The UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart is a record chart which ranks the best-selling rock and heavy metal albums in the United Kingdom. Compiled and published by the Official Charts Company, the data is based on each album's weekly physical sales, digital downloads and streams. In 2012, there were 32 albums that topped the 52 published charts. The first number-one album of the year was Wasting Light, the seventh studio album by Foo Fighters, which was released the previous year. The first new number-one album of the year was A Flash Flood of Colour, the third studio album by Enter Shikari. The final number-one album of the year was Led Zeppelin's live album Celebration Day, which reached number one for the week ending 1 December and remained there for five consecutive weeks until the end of the year.
The most successful album on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart in 2012 was Led Zeppelin's Celebration Day, which spent the last five weeks of the year at number one. Muse's sixth studio album The 2nd Law spent four weeks at number one and was the best-selling rock and metal album of the year, ranking 32nd in the UK End of Year Albums Chart. Linkin Park's fifth studio album Living Things also spent four weeks at number one in 2012, while three albums – Wasting Light and Greatest Hits by Foo Fighters, and The Gaslight Anthem's fourth studio album Handwritten – were number one for three weeks in 2012. An additional four albums – A Different Kind of Truth by Van Halen, Weapons by Lostprophets, Born Villain by Marilyn Manson and Rize of the Fenix by Tenacious D – each spent two weeks at number one in 2012.
Chart history
+KeyIndicates best-selling rock album of 2012 Issue dateAlbumArtist(s)Record label(s)Ref.7 JanuaryWasting LightFoo FightersRCA14 JanuaryGreatest Hits21 JanuaryWasting Light28 JanuaryA Flash Flood of ColourEnter ShikariAmbush Reality4 FebruaryResolutionLamb of GodRoadrunner11 FebruaryBeyond MagneticMetallicaVertigo18 FebruaryA Different Kind of TruthVan HalenInterscope25 February3 MarchWasting LightFoo FightersRCA10 MarchSeven DeadlyUFOSteamhammer17 MarchEx LivesEvery Time I DieEpitaph24 MarchEnslavedSoulflyRoadrunner31 MarchSinners Never SleepYou Me at SixVirgin7 AprilAmaryllisShinedownRoadrunner14 AprilWeaponsLostprophetsEpic21 April28 AprilThe Power WithinDragonForceElectric Generation5 MayFreeTwin AtlanticRed Bull12 MayBorn VillainMarilyn MansonCooking Vinyl19 May26 MayRize of the FenixTenacious DColumbia2 JuneChoice of WeaponThe CultCooking Vinyl9 JuneDaybreakerArchitectsCentury Media16 JuneRize of the FenixTenacious DColumbia23 JuneIron Man: The Best of Black SabbathBlack SabbathUniversal30 JuneApocalyptic LoveSlashMyles KennedyThe ConspiratorsRoadrunner7 JulyLiving ThingsLinkin ParkWarner Bros.14 July21 July28 July4 AugustHandwrittenThe Gaslight AnthemMercury11 August18 August25 AugustPrioritiesDon BrocoSearch and Destroy1 SeptemberHot CakesThe DarknessPIAS8 SeptemberGreatest HitsFoo FightersRCA15 September22 SeptemberDead SilenceBilly TalentAtlantic29 SeptemberHead DownRival SonsEarache6 October¡Uno!Green DayReprise13 OctoberThe 2nd Law MuseHelium 3/Warner Bros.20 October27 October3 NovemberHouse of Gold & Bones – Part 1Stone SourRoadrunner10 NovemberThe 2nd Law MuseHelium 3/Warner Bros.17 NovemberMusic from Another Dimension!AerosmithColumbia24 November¡Dos!Green DayReprise1 DecemberCelebration DayLed ZeppelinAtlantic/Rhino/Swan Song8 December15 December22 December29 December
See also 2012 in British music List of UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart number ones of 2012
References
External links Official UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40 at the Official Charts Company The Official UK Top 40 Rock Albums at BBC Radio 1