Biggest ever National Album Day takes place this Saturday 17th October celebrating music icons
National Album Day, which this year pays tribute to music “Icons” takes place this Saturday, 17th October.
Celebrating the art of the album, the day will see a plethora of activities ranged across the UK’s music retail community – instore and online, with more than 85 classic reissues and new releases that will be available for fans and collectors to purchase.
BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds
National Album Day will again be supported by BBC Radio 2 across its programming and editorial throughout the week in the lead up to Saturday that includes Icons: Radio 2 Presenter Picks (presented by Emma Willis), Sounds of the 60s (presented by Tony Blackburn), Sounds of the 70s (presented by Shaun Keaveny), Sounds of the 80s (presented by Gary Davies), Sounds of the 90s (presented by Fearne Cotton), Alternative Sounds of the 90s (presented by Dermot O’Leary), The Folk Show (presented by Mark Radcliffe), The Country Show (presented by Darius Rucker), The Jazz Show (presented by Jamie Cullum), Icons Unwinds Mix (presented by Angela Griffin) and The Paul Gambaccini Collection. As part of their ERAS podcast series, Rosie Ramsey also delves into the BBC archive for a Spice Girls special to celebrate 30 years of the iconic, Spice. Sidetracked, presented by Nick Grimshaw and Annie Macmanus will also be doing a National Album Day Special exploring Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors and two time Grammy Award-winner Eve will be reading an exclusive CBeebies Bedtime Story. All programmes from Radio 2 as part of the Icons Collection in celebration of National Album Day will be available to listen back on BBC Sounds and archive episodes of CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be shown throughout the week including from the likes of Billie Eilish, Melanie C, Harry Styles and more. You can also find out what the best-selling UK album was the year you were born on BBC Bitesize now.
Eve Said on her Bedtime Story appearance “I am so excited to be reading a CBeebies Bedtime story! I can’t wait to surprise my son by telling him I’ve been on the show as we both love it and we will be watching together.”
The Damned join Robbie Williams, Melanie C, PinkPantheress, and Max Richter as Album Champions
Alongside previously presented Champions, Robbie Williams, Melanie C, PinkPantheress, and Max Richter, National Album Day today reveal punk pioneers The Damned as its final Album Champions for this year’s edition. In January, The Damned released Not Like Everybody Else through earMUSIC, a collection of cover songs made in tribute to the band's late guitarist Brian James. It is their 13th studio album in an illustrious five-decade career that has seen them grow from igniting the fuse of the British punk explosion into one of the most influential bands of the modern era. For this years National Album Day, they will be releasing an exclusive Picture Disc version of Not Like Everybody Else. Following a triumphant 50th Anniversary show at the OVO Arena Wembley in April and a global run featuring the Sydney Opera House and a massive North American return, the legendary line-up of Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies, Paul Gray, and Monty Oxymoron step back on British soil in November and December 2026 for ‘Final Damnation 50’, playing Brighton, London, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Derby, Birmingham, and Watford. See Notes.
Captain Sensible of The Damned said:
“When as a cash strapped schoolkid, I started buying records in the '60s there were extremely tough choices to be made.. as in 1967 would it be Bee Gees 1st or Hollies "Butterfly?" I didn't have enough cash for the 2 of them..both considered psych pop (my bag!) masterpieces..anyway the Bee Gees won that time round and the record got played to death (literally!) until funds allowed a new album purchase. The Rolling Stones "His Satanic Majesties Request"..an even more trippy affair! Truly the music that grabs you when you are young stays with you forever..and I am aware that the records we make with The Damned can affect the listener powerfully in the same way so a lot of effort and care goes into ensuring the end result stands the test of time..well that's the intent anyway.. let the critics decide. With this in mind I am immensely proud to be a part of National Album Day Icons and whatever weird and wonderful format the music is packaged as in the years to come, I am sure this art form will survive and flourish with new artists contributing their own take in a multitude of variations of rock and roll.”
Events & Activations
Earlier this week, on 12th October, Melanie C joined Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy for an exclusive Classic Album Sundays event held at The British Library to mark National Album Day. An Evening with Melanie C saw the pop icon explore her musical journey through eight albums that have influenced or shaped her career. These included the first album to have an impact on her – Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life; the global phenomenon that was the Spice Girls album Spice, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary; her solo debut LP, Northern Star, which has sold nearly 2.5m copies worldwide; the album by a contemporary artist she thinks will go on to become a classic, Rose Gray’s Louder, Please; and Melanie’s acclaimed 2026 album, Sweat, which she is promoting via a world tour1. At the end of the evening, BPI/ERA for National Album Day presented Melanie with a BRIT-Certified 3X Platinum Disc for Northern Star.
Discussing the continuing appeal, relevance and prospects for the album artform in today’s music ecosystem, DJ and Classic Album Sundays Founder/Presenter, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, and Music Industry commentator Keith Jopling, author of the book Body of Work: How the Album Outplayed the Algorithm and Survived Playlist Culture, are in conversation for the BPI Innovation Podcast. The podcast will be available for broadcast from 15th October across regular channels and can also be heard here.
Retail roundup
Hundreds of retailers and digital music services across the UK, from Amazon, Spotify and YouTube to Rarewaves, HMV, Fopp and independent record shops, will come together to mark National Album Day. From dedicated in-store displays and events to online promotions, curated playlists and social media activity, the retail community will bring this year's celebration of music Icons to life across physical and digital platforms, encouraging fans to discover and revisit the albums and artists that have shaped generations.
Product – album reissues & releases
The list of titles being reissued and released to coincide with National Album Day includes iconic releases and modern classics. Among them are PinkPantheress’ debut mixtape, To Hell With It, which will be reissued on collectible clear vinyl and includes statement track Pain. National Album Champion Max Richter’s new work, While the Flood Rages, though not produced specifically for National Album Day, is released by Decca Records on 16th October. Universal Music Recordings and Island Records with Robbie Williams are reissuing Robbie Williams' third studio album, Sing When You're Winning, as a limited-edition 2LP red/blue vinyl set. Featuring classic singles including Rock DJ, Supreme, Kids (with Kylie Minogue), this will be the first time this iconic album has been reissued on vinyl, as well as its first-ever release on coloured vinyl. As with the original version, the 2LPs will play at 45 RPM.
Other releases include a reissue of George Michael’s timeless classic, Listen Without Prejudice, the 40th Anniversary edition of The Pretenders’ Get Close, Elbow’s acclaimed Asleep In The Back 25th anniversary release (on marble vinyl), Goldie’s 1995 debut Timeless, and Sade’s monumental Lovers Rock album. The Who are marking the 60th anniversary of My Generation (on red vinyl), and Phil Collins is celebrating 30 years of his iconic Dance Into The Light and Suede’s much-loved Coming Up from 1996 will be specially presented in a Zoetrope format. Iconic albums celebrating their 50th anniversaries include Bob Dylan’s renowned album Desire (on Cypress Green marbled vinyl), and Billy Joel’s acclaimed Turnstiles (on Subway Token Gold vinyl). There are also Various Artist compilations released by Trapeze, featuring icons drawn from the world of Blues, Country, Doo Wop, and Rock ‘n’ Roll: Blues Icons: From The Delta To the City; Rock 'n' Roll Icons: A Musical Revolution; Street Corner Icons: The Story Of Doo Wop, and Country Icons: From Hillbilly To Honky Tonk.
Details on all National Album Day releases can be found at www.nationalalbumday.co.uk/2026-releases
About National Album Day
From The Beatles to David Bowie, Oasis to Spice Girls, Jazzie B to Little Simz, and Lola Young to Raye, music icons transcend the charts, genres, and generations; shaping popular culture, inspiring future talent and global audiences, and defining the sound and identity of their era. This year’s theme follows last year’s Rock theme and earlier editions of National Album Day that have, among other themes, focused on the albums of the Nineties, Women in Music, Debut Albums, and Great British Groups.
National Album Day celebrates the “art of the album” and an artform beloved of fans and of artists who share their personal stories through it. Supported by Album Champions and with exclusive product released, the day encourages album discovery and listening, especially among an engaged, younger audience. It also reinforces the enduring importance of the format at the heart of today’s diverse music ecosystem.
National Album Day is organised jointly by UK record labels association, the BPI (BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize), and ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association (Record Store Day). National Album Day sees the music community come together to celebrate and promote the art of the album and will pay tribute to artists who tell their stories behind these significant and influential bodies of work.
This year, National Album Day also welcomes the backing of Official Supporters – Cherry Red Records, DP World, Official Charts, PPL, Proper Music, and Trapeze Music.
This valued commitment comes alongside that of the UK’s record labels, who will release new or reissue classic albums exclusively for the day, the music retail community – in the high street and online, album platforms including Classic Album Sundays, and the wider music industry.