The Oscar-winning score to blockbuster film Titanic has topped a list of the best selling classical albums from the past 25 years.
The soundtrack to the film, composed by James Horner, sold more than one million copies in the UK and has come number one on the Ultimate Classic FM Chart, the biggest countdown of classical music album sales.
It beat Russell Watson’s albums The Voice and Encore, which came in second and third place respectively.
Sarah Horner, the widow of the composer who was killed in a plane crash in 2015, told the radio station: “He [James] was a very individualistic thinker, so I don’t know if he would feel like that was his best work.
“Certainly, the public loved it, but what I would say is – and I think this is true for all the composers I know – is that their relationship with the audience was where they felt most emotionally connected in the world and was probably where they could honestly feel loved.
“Touching the inner world of the audience was what most composers wish to do, and when he was successful at doing that, I think James felt like he had fulfilled his destiny.”
The album was one of 26 film soundtracks on the list.
Mezzo-Soprano Katherine Jenkins has been named the number one classical music artist of the past 25 years, selling more than 2.7 million albums on the Classic FM chart.
Her record Second Nature was the most popular classical album released in 2004, while Living A Dream was the most popular of 2005.
Both feature in the top 10, while another seven of her albums are on the list of the top 300 records released since September 7 1992 – which has been compiled by the Official Charts Company to mark the radio station’s 25th birthday next month.
Jenkins said: “I was 12 when Classic FM was launched and I feel like we have grown up together. I listened as a child, so it was a huge moment for me when they first played my song on the radio – and when they announced my first number one, I remember bursting into tears!
“With so many friends and colleagues on the list, to be named the number one artist over Classic FM’s 25 years is something I will treasure always. I hope you can hear the cheering all the way from Neath!”
Watson is the most popular male artist, with 2.5 million albums sales in the chart and Andre Rieu is the biggest international classical artist, with 2.3 million album sales.
Seven of the top 20 albums are by singers and composers from Wales, while six of the top 20 best-selling artists are Welsh.
Jenkins is joined on the list by Charlotte Church, the Fron Male Voice Choir, Bryn Terfel, Aled Jones and Sir Karl Jenkins.
Howard Shore, who wrote the score to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is the best-selling living composer – while John Williams, who composed the music for Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter is third.
The Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi came second on the list.
Music from the top 300 albums in the Ultimate Classic FM Chart were played on-air between August 26 and 28 and the full list is published at ClassicFM.com.
The Ultimate Classic FM Chart – Top 20 best selling albums
1. Titanic – James Horner
2. The Voice – Russell Watson
3. Encore – Russell Watson
4. Pure – Hayley Westenra
5. Voice of an Angel – Charlotte Church
6. Living a Dream – Katherine Jenkins
7. Second Nature – Katherine Jenkins
8. Voices of the Valley – Fron Male Voice Choir
9. Moonlight Serenade – André Rieu
10. The Priests – The Priests
11. Serenade – Katherine Jenkins
12. Bryn – Bryn Terfel
13. Forever Vienna – André Rieu
14. Sentimento – Andrea Bocelli
15. The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 – The Three Tenors
16. The Classical Chillout Album – Various Artists
17. Charlotte Church – Charlotte Church
18. Sacred Arias – Andrea Bocelli
19. Viaggio Italiano – Andrea Bocelli
20. The Number One Classical Album 2004 Various Artists
The Ultimate Classic FM Chart – Top 20 selling artists (after Various Artists)
1. Katherine Jenkins
2. Russell Watson
3. André Rieu
4. Andrea Bocelli
5. James Horner
6. Charlotte Church
7. Hayley Westenra
8. Fron Male Voice Choir
9. The Three Tenors
10. Bryn Terfel
11. Aled Jones
12. Lesley Garrett
13. Howard Shore
14. The Priests
15. Ludovico Einaudi
16. John Williams
17. Sir Karl Jenkins
18. Luciano Pavarotti
19. Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard
20. Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe