Hallelujah takes glory as year's biggest single

TWO British female singers who were unknowns last Christmas have become the biggest sellers of the year.

X Factor winner Alexandra Burke registered a last-minute surge of sales for her cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah to secure the title of biggest selling single of 2008.

It sold 311,000 copies last week to make a total of 880,000, including downloads. Meanwhile, Duffy's debut Rockferry was comfortably the biggest-selling album of the year, according to the Official Charts Company's full-year charts. It sold 1.685 million copies and stayed on top of the pile despite a last-ditch challenge from Take That with The Circus.

The Circus, however, was the second fastest million-seller in history, taking only 19 days.

Martin Talbot, the Official Charts Company's managing director, said: "Duffy and Alexandra Burke have been the biggest new arrivals on the British music scene over the past year.

"The biggest selling singles and albums of the year also show that talent, both new and old, can make an impact, if the music is right."

Other new acts, including Leona Lewis, Sam Sparro and Scouting For Girls, had done well, he said.

Kings of Leon also had a good year. "Although Kings of Leon have been building for several years, they truly broke through in 2008, showing their popularity alongside established hands such as Take That, Coldplay, Pink and Killers," Mr Talbot said.

The soundtrack to the movie Mamma Mia! was the biggest selling compilation.