A roundup on National Album Day 2025
A roundup on National Album Day 2025
National Album Day returns THIS Saturday 18th October. This year it has a Rock theme – honouring Britain’s unparalleled rock heritage, iconic albums, and brilliant contemporary artists.
The annual event, organised jointly by the BPI and ERA in association with official broadcast partner BBC Radio 2, sees the UK’s music retail stores, record labels, and album platforms such as Classic Album Sundays, come together with the wider music community to champion the album format; celebrate artists telling their stories through the ‘art of the album’ and encourage album listening among fans.
The day is supported by more than 60 exclusive product releases & reissues, including a 50th anniversary deluxe reissue of Queen’s ‘A Night at the Opera’ (see full listing1 here), and by artist Album Champions – this year led by Wolf Alice, Nova Twins, Architects, metal icons Iron Maiden – and from today joined by Joakim Brodén – the co-founder and front man of power metal band Sabaton. Together, they have been helping to spotlight the enduring power of the album format as a medium for authentic storytelling and artistic expression. Each champion represents a different era and style of rock, reflecting the increasingly diverse and contemporary nature of a genre which continues to dominate Official Album Chart sales.
Joakim Brodén of Sabaton said: “With Sabaton’s new album ‘Legends’ release and being part of National Album Day? This is turning out to be one hell of a week! It’s a true honour to be involved. Never underestimate the power of an album. Each one tells a story and leaves its mark. It’s funny, I was recently thinking about how certain records, like Twisted Sister 'Stay Hungry' can instantly transport you back to specific moments in your life - as a teenager, a young adult, and beyond. Albums unlock vivid memories you didn’t even know were still there.
And as a musician, you experience the same thing when revisiting your own work. It’s a powerful reminder of why Sabaton do what we do.
A massive thank you to everyone involved who made National Album Day possible! Support your local Record Store this National Album Day.”
Activations that have taken place in the build up or which are upcoming include immersive listening experiences, such as Pitchblack Playback with Radiohead’s Kid A 25th Anniversary at Riverside Studios (London, 17th October), and PPL revealing Queen as the most played Rock band this century, alongside various promotional instore activity taking place in independent record shops. On Saturday, the Official Charts will publish a definitive chart of the biggest selling Rock & Metal acts/albums this century, while respected industry commentator Keith Jopling – founder of the Song Sommelier music discovery site will publish an extract exclusively for National Album Day from his forthcoming book, BODY OF WORK: How The Album Outplayed The Algorithm And Survived Playlist Culture, due out in February 2026 (Repeater).
A further highlight will see rock icon Skin in online conversation with contemporary stars Nova Twins discussing the importance of albums to artists, including from the perspective of female artists who also come from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. The broadcast will take place at 3.33pm on the Black Story UK YouTube channel and also forms part of this month’s Black Story campaign. Album Champions Nova Twins are additionally dedicating the 18th October leg of their UK tour at O2 Forum Kentish Town to National Album Day. Bristol’s popular rock and metal institution, The Gryphon, has revealed that Brandon Burch’s rock-inspired artwork will be erected on the side of the pub as a permanent mural, following a nationwide competition for the best rock-inspired design. See the NAD site for more details.
BBC Radio 2 have been valued partners of National Album Day from the outset, and for 2025 the station will be presenting a range of programming and themed features, including the Shaun Keaveny’s Friday Rock Show (23:00-00:00), and Saturday shows for Romesh Ranganathan (10:00-13:00) and Zoe Ball (13:00-15:00). On Saturday 18th October, Zoe Ball (13:00-15:00) counts down her top three Yacht Rock albums and plays a track from each to celebrate National Album Day. The legendary Debbie Harry joined Shaun Keaveny on Jo Whiley’s Radio 2 show (Wednesday 19:00-21:00) to talk about the re-issue of Blondie's 1999 album ‘No Exit’ (listen back here on BBC Sounds). Highlights include Eras: Queen – a brand-new podcast hosted by comedian and lifelong Queen fan Bill Bailey. Episodes 1-4 are live, with episode 5 dropping on BBC Sounds and iPlayer on 27th October. The series explores the band’s full story, told through the lens of their operatic masterpiece Bohemian Rhapsody, which marks its 50th anniversary this month. It has exclusive new interviews from Brian May and Roger Taylor, rare BBC archive from all four band members, and insights from those closest to them. There is also a special Radio 2 four-part series dedicated to this year's National Album Day theme: Women Who Rock, telling their stories across four decades, while Alternative Sounds of The 90s with Dermot O'Leary will celebrate rock in its breadth, with music from Nirvana, Faith No More and Skunk Anansie, and others, plus Jez from Doves will pick his favourite 90s bands. Other highlights include Spinal Tap 2 on Radio 2, the Rock Show Special, Chrissie Hynde in the Piano Room (which is available to watch on iPlayer), and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco, which includes rock stompers.
On Saturday, music fans are encouraged to share a photo of their favourite rock album on social media, tagging @NationalAlbumDay, to celebrate the art of the album and join in the national conversation.
Rock remains a dominant force in the UK music scene, making up over half of the Official Vinyl Chart top 100 in 2024, and maintaining a strong presence in streaming. British icons and contemporary artists alike continue to draw global audiences, from The Beatles and Iron Maiden to Sam Fender, Arctic Monkeys, Wolf Alice, and Nova Twins.
Earlier this month, National Album Day research revealed that Oxford tops the UK’s cities per capita for producing successful rock artists, thanks to the influence of Radiohead, Supergrass, and Foals, while Greater London is the UK’s biggest rock region overall. Within London, Camden is the capital’s leading rock borough, with Coldplay, The Libertines, and Suede all having taken their early steps there, alongside the borough’s iconic venues like the Dublin Castle pub and Camden Roundhouse.