Pink Floyd help set another record

Pink Floyd’s The Endless River has been confirmed as one of the ten best-selling album of the year – and it’s taken part in the setting of another record.

The band’s 15th work, which David Gilmour has said will be their last, briefly held the title of most pre-ordered in the history of retailer Amazon. The track Allons-y (1) has been named the most viral ever on streaming service Spotify.

Now the album has taken number nine position in the UK album sales charts for 2014 – helping ensure that the top ten are all British artists for the first time since charts began.

And The Endless River topped the vinyl sales chart for the year, spearheading a 65% increase in vinyl sales.

British Phonographic Industry boss Geoff Taylor says: “The remarkable success of British artists in 2014 is exciting news for the future.”

The BPI also confirmed that streaming had doubled over the past twelve months. A Spotify spokesman recently said: “Pink Floyd have never been more popular with us.” Noting that 80% of the band’s listeners were under 34, he added: “Floyd appears to be reaching a really young crowd.”

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.