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Record Store Day: Radiohead's OK Computer tops indie chart

EPA Thom YorkeEPA
Thom Yorke is the lead singer of Radiohead

Radiohead's OK Computer reissue has been named as the biggest-selling album in independent record stores over the past year, according to the Official Charts Company.

Its findings come ahead of Record Store Day 2018 on 21 April, which promotes local, independent music retailers with special releases.

Vinyl made up 82% of local store sales as the format continues to resurge.

A cassette revival marked a new trend, jumping 53% throughout the year.

The popularity of OK Computer's 20th anniversary reissue comes two decades after it topped the Official Albums Chart in the summer of 1997.

It featured Lift, a previously unreleased track from the original recording sessions.

The 50th anniversary edition of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band finished runner-up - suggesting collectability and special editions are driving forces for shoppers.

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There were no female artists in the top 10.

Courtney Barnett proved the most popular female artist of the past year, whose collaborative album with Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice, finished 13th.

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Top 10 best-selling independent record store albums over the last year

  1. OK Computer - Radiohead
  2. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
  3. Divide - Ed Sheeran
  4. American Dream - LCD Soundsystem
  5. Villains - Queens Of The Stone Age
  6. How Did We Get So Dark - Royal Blood
  7. Human - Rag'n'bone Man
  8. As You Were - Liam Gallagher
  9. Every Valley - Public Service Broadcasting
  10. Who Built The Moon - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
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However, Ed Sheeran's chart dominance in 2017 meant his album ÷ (Divide) came out as the third-best seller in record shops, while LCD Soundsystem's critically-acclaimed American Dream and Villains, from Queens of the Stone Age, landed fourth and fifth spots respectively.

The chart also goes some way to settling the war of words (and egos) between the Gallagher brothers.

Photoshot Noel and Liam GallagherPhotoshot
Noel and Liam Gallagher (L and R) dominated the 90s as part of Oasis, before the band split acrimoniously in 2009

Liam's debut solo album As You Were came in eighth, outselling his brother Noel's third post-Oasis effort, Who Built The Moon?, which was 10th.

Liam was also nominated for a Brit Award this year, making the shortlist for best British male.

Icelandic icon Bjork charted as the highest-selling solo female star, but her album Utopia only reached 24th place in the sales rundown.

Bjork
Bjork released her ninth album, Utopia, in November

Elsewhere, classic artists and albums remain popular among independent record store devotees.

David Bowie secured two spots in the Top 40 with Hunky Dory (17) and The Rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust (19), while Fleetwood Mac's Rumours and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon just missed out on the Top 20.

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