The UK Albums Chart is one of many music charts compiled by the Official Charts Company that calculates the best-selling albums of the week in the United Kingdom. Since 2004 the chart has been based on the sales of both physical albums and digital downloads. Since 2015, the album chart has been based on both sales and streaming. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 2018, as well as albums which peaked in 2017 and 2019 but were in the top 10 in 2018. The entry date is when the album appeared in the top 10 for the first time (week ending, as published by the Official Charts Company, which is six days after the chart is announced).
One-hundred and fifty-five albums were in the top ten this year. Thirteen albums from 2017 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while 50 Years – Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac and Unchained Melodies by Roy Orbison with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were both released in 2018 but did not reach their peak until 2019. Christmas by Michael Bublé was originally released in 2011, launched a new chart run in 2017, reaching a peak on its latest run in 2018 and again in 2019. Dua Lipa by Dua Lipa was the only album from 2017 to reach its peak in 2018. Twelve artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 2018. Anne-Marie, Calum Scott, First Aid Kit, The Greatest Showman Cast and XXXTentacion are among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 album in 2018.
Ed Sheeran's Divide returned to the top of the chart for the opening two weeks of the year, totalling twenty weeks at number-one since it was released in March 2017. The first new number-one album of the year was The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by The Greatest Showman cast. Overall, nineteen different albums peaked at number-one in 2018, with nineteen unique artists hitting that position.
Background Multiple entries One-hundred and fifty-five albums charted in the top 10 in 2018, with one-hundred and thirty-nine albums reaching their peak this year (including the re-entries Appetite for Destruction, Christmas, ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits, Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack, Wanted on Voyage, The Beatles, X, which charted in previous years but reached peaks on their latest chart run).
Twelve artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 2018.
Chart debuts Thirty-four artists achieved their first top 10 album in 2018 as a lead artist. The Mamma Mia! film cast had one other entry in their breakthrough year.
The following table (collapsed on desktop site) does not include acts who had previously charted as part of a group and secured their first top 10 solo album, or featured appearances on compilations or other artists recordings.
Artist Number of top 10s First entry Chart position Other entriesThe Greatest Showman cast1The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack1—First Aid Kit1Ruins3—Migos1Culture II4—Beth Hart1Black Coffee7—Mist1Diamonds in the Dirt4—Fredo1Tables Turn5—1A Deeper Cut6—Tory Lanez1Memories Don't Die8—Calum Scott 1Only Human4—XXXTentacion1Question Mark3—1"I'll Be Your Girl"8—Fickle Friends1You Are Someone Else9—Lissie1Castles9—Kacey Musgraves1Golden Hour6—Cardi B1Invasion of Privacy5—Tom Misch1Geography8—1Evil Spirits7—Anne-Marie1Speak Your Mind3—Janelle Monáe1Dirty Computer8—Shinedown1Attention Attention8—Jon Hopkins1Singularity8—Ry Cooder1The Prodigal Son10—BTS1Love Yourself: Tear8—Courtney Barnett1Tell Me How You Really Feel9—Ghost1Prequelle10—Kids See Ghosts1Kids See Ghosts7—1Everything Is Love5—Tom Grennan1Lighting Matches5—Mamma Mia! film cast2Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: The Movie Soundtrack1Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack (5)Travis Scott1Astroworld3—Miles Kane1Coup de Grace8—Alice in Chains1Rainier Fog9—IDLES1Joy as an Act of Resistance5—Pale Waves1My Mind Makes Noises8—Bradley Cooper1A Star Is Born1—
Notes Camila Cabello's self-titled album Camila, was her first solo effort and her first top 10 album away from the group Fifth Harmony. She reached the top 10 with her bandmates when 7/27 peaked at number six in June 2016. The group had a second top 10 album in 2017 after Camila had left the lineup. Beth Hart collaborated with Joe Bonamassa on a first top 10 album together, Black Coffee. Bonamassa had reached the top ten with three albums previously, the best performing Driving Towards the Daylight making number two in 2012.
Three former members of UB40 - Ali Campbell, Terence Wilson (Astro) and Mickey Virtue - reunited in 2014 under the name UB40 featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey. Their 2018 album A Real Labour of Love was their first to reach the top 10. As a solo artist, Ali had recorded two top 10 albums to date - Big Love (number 6 in 1995) and Running Free (number 9 in 2007).
Rick Parfitt was part of the line-up of Status Quo, who had eighteen studio albums that reached the top 10. He achieved a posthumous top 10 album as a solo artist in 2018 with Over and Out. Sting, the long-standing member of The Police, and soloist Shaggy collaborated for the album 44/876, their first entry as a duo.
The Carters are husband and wife musicians Jay-Z and Beyoncé who have both achieved almost two decades of album chart success individually, the latter also as a member of the group Destiny's Child. However Everything Is Love marked their chart debut as a combined act.
Soundtracks Soundtrack albums for various films entered the top 10 throughout the year. These included A Star Is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Greatest Showman, Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Best-selling albums The Greatest Showman cast had the best-selling album of the year with The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album spent 87 weeks in the top 10 (52 this year, including 23 weeks at number one), recorded over 1.6 million combined sales and was certified 5× platinum by the BPI. Staying at Tamara's by George Ezra came in second place. Ed Sheeran's ÷, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: The Movie Soundtrack from the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Cast and Scorpion by Drake made up the top five. Albums by Post Malone, Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga, Michael Bublé, Dua Lipa and Eminem were also in the top ten best-selling albums of the year.
Top-ten albums Key SymbolMeaning‡Album peaked in 2016 or 2017 but still in chart in 2018.♦Album released in 2017 or 2018 but peaked in 2019.(#)Year-end top ten album position and rankEnteredThe date that the album first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the song reached in the UK Albums Chart.