Laura Marling has reignited Brit’s love of folk music with the release of her third album A Creature I Don’t Know.
According to figures compiled by the Official Charts Company for the BPI, folk music has had its largest share of total UK album sales for a century.
While the genre still only accounts for 1.6 per cent of album sales, interest in the rising star has led to a 20 per cent year-on-year boost.
Marling has been nominated for a Brit Award this year in the British Female Solo Artist category, which she won in 2011.
She has two other albums, Alas I Cannot Swim, which was released in 2008 and I Speak Because I Can.
However, she recently told the Guardian that she might release a punk album next, as the genre is her “first love” and her “current love”, although she added that it would most likely not be under her own name.
Other folk artists helping to boost interest in the genre include Bellowhead and Gillian Welch.
Last year was one for turning tables, with Hugh Laurie’s debut Let Them Talk and the rising popularity of Seasick Steve, boosting blues sales share from 0.6 per cent to 0.9 per cent.
Michael Buble’s two most recent albums Christmas and Crazy Love, meanwhile, increased the market share of easy listening music to 7.9 per cent.
The Military Wives and Gareth Malone’s Wherever You Are, which became the first ever classical track to top the Official Singles Chart, helped to drive up classical music sales. The single was also the first recipient of the Official Singles Chart Number 1 Award to mark the 60th anniversary of the chart.
Figures also revealed that it was the first time in seven years that the pop genre overtook rock in album sales. Pop accounted for just over one-third of total album sales, while rock fell to a 29.4 per cent share. In 2004, rock accounted for 41.5 per cent of album sales.
According to figures compiled by the Official Charts Company for the BPI, folk music has had its largest share of total UK album sales for a century.
While the genre still only accounts for 1.6 per cent of album sales, interest in the rising star has led to a 20 per cent year-on-year boost.
Marling has been nominated for a Brit Award this year in the British Female Solo Artist category, which she won in 2011.
She has two other albums, Alas I Cannot Swim, which was released in 2008 and I Speak Because I Can.
However, she recently told the Guardian that she might release a punk album next, as the genre is her “first love” and her “current love”, although she added that it would most likely not be under her own name.
Other folk artists helping to boost interest in the genre include Bellowhead and Gillian Welch.
Last year was one for turning tables, with Hugh Laurie’s debut Let Them Talk and the rising popularity of Seasick Steve, boosting blues sales share from 0.6 per cent to 0.9 per cent.
Michael Buble’s two most recent albums Christmas and Crazy Love, meanwhile, increased the market share of easy listening music to 7.9 per cent.
The Military Wives and Gareth Malone’s Wherever You Are, which became the first ever classical track to top the Official Singles Chart, helped to drive up classical music sales. The single was also the first recipient of the Official Singles Chart Number 1 Award to mark the 60th anniversary of the chart.
Figures also revealed that it was the first time in seven years that the pop genre overtook rock in album sales. Pop accounted for just over one-third of total album sales, while rock fell to a 29.4 per cent share. In 2004, rock accounted for 41.5 per cent of album sales.