In 2024, women reshaped the British music landscape with an unprecedented presence on the charts. According to the British Phonographic Institute (BPI), female pop artists topped the UK singles chart for a record-breaking 34 weeks, with 21 of those weeks dominated by Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping singles Espresso, Taste, and Please, Please, Please.

Taylor Swift’s Record-Breaking Year

Taylor Swift led the charge on the album charts with her platinum-selling Tortured Poets Department. The introspective break-up album, featuring a mix of biting lyrics and heartfelt ballads, sold an impressive 783,000 copies by year’s end.

Swift’s dominance didn’t stop there. She placed three additional albums—1989 (Taylor’s Version), Lover, and Folklore—among the year’s top 20 best-sellers, cementing her legacy as a music powerhouse.

Grammy-Nominated Female Albums

Female artists also took the spotlight in the Grammy nominations for Album of the Year. Alongside Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet and Charli XCX’s Brat, albums by Billie Eilish (Hit Me Hard And Soft) and Chappell Roan (The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess) earned nods.

Charli XCX’s Brat, a collection of brash dance anthems, became a cultural phenomenon and was one of 12 albums by women to top the UK Official Albums Chart in 2024, tying a record set the previous year.

Other chart-topping albums included Prelude To Ecstasy, the debut release from The Last Dinner Party, as well as new works by Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, and Beyoncé.

Streaming and Vinyl Trends

The UK music industry saw a 9.7% increase in music consumption, with 200.5 million albums sold or streamed. Streaming hit an all-time high, with 199.6 billion songs played throughout the year, equating to six days of continuous music per person.

Vinyl sales enjoyed a 17th consecutive year of growth, with 6.7 million records sold. Meanwhile, CD sales showed resilience, declining by only 2.9% to 10.5 million units.

A Cultural Shift

This landmark year reflects the rising influence and popularity of female artists across the music industry. From Grammy-nominated albums to record-breaking streams, 2024 will be remembered as a historic year for women in pop music.