Sex Pistols officially claim the best-selling vinyl single of 2022 with God Save The Queen.
When the Pistols’ classic was re-released in June, everyone understandably assumed that Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee (which it was issued to commemorate) would be the most historic royal event of the year. But this was sadly not to be.
The single did, of course, originally (and somewhat controversially) peak at Number 2 on the Official Singles Chart during Queen Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee in 1977 and, in 2022, a limited number of special edition pressings were made available to fans. These special editions sold out on pre-order (as these things often do) so that by September, when Queen Elizabeth sadly passed away and King Charles III took the throne, there was not a single copy left for fans to snap up as the nation mourned. Read more about God Save The Queen’s colourful chart history here.
Record Store Day 2022 ambassador Taylor Swift sees The Lakes at Number 2 on our list of biggest vinyl single to date. The track, originally included on the deluxe edition of Folklore, was released as a limited edition run for Record Store Day in April and reached the Official Singles Chart Top 100 as a result, peaking at Number 88.
The Top 5 of 2022 so far also sees releases from Harry Styles, with Late Night Talking in at Number 3. Suggs and Paul Weller’s Motown-influenced collaboration Ooh Do U Fink U R is in at Number 4. At Number 5, we find Pink Floyd and Andriy Khylvnyuk with Hey, Hey! Rise Up!, the first original music in over 30 years from the influential rock band. With all funds going to the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund, the song peaked at Number 49, the band’s highest chart placement in the UK since 1994.
Lewis Capaldi’s catchy comeback track Forget Me lands at Number 6, while Scottish indie rock group Arab Strap are at Number 7 with Aphelion.
The wider Top 20 sees further Record Store Day-exclusive vinyl, including U2’s A Celebration (15), and a re-issue of Madonna’s Who’s That Girl (16).
Rounding off the Top 20 is Frank Turner with A Wave Across A Bay, released in January to pay tribute to late Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison. Profits of the single benefit the youth mental health charity Tiny Changes.
You can see the best-selling records in independent record shops every week on the Official Record Store Chart, and follow the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and Vinyl Singles Chart to keep track of the UK’s vinyl habits.
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