total (22 of which were in 2016), the album is the most streamed YTD with 136,000 streaming equivalent sales.

Flanked by a successful arena tour and a headline slot at Glastonbury, Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams is the UK’s fourth biggest album of 2016 so far. The band’s seventh studio album has garnered 287,000 combined chart sales.

Other than David Bowie’s Blackstar, there are two other 2016 releases that feature in the Top 10 – Beyonce’s Lemonade at 7 and Drake’s Views at 8. Aside from David Bowie and Adele, only Sia has multiple albums in the Top 40. Her 2016 release This Is Acting sits at 12, and 1000 Forms of Fear is at 40.

MORE: The Official Top 40 Biggest selling DVD/Blu-rays of 2016 so far

©2016 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

The Official Top 10 Biggest Selling Albums of 2016 so far (sales only):

The Official Top 10 Most Streamed Albums of 2016 so far: 

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Looking back at Take That's comeback album 10 years on

Grimsby set to tackle Deadpool from Official Video Chart top spot

Sia fends off Major Lazer, Justin Bieber and MO's Cold Water on US Billboard singles chart

Major Lazer, Justin Bieber & MØ’s Cold Water bound for second week at Number 1

Viola Beach's debut album heading for Number 1 following band members’ tragic passing

Bastille's Good Grief takes Official Trending Chart top spot

A new Spice Girls documentary has been released on BBC iPlayer to celebrate 20 years since Wannabe hit Number 1

Lady Gaga's new album is "incredible" according to Mark Ronson

Britney Spears names new album Glory and reveals its release date

Jeff Lynne’s ELO score their first Number 1 album in 35 years: "I'm totally amazed”

Britney Spears reveals new album title, release date

LeAnn Rimes revealed all the details of her new album in our Twitter Q&A

Ariana Grande shares two unreleased tracks on Soundcloud

Vevo and Warner Music Group announce partnership

Sia fends off Major Lazer, Bieber, MØ on US singles chart

Submit your questions for our live Twitter Q&A with LeAnn Rimes

A brand new Spice Girls documentary has been released on iPlayer