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. This list shows albums that peaked in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart during 2004, as well as albums which peaked in 2003 and 2005 but were in the top 10 in 2004. 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 thirty-four albums were in the top ten this year. Thirteen albums from 2003 remained in the top 10 for several weeks at the beginning of the year, while Hot Fuss by The Killers and Love Songs: A Compilation… Old and New by Phil Collins were both released in 2004 but did not reach their peak until 2005. Elephunk by The Black Eyed Peas and Twentysomething by Jamie Cullum were the albums from 2003 to reach their peak in 2004. Eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 2004. Dizzee Rascal, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, McFly and Scissor Sisters were among the many artists who achieved their first UK charting top 10 album in 2004.
The 2003 Christmas number-one album, Life for Rent by Dido, remained at the top spot for the first week of 2004. Friday's Child by Will Young returned for a second week as a chart topper after scaling the chart in December 2003, with Life for Rent subsequently replacing Friday's Child for another two weeks on top. The first new number-one album of the year was Call Off the Search by Katie Melua. Overall, twenty-nine different albums peaked at number-one in 2004, with twenty-nine unique artists hitting that position.
Background Multiple entries One-hundred and thirty-four albums charted in the top 10 in 2004, with one-hundred and twenty-two albums reaching their peak this year (including Gold: Greatest Hits, Greatest, No Angel, Original Pirate Material, The Stone Roses and Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92), which all charted in previous years but reached a peak on their latest chart run).
Eight artists scored multiple entries in the top 10 in 2004. Daniel O'Donnell, Dido, Joss Stone, Phil Collins, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Streets and Westlife were the acts who had two top 10 albums this year. Daniel O'Donnell, Joss Stone and Phil Collin's two entries were both released this year, with Original Pirate Material by The Streets returning after missing the top 10 when it was first released in 2002.
Chart debuts Thirty-three artists achieved their first top 10 album in 2004 as a lead artist. Joss Stone and The Streets both had one more 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 entriesKatie Melua1Call Off the Search1—Joss Stone2The Soul Sessions4Mind Body & Soul (1)Snow Patrol1Final Straw3—Lostprophets1Start Something4—Incubus1A Crow Left of the Murder...6—Franz Ferdinand1Franz Ferdinand3—Michelle1The Meaning of Love3—Zero 71When It Falls3—Jamelia1Thank You4—N.E.R.D1Fly or Die4—Scissor Sisters 1Scissor Sisters1—Diana Krall1The Girl in the Other Room4—Maroon 51Songs About Jane1—1Dead Letters10—Eamon1I Don't Want You Back6—Keane1Hopes and Fears1—2A Grand Don't Come for Free1Original Pirate Material (10)Mario Winans1Hurt No More3—1Two9—1Hot Fuss1—Razorlight1Up All Night3—McFly1Room on the 3rd Floor1—Damien Rice1O8—1Everyone Is Here8—1The Libertines1—1High10—Natasha Bedingfield1Unwritten1—Kasabian1Kasabian4—Dizzee Rascal1Showtime8—Goldie Lookin Chain1Greatest Hits5—Good Charlotte1The Chronicles of Life and Death8—Il Divo1Il Divo1—Lemar1Time to Grow8—
Notes Brian Wilson Presents Smile was the first album released by The Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson to make the top ten in his solo career. With his group, he had contributed to fourteen UK top 10 studio and compilation albums.
Best-selling albums Scissor Sisters had the best-selling album of the year with Scissor Sisters. The album spent 41 weeks in the top 10 (including four weeks at number one), sold over 1.594 million copies and was certified 5× platinum by the BPI. Hopes and Fears by Keane came in second place. Robbie Williams' Greatest Hits, Songs About Jane from Maroon 5 and Call Off the Search by Katie Melua made up the top five. Albums by Anastacia, Usher, Norah Jones, Snow Patrol and Il Divo were also in the top ten best-selling albums of the year.
Top-ten albums Key SymbolMeaning‡Album peaked in 2003 but still in chart in 2004.♦Album released in 2004 but peaked in 2005.(#)Year-end top-ten album position and rankEnteredThe date that the album first appeared in the chart.PeakHighest position that the album reached in the UK Albums Chart.
Entered (week ending)Weeksintop10 Album ArtistPeak Peakreached (week ending)WeeksatpeakAlbums in 2003 21Stripped ‡ Christina Aguilera 2 1 16Fallen ‡ Evanescence 1 1 22Permission to Land ‡ 1 4 17Elephunk 3 4 21Life for Rent ‡Dido 1 10 12In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 ‡R.E.M. 1 1 5Three ‡ Sugababes 3 1 6Twentysomething Jamie Cullum 3 1 9Greatest Hits ‡ Red Hot Chili Peppers 4 1 10Number Ones ‡Michael Jackson 1 1 7A Present for Everyone ‡Busted 2 1 5Turnaround ‡Westlife 1 1 15Friday's Child ‡ Will Young 1 2Albums in 2004 3No Angel Dido 8 1 15Call Off the Search (#5)Katie Melua 1 6 4Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) Tears for Fears 6 3 9Speakerboxxx/The Love Below Outkast 8 4 5The Singles 1992–2003 No Doubt 5 1 2Talkie Walkie Air 2 1 13The Soul Sessions Joss Stone 4 1 1Nightfreak and the Sons of Becker 5 1 4The Best of LeAnn Rimes LeAnn Rimes 2 1 15Final Straw (#9)Snow Patrol 3 2 1Start Something Lostprophets 4 1 1A Crow Left of the Murder... Incubus 6 1 11Feels Like Home (#8)Norah Jones 1 2 13Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand 3 1 1Free Me Emma 7 1 1The Meaning of Love Michelle 3 1 3Greatest Duran Duran 4 2 2When It Falls Zero 7 3 1 2Thank You Jamelia 4 1 3The Jukebox Years: 20 More Blue Jeans Classics Daniel O'Donnell 3 1 2Just for You Lionel Richie 5 1 1Only You Harry Connick Jr. 6 1 4His Greatest Love Songs Engelbert Humperdinck 4 1 4Patience George Michael 1 1 10Greatest Hits Guns N' Roses 1 3 2Ultimate Manilow Barry Manilow 8 1 22Confessions (#7)Usher 1 1 2Fly or Die N.E.R.D 4 1 1Me and Mr. Johnson Eric Clapton 10 1 16Anastacia (#6)Anastacia 1 3 41Scissor Sisters (#1)Scissor Sisters 1 4 2ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA 4 1 1The Greatest Hits Atomic Kitten 5 1 1The Girl in the Other Room Diana Krall 4 1 29Songs About Jane (#4)Maroon 5 1 1 2Dead Letters 10 2 1Musicology Prince 3 1 2I Don't Want You Back Eamon 6 1 2D12 World D12 1 1 3Life Story 7 1 1Then and Now 5 1 27Hopes and Fears (#2)Keane 1 5 17A Grand Don't Come for Free 1 2 6Hurt No More Mario Winans 3 2 2You Are the Quarry Morrissey 2 1 1Meltdown Ash 5 1 1So-Called Chaos Alanis Morissette 8 1 1Play to Win Gabrielle 10 1 9Under My Skin Avril Lavigne 1 1 1Vol 3: (The Subliminal Verses) Slipknot 5 1 2Borrowed Heaven 2 1 1Two 9 1 3No Roots Faithless 1 1 1Supergrass Is 10 Supergrass 4 1 14Hot Fuss ♦ 1 2 2To the 5 Boroughs Beastie Boys 2 1 1Greatest Hits Thin Lizzy 3 1 1The Platinum Collection Phil Collins 4 1 1The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer Donna Summer 6 1 1One Plus One Is One Badly Drawn Boy 9 1 9Up All Night Razorlight 3 1 2The Very Best of The Jacksons 7 1 1The Cure 8 1 1The Stone Roses 9 1 1Original Pirate Material 10 1 5Room on the 3rd Floor McFly 1 1 6O Damien Rice 8 4 1Tyrannosaurus Hives 7 1 4Live in Hyde Park Red Hot Chili Peppers 1 2 2Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned 1 1 1Everyone Is Here 8 1 2The Libertines 1 1 1Medúlla Björk 9 1 1High 10 1 4Unwritten Natasha Bedingfield 1 1 4Kasabian Kasabian 4 3 1Voice Alison Moyet 7 1 1Showtime Dizzee Rascal 8 1 3Out of Nothing Embrace 1 1 2Studio 150 Paul Weller 2 1 1Greatest Hits Goldie Lookin Chain 5 1 2Solarized Ian Brown 7 1 1Suit Nelly 8 1 1Let's Bottle Bohemia 9 1 18American Idiot Green Day 1 2 1Room Service Bryan Adams 4 1 1Welcome to the North 8 1 5Mind Body & Soul Joss Stone 1 1 2Lest We Forget: The Best Of Marilyn Manson 4 1 2Tom Jones & Jools Holland Tom Jones & Jools Holland 5 2 2The Best of Groove Armada Groove Armada 6 2 1Brian Wilson Presents Smile Brian Wilson 7 1 3Around the Sun R.E.M. 1 1 1110 Years of Hits Ronan Keating 1 1 1Astronaut Duran Duran 3 1 2Miracle Celine Dion 5 1 1The Chronicles of Life and Death Good Charlotte 8 1 2Welcome to My World: 23 Classics from the Jim Reeves Songbook Daniel O'Donnell 6 1 14Greatest Hits (#3)Robbie Williams 1 4 3Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III Rod Stewart 3 2 1Best of Def Leppard Def Leppard 6 1 1Something's Goin' On Cliff Richard 7 1 1Once More with Feeling: Singles 1996–2004 Placebo 8 1 1Amore Musica Russell Watson 10 1 11Il Divo (#10)Il Divo 1 1 1Aha Shake Heartbreak Kings of Leon 3 1 2Singles Travis 4 1 1All the Best Tina Turner 6 1 1Number Ones Bee Gees 7 1 3Love Songs: A Compilation… Old and New ♦Phil Collins 9 1 11Encore Eminem 1 2 3Greatest Hits: My Prerogative Britney Spears 2 1 4...Allow Us to Be Frank Westlife 3 1 5Greatest Hits Shania Twain 6 2 1Second First Impression Daniel Bedingfield 8 1 2Destiny Fulfilled Destiny's Child 5 1 1Best of Blue Blue 6 1 7How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb U2 1 3 7Ultimate Kylie Kylie Minogue 4 3 2What Will the Neighbours Say? Girls Aloud 6 1 1Time to Grow Lemar 8 1
Entries by artist The following table shows artists who achieved two or more top 10 entries in 2004, including albums that reached their peak in 2003 or 2005. The figures only include main artists, with featured artists and appearances on compilation albums not counted individually for each artist. The total number of weeks an artist spent in the top ten in 2003 is also shown.
Entries Artist Weeks Albums2Daniel O'Donnell5The Jukebox Years, Welcome to My World Dido 12Life for Rent, No Angel Joss Stone17Mind Body & Soul, The Soul Sessions Phil Collins 2Love Songs: A Compilation… Old and New, The Platinum CollectionR.E.M. 7Around the Sun, In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003Red Hot Chili Peppers 8Greatest Hits, Live in Hyde Park 18A Grand Don't Come for Free, Original Pirate Material Westlife 4...Allow Us to Be Frank, Turnaround
Notes
Hot Fuss reached its peak of number-one on 22 January 2005 (week ending). Stripped re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 10 January 2004 (week ending). Fallen re-entered the top 10 at number 7 on 10 January 2004 (week ending) for 5 weeks. Permission to Land re-entered the top 10 at number 5 on 28 February 2004 (week ending) for 2 weeks. Elephunk re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 17 July 2004 (week ending). Three re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 17 January 2004 (week ending). Twentysomething re-entered the top 10 at number 3 on 6 March 2004 (week ending) for 4 weeks. Greatest Hits (Red Hot Chili Peppers album) re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 31 January 2004 (week ending). Friday's Child re-entered the top 10 at number 10 on 13 March 2004 (week ending) for 6 weeks and at number 7 on 24 July 2004 (week ending). No Angel originally peaked at number-one upon its initial release in 2001. Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) originally peaked at number 2 upon its initial release in 1992. It re-entered the top 10 at number 9 on 21 February 2004 (week ending). Speakerboxxx/The Love Below re-entered the top 10 at number 8 on 6 March 2004 (week ending) for 2 weeks, at number 10 on 17 July 2004 (week ending) for 3 weeks and at number 8 on 8 January 2005 (week ending). The Singles 1992–2003 re-entered the top 10 at number 5 on 6 March 2004 (week ending) for 2 weeks. The Soul Sessions re-entered the top 10 at number 7 on 22 May 2004 (week ending) for 10 weeks.