Emeli Sande tops 2013 album chart with Our Version of Events

Emeli Sande performing live (Getty Images)

Emeli Sande's debut album Our Version Of Events is the biggest-selling album so far this year, despite having already sold 1.4 million copies last year.

The singer, who benefited from several high profile appearances during the 2012 Olympics, topped the chart as new figures from industry body the BPI showed combined sales of CDs and digital albums of 23.3 million in the first three months of this year. This compares to 23 million in the same period last year.

The second-biggest seller was the recording of Les Miserables by the film cast, followed by Now That's What I Call Music 84, and singer-songwriter Jake Bugg's self-titled debut.

The figures also show that digital downloads accounted for more than a third (38.5 per cent) of all albums sold.

BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said the figures showed the "strength in depth of British music".

He said: "The Q1 sales figures illustrate that as digital grows its share, albums can follow the singles market back to growth."

The figures showed 48.5 million single tracks were sold in the first quarter of 2013, up from 46.7 million in the same period last year.

The biggest-selling single of 2013 so far is "Thrift Shop" by American duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, which has sold more than 510,000 copies.

PA