The best-selling album in 2022 in France is Civilization from OrelSan, while another rapper, Jul, is the most listened to artist, with seven solo records in the official Top 200 unveiled on Friday.
Civilization, released in November 2021, totals 406,837 sales in 2022, combining physical copies – CDs, vinyls -, downloads and listening on streaming platforms, according to figures from the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (Snep). This album was already at the top of sales for the year 2021. “It is not systematic for an artist to stay in the lead two years in a row, it is a reference”, comments Alexandre Lasch, general manager of Snep. We have to go back to Stromae (2013 and 2014 for Square root) and Adele (2011 and 2012 with 21) to find such performance.
On average two albums per year
But, with seven solo albums in the Top 200, the prolific Jul has 582,635 cumulative sales (not counting collective albums 13’Organized and The Classico organized which he initiated). He too is accustomed to the fact (549,000 cumulative sales for his eight albums in the Top 200 in 2021).
The 32-year-old Marseillais offers an average of two albums a year: Jul thus maintains a constant stream of listening on platforms between new and old records (none more than three years old is counted by Snep). To speak only of one album, the big winner will therefore have been OrelSan, 40 years old. The Norman rapper reigns on a podium completed by the Ile-de-France Ninho (283,242 sales for Jeff) and the Belgian Stromae (242,224 for Multitude).
“It’s a real source of pride”
The modern rap/r’n’b/pop ticket still dominates the Top 10, with Clara Luciani as the only variety intruder (10th, 156,531 sales for Heart). The first non-French-speaking artist, the Briton Ed Sheeran, is only in 13th position. “In the Top 10, there is 100% French production – we have two Belgian artists, Stromae and Angèle, but who are produced in France – it is a real reason for pride”, underlines Alexandre Lasch.
And to conclude: “I am not saying that to denigrate the cinema but it challenged me to see a Top 10 of the French box office with 100% foreign films. And, for music in France, we have 77% of the best sales in 2022 in the Top 200 which are French productions. Last year it was around 80%. It’s constant and it’s been apparent since the rise of streaming. »