The Biggest Selling ‘Rock’ Acts of 2011 Revealed

According to The Official Charts Company, Coldplay scored both the biggest selling rock single of 2011 with ‘Paradise’, which sold over 410,000 copies and the biggest selling album with their fifth effort ‘Mylo Xyloto’, which sold over 900,000 copies despite only being released in October.

Noel Gallagher’s debut solo effort was the second biggest seller in the album stakes with sales just shy of 500,000. He was followed by Florence And The Machine, who were narrowly in front of Foo Fighters and Mumford and Sons.

Elbow were sixth, Kasabian seventh, Snow Patrol in eighth and in their best ever sales year Noah And The Whale were ninth, just ahead of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Suck It And See’, which was in 10th place.

In the singles chart, Goo Goo Dolls’ ‘Iris’, which was first released in 1998, sold 264,000 copies in 2011 after it was brought back to life by an X Factor performance to become the second biggest selling rock single of the year.

Birdy was the third largest seller with her cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’, while Coldplay made their second appearance in the chart at Number Four, just ahead of Noah And The Whale, who were fifth with ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.’

James Morrison, Foster The People, Snow Patrol, Florence And The Machine and The Calling made up the rest of the Top 10.

The Top 10 selling rock singles of 2011 were as follows:

1. Coldplay – Paradise (410,000)
2. Goo Goo Dolls – Iris (264,000)
3. Birdy – Skinny Love (259,000)
4. Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (247,000)
5. Noah & The Whale – L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (242,000)
6. James Morrison – I Won’t Let You Go (228,000)
7. Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (225,000)
8. Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars (128,000)
9. Florence And The Machine – Shake It Out (127,000)
10. The Calling – Wherever You Will Go (125,000)

The Top 10 selling rock albums of 2011 were as follows:

1. Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto (908,000)
2. Noel Gallagher – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (492,000)
3. Florence & The Machine – Ceremonials (384,000)
4. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light (380,000)
5. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More (373,000)
6. Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys (327,000)
7. Kasabian – Velociraptor (279,000)
8. Snow Patrol – Fallen Empires (269,000)
9. Noah & The Whale – Last Night On Earth (261,000)
10. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See (223,000)