The year 2023 was a groundbreaking one for women in the U.K. music industry. According to analysis by BPI, the trade body of the U.K. recorded music industry, women artists achieved the most weeks at No.1 on the Official Singles Chart since its launch in 1952.
Women at the Top
Led by Miley Cyrus’s hit song “Flowers,” which spent 10 weeks at the top of the chart with 198 million streams, women occupied the No.1 spot for 31 weeks in 2023. This was the longest continuous reign by women artists in the chart’s history. Four out of the top five tracks and seven out of the top ten tracks of the year were by women. Alongside Cyrus, other notable female artists included SZA with “Kill Bill,” Taylor Swift with “Anti-Hero,” Libianca with “People,” Ellie Goulding with “Miracle” featuring Calvin Harris, PinkPantheress with “Boy’s A Liar,” and RAYE with “Escapism” featuring 070 Shake.
In addition, almost half (48.5%) of the tracks that made it to the top 10 of the weekly Official Singles Chart were by women, either as solo artists or in collaboration with others.
Album Highlights
On the album front, The Weeknd’s “The Highlights” claimed the top spot for the year, followed by Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” Elton John’s “Diamonds” and Harry Styles’ “Harry’s House” rounded out the top five.
Notable Achievements
The “Barbie” album soundtrack, featuring hits by Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Nicki Minaj, and Spice ft Aqua, was the year’s top compilation. Furthermore, 11 tracks surpassed 100 million audio and video streams in the U.K. These included popular songs by Dave & Central Cee, RAYE ft 070 Shake, Rema, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding, SZA, PinkPantheress, Taylor Swift, Libianca, Harry Styles, and Miguel.
Music Consumption and Trends
U.K. recorded music consumption in 2023 increased by 10% to 182.8 million albums, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth. The audio streaming market recorded an impressive 179.6 billion streams, almost double the total achieved in 2018. Vinyl LP sales experienced their fastest growth rate in a decade, with a rise of 11.8% to 6.1 million units, the highest figure in over 30 years. Although CD decline slowed down, interestingly, around 100,000 cassettes were purchased.
Celebrating Women’s Success in Music
Jo Twist, BPI chief executive, praised the accomplishments of women in the Official Charts in 2023. She emphasized the need for ongoing efforts to ensure full representation for women in the music industry. The success achieved by a diverse range of female recording artists, backed by their labels, deserves celebration. However, the aim is to make this level of achievement the norm, and the music industry will continue its work towards that goal.
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Source link: Variety