Platinum Europe: Review 2002

Record number of artists and albums win awards: European repertoire reaches new high

London, January 15, 2003

More albums by more artists reached the one million sales thresh-hold to win IFPI Platinum Europe Awards in 2002 than in any single year since 1996, the inaugural year for the award.

A total of 77 different artists, 92 albums and 105 separate awards were given to Europe's top selling artists in 2002. The figures also show that while more albums were newly awarded for the first time in 2002, only 11 albums crossed the four million or more sales mark.

The Platinum Europe Award, administered by the recording industry's international trade body IFPI, is the pre-eminent sales award for the European music market. Platinum Europe honours artists who achieve sales of one million or more across 31 national markets in Europe.

European repertoire rose to a new high in 2002 with a total of 57 albums awarded - more than in any other year excepting the launch year, which covered a two-year period. The 57 albums constitute 62% of the total awards - a 2% increase on the previous year, led by the UK's 29 awarded albums, France with 11 awards and Ireland which maintained the same number as the previous year - six.

Non-English language albums also did well, with 19 titles - the highest for four years - and boosted by the success of French recordings achieving Platinum.

The 11 albums by French artists that achieved Platinum status in 2002 reflect the recent trend-busting growth in French repertoire sales. The total is the highest ever for the country and double France's Platinum Europe winners in previous years.

Canadian repertoire also had a strong year, with six titles achieving Platinum Europe Awards. The USA remained steady with 27 titles, representing 29% of the total awards.

Jay Berman, IFPI Chairman and CEO said: "More albums reached the one million mark than in any other single year, although there were less multi-million sellers than in 2001. The high number of European releases achieving Platinum awards reflects the continued diversity and creativity of Europe's recording artists."

The number of different countries honoured was 13 including two countries which received an award for the first time: Colombia, for Shakira's Laundry Service, and Russia, for female duo t.A.T.u.'s Po Vstrechnoy.

Shakira's Laundry Service also racked up the highest number of new awards over the year with four, highlighting the huge success of the Colombian star.

Other new albums achieving multi-Platinum status over the year were Eminem's The Eminem Show, Anastacia's Freak Of Nature and Elvis Presley's 30 # 1 Hits, which all sold over three million copies each in 2002.

In terms of albums already at Platinum status, 2002 saw The Beatles 1 achieve its eighth Platinum Award. This joins the Spice Girls Spice awarded Platinum x 8 in 1997 and only surpassed by Celine Dion's nine awards for Let's Talk About Love in 1998.

Madonna's Ray Of Light and Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill both achieved a seventh Platinum award in 2002.

Robbie Williams continues to be one of Europe's most popular artists with a record four of his albums achieving a total of four Platinum Awards in 2002 - either first time awards or additional level awards bringing his cumulative IFPI Platinum Europe Award tally to 14. His appeal is pan-European, with Swing When You're Winning for example, picking up national gold and platinum awards in no less than 16 countries on its way to its fourth Platinum Europe Award.

The following ten artists all had two different albums achieve Platinum status over the year: Alanis Morissette, Blue, Enrique Iglesias, Enya, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Phil Collins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Travis and U2.

The most noticeable genre trend in 2002 was the high number of internationally acclaimed singer/songwriters including Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Enya, Enrique Iglesias, Gabrielle, Mylene Farmer, Herbert Grönemeyer, Madonna, Renaud, Robbie Williams, Ronan Keating and Shakira.

For further information contact: Fiona Harley,
IFPI Communications, tel: +44 (0)20 7878 7900