In 2014, British Artists Comprised 12 Percent of Album Sales in the U.S.

In 2014, U.K. artists made up a significant chunk of all stateside album sales, accounting for one in every eight records sold (12.2 percent), to be exact.

While Sam Smith tops this list, he’s followed by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Bastille and Alt-J (along with One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay), according the British Phonographic Industry. And even though she hasn’t released any new albums since 2011, Adele and 21 remained in the Top 10 best-selling U.K. albums in America.

In a statement released today (May 6), Chief Executive of the BPI and the BRIT Awards, Geoff Taylor, championed U.K. artists’ success in the “most competitive music market”:

British artists well and truly flew the flag in the world’s biggest and most competitive music market last year. The sensational achievements of Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, One Direction and the entire Class of 2014 demonstrate once again that the UK’s music industry is a worldbeater.

The creative industries are the most important source of jobs and growth for the UK economy. The incoming Government should act swiftly to boost further investment in British music, by extending creative tax credits so that more albums and music videos are produced here in the UK. This will create exciting new jobs for young people and further strengthen the UK’s reputation as a leading creative nation.

Since 2005, 12.2 percent is the second highest share for U.K. artists in the U.S.; the highest was 13.6 percent in 2012.

This article is from Diffuser FM