Meat Loaf tops charts with Bat Out Of Hell record as UK’s 20 biggest debut albums revealed

Meat Loaf died earlier this year. Credit: PA

Bat Out Of Hell by Meat Loaf has been named the UK’s biggest debut album.

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.

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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.

For the chart, the OCC looked at UK sales and streams combined since records began in 1956.

Second place went to James Blunt’s 2004 debut Back To Bedlam - also the biggest debut by a British artist.

Featuring the hit You’re Beautiful, the album spent ten weeks at number one in the UK, and was the top album of the year and of the 2000s.

In third place was Leona Lewis with 2007’s Spirit, who also secured the biggest debut by a UK female artist.

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James Blunt’s 2004 debut album, Back To Bedlam, came in at second place. Credit: PA

Released the year after she won The X Factor, the album includes the number one singles A Moment Like This and Bleeding Love, as well as her chart-topping cover of Snow Patrol’s Run.

Lewis said: “I had the most incredible support from the UK when I released my debut album Spirit.

“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. I felt like I was representing my county and that felt amazing.”

Elsewhere, 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 ten tracks went on 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.

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The UK’s top 20 debut albums

1. Bat Out Of Hell – Meat Loaf

2. Back To Bedlam – James Blunt

3. Spirit – Leona Lewis

4. The Fame – Lady Gaga

5. No Angel – Dido

6. Spice – Spice Girls

7. Hopes And Fears – Keane

8. Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette

9. In The Lonely Hour – Sam Smith

10. Parachutes – Coldplay

11. Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield

12. Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters

13. Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman

14. + – Ed Sheeran

15. Come Away With Me – Norah Jones

16. 19 – Adele

17. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses

18. Our Version of Events – Emeli Sande

19. Definitely Maybe – Oasis

20. Hot Fuss – The Killers

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