In recent years, vinyl records have truly had a renaissance, enjoying constant growth. In September last year, RIAA’s 2019 mid-year report revealed that vinyl records were poised to outsell CD sales for the first time since 1986. Ultimately vinyl represented 26% of all physical sales in 2019, selling 18.8 million units, whilst CDs moved 54.8 million units. It’s a 14.5% increase from 16.5 million vinyl records sold in 2018.

Nielsen recently released their 2019 Year-End report, which included an end-of-decade wrap up of the top-selling vinyl records. Unsurprisingly, the chart was dominated by classic rock with The Beatles’ Abbey Road coming in at first place, selling a whopping 558,000 units. Coming in second was Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon with 376,000. In third place was one of the only two albums released in the decade to crack the top 10, the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1 which sold 367,000 units. The only other record released in the decade to chart was Lana Del Rey’s debut, Born to Die, which came in at tenth.

It’s just… unfathomable that a record called Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1 was the third most popular vinyl of the decade.

You can read the full ranking below.

Top 10 Vinyl Albums Of The Decade

  1. The Beatles Abbey Road 558,000
  2. Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon 376,000
  3. Soundtrack Guardians Of The Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 367,000
  4. Bob Marley & The Wailers Legend 364,000
  5. Amy Winehouse Back To Black 351,000
  6. Michael Jackson Thriller 334,0000
  7. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 313,000
  8. Fleetwood Mac Rumours 304,000
  9. Miles Davis Kind Of Blue 286,000
  10. Lana Del Rey Born To Die 283,000

Nielson also released data pertaining to the best selling records of 2019.

Top 10 Vinyl Albums Of 2019 (Rank, Artist, Title, Sales)

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  1. The Beatles Abbey Road 246,000
  2. Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 176,000
  3. Queen Greatest Hits 1 139,000
  4. Soundtrack Guardians Of The Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 123,000
  5. Queen Bohemian Rhapsody (The Original Soundtrack) 108,000
  6. Beach Boys Sounds Of Summer: Very Best Of 107,000
  7. Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon 92,000
  8. Michael Jackson Thriller 88,000
  9. Bob Marley & The Wailers Legend 84,000
  10. Fleetwood Mac Rumours 78,000

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