The Beatles have topped the latest poll to find the nation's favourite Number One album.
Their most famous record, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, was yesterday revealed as the public's favourite record to have topped the album charts.
More than 220,000 votes were received by Radio 2 to compile the list, which was arranged to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the official UK album chart.
Aptly, the victory for the album comes on the 40th anniversary of the last public performance by the Fab Four - a live concert in San Francisco.
Dark Side of the Moon, by prog rockers Pink Floyd, won the "best of the rest" list, leading the votes for albums that did not reach number one in the chart - it only reached number two in 1973.Michael Jackson comes second on the overall list with Thriller, followed by U2's record The Joshua Tree, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.
The Beatles' revolutionary 1966 record, Revolver, comes in at number six on the list, followed by Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, the Beatles' last studio album, Abbey Road, and the top 10 is completed by Queen's A Night at the Opera and The Beatle's eponymous 1968 double album, aka the White album.
Simon Mayo, presenter of the run down, said: "It is a very impressive list and no surprise at all that Sgt Pepper is at the top. It revolutionised music and is what we expect from an album. A fine choice indeed."
Misspellings by voters keen to take part in the poll also saw votes go to The Dark Side of the Room (instead of the moon) by Pink Floyd and Achtung Bono (instead of Baby) by U2. Other blunders included fans voting for Codplay (Coldplay) and Oink Floyd (Pink Floyd).
Since the inception of the official albums chart in 1956, there have been 787 number one albums. Darren Haynes, marketing manager of the UK chart, said: "The list of No 1 albums is instantly interesting because it highlights the fact that such classics as Dark Side Of The Moon, Bat Out Of Hell, Ziggy Stardust and Hotel California failed to reach the Number One slot.
"With over 220,000 votes received from the British public, this is the most definitive record of the nation's favourite albums to date." There were only 201 votes between Sgt Pepper at number one and Thriller at number two on the list.
The "best of the rest" list included, at number two, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie, followed by Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, The Wall by Pink Floyd, Hunky Dory by Bowie, The Bends by Radiohead and Nevermind by Nirvana.
The BBC Radio 2 Music Club Top 100 Albums list in full:
1 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Beatles
2 Thriller – Michael Jackson
3 The Joshua Tree – U2
4 Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
5 Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
6 Revolver – Beatles
7 Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
8 Abbey Road – Beatles
9 A Night At The Opera – Queen
10 The Beatles (The White Album) – Beatles
11 Rubber Soul – Beatles
12 Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits
13 (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis
14 Automatic For The People – REM
15 Led Zeppelin IV (Four Symbols) – Led Zeppelin
16 Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette
17 Parallel Lines – Blondie
18 Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield
19 Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin
20 Band On The Run – Paul McCartney & Wings
21 Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush
22 Definitely Maybe – Oasis
23 Graceland – Paul Simon
24 Ray Of Light – Madonna
25 Who’s Next – Who
26 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
27 OK Computer – Radiohead
28 Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols – Sex Pistols
29 Aladdin Sane – David Bowie
30 Out Of Time – REM
31 A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay
32 Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters
33 X & Y – Coldplay
34 Born In The USA – Bruce Springsteen
35 Like A Prayer – Madonna
36 A Hard Day’s Night – Beatles
37 Confessions On A Dancefloor – Madonna
38 Parachutes – Coldplay
39 Harvest – Neil Young
40 Bad – Michael Jackson
41 American Idiot – Green Day
42 A Kind Of Magic – Queen
43 Faith – George Michael
44 Fever – Kylie Minogue
45 Back In Black – AC/DC
46 Let It Be – Beatles
47 Like A Virgin – Madonna
48 The Unforgettable Fire – U2
49 Imagine – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band With The Flux Fiddlers
50 Help! – Beatles
51 Arrival – Abba
52 Led Zeppelin 3 – Led Zeppelin
53 Urban Hymns – Verve
54 Spice – Spice Girls
55 Sing When You’re Winning – Robbie Williams
56 Let’s Dance – David Bowie
57 Hopes And Fears – Keane
58 Diamond Dogs – David Bowie
59 Escapology – Robbie Williams
60 Parklife – Blur
61 Rattle And Hum – U2
62 Hot Fuss – The Killers
63 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb – U2
64 True Blue – Madonna
65 Sticky Fingers – Rolling Stones
66 Music – Madonna
67 A Day At The Races – Queen
=68 War – U2
=68 Life Thru A Lens – Robbie Williams
70 No Angel – Dido
71 Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
72 Swing When You’re Winning – Robbie Williams
=73 Super Trouper – Abba
=73 Let It Bleed – Rolling Stones
75 All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
76 Spiceworld – Spice Girls
77 Dare! – Human League
78 Different Class – Pulp
79 Please Please Me – Beatles
80 Back To Bedlam – James Blunt
81 So – Peter Gabriel
82 All That You Can’t Leave Behind – U2
83 Diva – Annie Lennox
84 Paranoid – Black Sabbath
85 The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan
86 Songs About Jane – Maroon 5
87 By The Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers
=88 The Division Bell – Pink Floyd
=88 Scary Monsters And Super Creeps – David Bowie
90 Play – Moby
91 Listen Without Prejudice Volume 1 – George Michael
92 Dangerous – Michael Jackson
93 Voulez-Vous – Abba
94 Innuendo – Queen
95 Demon Days – Gorillaz
96 Love Over Gold – Dire Straits
=97 The Album – Abba
=97 Come On Over – Shania Twain
99 I’ve Been Expecting You – Robbie Williams
100 Welcome To The Pleasuredome – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
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