Coldplay’s ’Viva La Vida’ the top selling global album of 2008

Coldplay’s Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends was the best-selling album of 2008 globally according to new figures from IFPI, the body that represents the recording industry worldwide.

The band’s fourth studio album sold 6.8 million units worldwide, achieving greater sales than High School Musical 2 did to top the chart in 2007. It sold more downloads than any other album in digital history within a month of release. The band recently picked up three Grammy awards in the US, including Best Rock Album, and are nominated for four BRIT awards in the UK.

Veteran rockers AC/DC secured the number two global sales spot with their fifteenth studio album Black Ice, which was released in October 2008. The album contains the hit single Rock N’ Roll Train and is the band’s first album since Stiff Upper Lip in 2000.

The cast of Mamma Mia! The Movie took the number three spot for their soundtrack album, which was released in July 2008. It contains many of ABBA’s hits sung by actors including Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Julie Walters. A deluxe version of the album includes behind the scenes footage from the shooting of the film.

The biggest-selling new artist worldwide in 2008 was Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy, whose Rockferry album, released last March, was placed fourth. Rockferry was the best selling album of the year in the UK and contains the hit singles Mercy and Warwick Avenue. Duffy won a Grammy in the US for Best Pop Vocal Album and is nominated for four BRIT awards in the UK.

Metallica claimed fifth spot with Death Magnetic, their ninth studio album, released in September 2008. The band became the first ever to achieve five consecutive number one debuts in the Billboard 200 chart.

Coldplay’s success in topping the chart and Duffy with the highest placed debut album illustrated the global strength of UK repertoire in 2008. Four of the top 10 albums of 2008 were by British artists. Seven of the top 10 selling albums of 2008 were released within 2008 and two of the top titles, from Duffy and Leona Lewis, were debut albums featuring original material.