Y
2015

2015 in British Music

Adele's 25 breaks every record, grime goes mainstream, and streaming is crowned.

Key Events

  • Adele's 25 sells 3.38 million copies in the US in one week — breaks the SoundScan era
  • Skepta's 'Shutdown' and Stormzy's 'Shut Up' take grime to the charts
  • Streaming officially becomes the music industry's largest revenue source

Dominant Genres

PopGrimeElectronicIndie

Notable Trends

  • Streaming becomes the primary way Brits consume music
  • Grime's mainstream breakthrough is complete
  • The album as event is still possible — if you're Adele

Key Artists of 2015

201420152016