UK's biggest-ever debut albums revealed – Meatloaf, James Blunt, and Leona Lewis

The UK’s biggest-ever debut albums have been revealed, with Meat Loaf leading the way with his iconic Bat Out Of Hell, closely followed by the first albums of James Blunt and Leona Lewis.

The 1977 record catapulted its flamboyant American creator, real name Michael Aday, to international fame and inspired sequel albums and a stage musical.

It tops a ranking compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) for National Album Day which has ‘Celebrating debut albums’ as its theme for 2022.

The singer, whose hits also include I’d Do Anything For Love and Paradise By The Dashboard Light, died on January 20 this year, aged 74, with his wife and daughters by his side.

After looking at historic sales and streaming data of UK sales and streams since records began in 1956, Bat Out of Hell beat was proven to have beaten stiff competition from some of the biggest albums of all time.

Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright said of the album: ‘Bat Out Of Hell reaching number one as the UK’s biggest debut album of all-time might be a surprise to some, but it is a truly brilliant debut album.’

Wright, 68, continued: ‘[It’s an album] which has reached a whole new audience following the sad passing of Meat Loaf earlier this year.’

At the time of its release, Bat Out of Hell only reached number 11 on the UK Album Chart, but sales have increased over the years.

Following the singer’s death in January, it shot to number 3 on the chart, its highest position to date.

It has been in the charts for 530 weeks in total.

The runner-up was Blunt and his 2004 debut album Back to Bedlam, which spawned singles You’re Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover, giving him the biggest debut by a British artist.

Back to Bedlam was number 1 on the Album Charts for 10 weeks in spring 2005 – the album continued to chart for five years after its release.

In third place was Spirit, the 2007 debut album released by X Factor winner Lewis, which featured smash hits Bleeding Love and her cover of Snow Patrol’s Run.

Spirit spent a total of seven weeks at number 1 in the winter of 2007, and has since spent 103 weeks inside the UK Album Chart.

The 20 biggest debut albums in Official Charts history

Lewis said: ‘I was overwhelmed with how much love it received and I just remember feeling the same then as I do now, endlessly thankful to everyone that listened and supported me.’

Number four went to Lady Gaga’s 2008 album The Fame, while Dido claimed number five with 1999’s No Angel.

At number six were the Spice Girls with their 1996 debut Spice – the highest-ranked album from a group.

Five of the record’s 10 tracks went to number including the enduring hits Wannabe, Say You’ll Be There and 2 Become 1.

Debuts by Keane, Alanis Morissette, Sam Smith and Coldplay complete the top 10.

Steve Wright will announce the top 20 during a special programme on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday October 15 between 1-3pm and available on BBC Sounds from Friday October 14.

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