Experts and Customers Select the Best in Books, Music, DVDs, Videos, Computer Games and Software

2000 was the year online retailing moved into the mainstream, and to mark the explosion in shopping via the web Amazon.co.uk, Europe's leading online retailer, has released its first ever "Best Of" lists.

The Critics Choice: Best of 2000 lists were compiled from the vote of Amazon.co.uk's expert editorial staff, while The People's Choice: Best of 2000 reveals the last 12 months' best selling books, albums, DVDs, videos, computer games and software.

"This is the first year that we've compiled the Best Of's" says Amazon.co.uk Managing Director Steve Frazier "and they're set to become an eagerly awaited annual tradition. All of the lists are on site, so it's a great and instant way to compare popular success with critical acclaim. Online shoppers can see how their own personal preferences match up with the opinion of the experts. And with Christmas now imminent, if you're looking for a trusted recommendation for any book, film, music title, computer game or software package then there's no better source of reference."

The lists also reflect consumer trends and purchasing patterns over the last twelve months, notably:

 

Books - it's Harry's magic wand versus Jamie's magic touch. Master Potter and Mr Oliver battle it out for top billing, sharing the top six slots between them and proving that the current consumer trend for wizardry on the pages and wizardry in the kitchen shows no sign of abating.

Videos - The Star Wars phenomenon too looks set to continue as The Phantom Menace blasts in at number one and the Star Wars Trilogy takes seventh place. Another 2000 phenomenon, Ali G, scored a big hit with Innit at number six.

DVDs - a combination of recent releases and all time classics dominate DVD sales, good news for the thousands of film buffs predicted to swell DVD ownership this Christmas. Russell Crowe seizes the laurels with Gladiator at number one, while the British contingent takes sixth, courtesy of Nick Park's Chicken Run.

Music - only released on November 13th, The Beatles 1 is already Amazon.co.uk's biggest music seller, outstripping nearest rival Moby almost two to one. Robbie Williams continues his unstoppable romp into the record books at three with Sing When You're Winning, while Queen of Pop Madonna does it for the girls - Music is the UK's eighth bestseller. Only Madonna and Radiohead make it on to both the Critics Choice and the People's Choice.

Software - no surprise that Microsoft continues to dominate the Software market with Windows Me Millennium Edition Upgrade from Windows 98 taking the number one slot. Microsoft's reference package Encarta also scooped a creditable fifth position. But leisure oriented software performed strongly in 2000 too - Oz Clarke's Wine Guide 2001 was the third most popular package for tipplers everywhere, while pre-school favourites the Tweenies were a big hit with the kids in seventh place.

PC & Video Games - Who Wants to Be A Millionaire storms into first and third place - for PC and Playstation. There is an increasing trend for something more `cerebral' than straightforward action games; Escape From Monkey Island and The Sims: Livin' It Up take numbers five and eight in the top ten, reflecting a growing demand for strategy based games that require brains instead of brute force. AND THE WINNERS ARE...

The Top Ten Most Critically Acclaimed Books of 2000...

• Funky Business - Jonas Ridderstrale & Kjell Nordstrom
• No Logo - Naomi Klein
• Elizabeth - David Starkey
• English Passengers - Matthew Kneale
• Fred and Edie - Jill Dawson
• Hitler 1936-1945: Nemesis - Ian Kershaw
• Set in Darkness - Ian Rankin
• Easter - Michael Arditti
• The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
• When We Were Orphans - Kazuo Ishiguro

The Top Ten Best Selling Books of 2000...

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J K Rowling
• The Return of the Naked Chef - Jamie Oliver
• The Naked Chef - Jamie Oliver
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J K Rowling
• Delia's How to Cook Book 2 - Delia Smith
• The Beatles Anthology - The Beatles
• Down Under - Bill Bryson
• The Internet: The Rough Guide 2000 - Angus J Kennedy

The Top Ten Most Critically Acclaimed Videos of 2000...

• Fight Club
• The Iron Giant
• Magnolia
• Toy Story 2
• The Soprano's - Series 1
• The Thin Red Line
• X Files - Season 7
• American Beauty
• Existenz
• The Sweeney, Volume 1 - Bank Raids

The Top Ten Best Selling Videos of 2000...

• Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace
• Gladiator
• Toy Story 2
• Billy Blanks Tae Bo: The Future of Fitness
• American Pie (unseen version)
• Ali G, Innit
• Star Wars Trilogy
• Chicken Run
• Mission: Impossible 2
• Transformers - The Movie

The Top Ten Most Critically Acclaimed DVD films of 2000...

• Fight Club
• Vertigo
• This is Spinal Tap
• Toy Story & Toy Story 2 (Three Disc Collector's Edition)
• Raging Bull (Two Disc 20th Anniversary Edition)
• Magnolia (Two Disc Set)
• The Insider
• Being John Malkovich
• Alien
• The Thin Red Line

The Top Ten Best Selling DVD films of 2000...

• Gladiator
• The Matrix
• Chicken Run
• Mission: Impossible 2
• The World Is Not Enough
• The Sixth Sense
• Toy Story and Toy Story 2
• Fight Club - Two Disc Set
• Men in Black (Special Limited 2 Disc Edition)
• Blade Runner

The Top Ten Most Critically Acclaimed Albums of 2000...

• Kid A - Radiohead
• The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem
• Primal Scream - Xtrmntr
• Jill Scott - Who is Jill Scott?
• Badly Drawn Boy - Hour of Bewilderbeast
• Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
• PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, from the Sea
• Madonna - Music
• Johnny Cash - America III
• Mum - Yesterday was dramatic today is ok

The Top Ten Best Selling Albums of 2000...

• 1- The Beatles
• Play - Moby
• Sing When You're Winning - Robbie Williams
• Parachutes - Coldplay
• White Ladder - David Gray
• Supernatural - Santana
• All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2
• Music - Madonna
• In Blue - The Corrs
• Kid A - Radiohead

The Top Ten Most Critically Acclaimed PC & Video Games of 2000...

• Vitua Tennis - Dreamcast
• Hitman: Codename 47 - Windows
• The Sims - Windows
• Donkey Kong Country - Gameboy Colour
• Metal Gear Solid - Playstation
• Crazy Taxi - Dreamcast
• Spider-Man - Playstation
• M-SR - Dreamcast
• Escape From Monkey Island - Windows
• Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition - Gameboy Colour

The Top Ten Best Selling PC & Video Games of 2000...

• Who Wants to Be A Millionaire - Windows
• WWF Smackdown 2 - Playstation
• Who Wants to Be A Millionaire - Playstation
• Championship Manager 00/01 - Windows
• Escape From Monkey Island - Windows
• Grand Prix 3 - Windows
• Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 - Windows
• The Sims: Livin' It Up - Windows
• The Sims - Windows
• Baldur's Gate 2 - Windows

The Top Ten Most Critically Acclaimed Software packages of 2000...

• Encyclopedia Britannica Deluxe 2001
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
• Oxford Pop-Up English Language Reference Shelf
• SuSE Linux 7.0 Professional
• Photoshop 6.0 Win
• Lonely Planet CitySync For Handhelds & PDAs
• The Little Prince
• Money 2001 Financial Suite
• Web Page Construction Kit version 6.0 Deluxe
• Generations 8 UK Grande Suite

The Top Ten Best Selling Software packages of 2000...

• Windows Me Millennium Edition Upgrade from Windows 98
• Autoroute 2001 Great Britain & Europe
• Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 9
• Oz Clarke's Wine Guide 2001
• Encarta Reference Suite 2001
• Microsoft Office 2000 Premium Student Licence
• Tweenies
• Norton AntiVirus 2001
• Norton Personal Firewall
• Jasc Paint Shop Pro Version 7

For more information about Amazon.co.uk's Best of 2000, or to view the lists in their entirety visit each store's home page at www.amazon.co.uk

For further information contact:

Anna Carter
The RED Consultancy
T: 020 7465 7751
E:annac@redconsultancy.com

Andy Stafford
Amazon.co.uk
T: 020 8636 9572
E:astaff@amazon.co.uk

 

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For further information please contact the Amazon.co.uk press office on 0208 636 9280

About Amazon.co.uk
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