'1989', 'Uptown Funk' Top Charts Midway 2015

Nielsen Music’s 2015 mid-year music charts confirm what many already knew: Taylor Swift’s “1989” is the top-selling album of 2015 so far, and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk!” is the top-selling digital single.

Variety reports “1989” moved 2.01 million units between Dec. 29, 2014, and June 28, 2015, making it the most popular album of the first half of 2015. Behind Swift is Drake’s “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late,” which moved more than 1.43 million units in the same time frame. Close behind Drake is Swift’s buddy Ed Sheeran, whose “X” moved just under 1.43 million units.

Swift’s dominance should come as no surprise. Since “1989” dropped last winter, it has scarcely left the weekly top 5 album sales rankings. Singles “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Style” and “Bad Blood” have all been inescapable on the airwaves, thanks to a tempered rollout and blockbuster music videos to accompany each song.


Over in digital singles, though, none of Swift’s tracks cracked the top 10. Instead, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ ultra-catchy “Uptown Funk!” claimed the top spot, with 4.89 million downloads. Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” came in second place with 3.45 million downloads, and Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” (from “Furious 7″) finished at No. 3 with 3.07 million downloads so far this year.