Shaggy's single is UK's best-seller

Shaggy: A success on both sides of the Atlantic

Shaggy's It Wasn't Me was the UK's best-selling single of 2001 - beating even Hear'Say's smash Pure And Simple.

The Shaggy single, recorded with Rayvon, sold 1.15 million copies according to record retailer HMV.

UK singles, 2001

1. Shaggy ft. Rayvon - It Wasn't Me

2. Hear'Say - Pure And Simple

3. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head

4. Atomic Kitten - Whole Again

5. Westlife - Uptown Girl

6. DJ Otzi - Hey Baby

7. S Club 7 - Don't Stop Movin'

8. Shaggy - Angel

9.Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

10. Afroman - Because I Got High

The Hear'Say single sold 1.07 million copies, with Kylie Minogue following at number three with Can't Get You Out Of My Head (900,000 copies).

Recently Shaggy was confirmed as the biggest-selling album artist in the US, having sold 5.5 million copies of his CD Hot Shot.

But his album came number six in the UK chart for 2001 - which was headed by Dido, whose No Angel sold 1.9 million.

'Mass appeal'

Robbie Williams' Swing When You're Winning came two in the album chart, selling 1.3 million in a matter of weeks.

Dido has capitalised on Eminem's success

David Gray's White Ladder was third with one million sales.

A spokesman for chart compilers CIN told BBC News Online that, though Eminem's use of a Dido sample in his single Stan had helped expose the artist to a wider audience, her album had built on "mass appeal".

And he predicted Robbie Williams' album - a tribute to 1950s crooners like Frank Sinatra - would continue to sell strongly.

'Boost'

"It has appealed to Robbie's core audience - but it's crossed over to people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

UK albums, 2001

1. Dido - No Angel

2. Robbie Williams - Swing When You're Winning

3. David Gray - White Ladder

4.Travis - The Invisible Band

5. Eva Cassidy - Songbird

6. Shaggy - Hotshot

7. Gabrielle - Dreams Can Come True

8. Destiny's Child - Survivor

9. Stereophonics - Just Enough Education To Perform

10. Steps: Gold

"It also has a really good 50s-style production, and the Royal Albert Hall show gave it a huge boost," said the spokesman.

Russell Watson's Encore was the highest-selling classical album, said HMV.

The retail chain also reported that Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace was the year's biggest-selling DVD, with Bridget Jones's Diary the biggest selling video for the year.