2010s
2015 in British Music
Adele's 25 breaks every record, grime goes mainstream, and streaming is crowned.
The Story of 2015
Grime exploded into the mainstream, and Adele returned. Skepta's 'Konnichiwa' was still in production, but his singles 'That's Not Me' and 'Shutdown' were the sound of grime reasserting itself. Kanye West brought Skepta on stage at the Brit Awards. Grime was suddenly the most exciting music in Britain. Stormzy was building his following with 'Wicked Skengman' freestyles and 'Know Me From'. J Hus was emerging. The scene that had been underground for a decade was finally breaking through. Adele's '25' was released in November, 'Hello' becoming an instant classic and breaking first-week sales records. The album was the year's defining moment, Adele proving that album sales could still be massive in the streaming era. Jamie xx's 'In Colour' was a beautiful dance album. Florence + the Machine's 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' was triumphant. Sam Smith's 'Writing's on the Wall' was the Spectre theme. The British music scene was split between Adele's blockbuster return and grime's urgent rise. Both were essential.
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
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
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