# List of UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart number ones of 2012

The UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart is a record chart which ranks the best-selling rock and heavy metal albums in the United Kingdom. Compiled and published by the Official Charts Company, the data is based on each album's weekly physical sales, digital downloads and streams. In 2012, there were 32 albums that topped the 52 published charts. The first number-one album of the year was Wasting Light, the seventh studio album by Foo Fighters, which was released the previous year. The first new number-one album of the year was A Flash Flood of Colour, the third studio album by Enter Shikari. The final number-one album of the year was Led Zeppelin's live album Celebration Day, which reached number one for the week ending 1 December and remained there for five consecutive weeks until the end of the year.
The most successful album on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart in 2012 was Led Zeppelin's Celebration Day, which spent the last five weeks of the year at number one. Muse's sixth studio album The 2nd Law spent four weeks at number one and was the best-selling rock and metal album of the year, ranking 32nd in the UK End of Year Albums Chart. Linkin Park's fifth studio album Living Things also spent four weeks at number one in 2012, while three albums – Wasting Light and Greatest Hits by Foo Fighters, and The Gaslight Anthem's fourth studio album Handwritten – were number one for three weeks in 2012. An additional four albums – A Different Kind of Truth by Van Halen, Weapons by Lostprophets, Born Villain by Marilyn Manson and Rize of the Fenix by Tenacious D – each spent two weeks at number one in 2012.

## Chart history

Key :
| † | Indicates best-selling rock album of 2012 |
| Issue date | Album | Artist(s) | Record label(s) |
| 7 January | Wasting Light | Foo Fighters | RCA |
| 14 January | Greatest Hits | Foo Fighters | RCA |
| 21 January | Wasting Light | Foo Fighters | RCA |
| 28 January | A Flash Flood of Colour | Enter Shikari | Ambush Reality |
| 4 February | Resolution | Lamb of God | Roadrunner |
| 11 February | Beyond Magnetic | Metallica | Vertigo |
| 18 February | A Different Kind of Truth | Van Halen | Interscope |
| 25 February | A Different Kind of Truth | Van Halen | Interscope |
| 3 March | Wasting Light | Foo Fighters | RCA |
| 10 March | Seven Deadly | UFO | Steamhammer |
| 17 March | Ex Lives | Every Time I Die | Epitaph |
| 24 March | Enslaved | Soulfly | Roadrunner |
| 31 March | Sinners Never Sleep | You Me at Six | Virgin |
| 7 April | Amaryllis | Shinedown | Roadrunner |
| 14 April | Weapons | Lostprophets | Epic |
| 21 April | Weapons | Lostprophets | Epic |
| 28 April | The Power Within | DragonForce | Electric Generation |
| 5 May | Free | Twin Atlantic | Red Bull |
| 12 May | Born Villain | Marilyn Manson | Cooking Vinyl |
| 19 May | Born Villain | Marilyn Manson | Cooking Vinyl |
| 26 May | Rize of the Fenix | Tenacious D | Columbia |
| 2 June | Choice of Weapon | The Cult | Cooking Vinyl |
| 9 June | Daybreaker | Architects | Century Media |
| 16 June | Rize of the Fenix | Tenacious D | Columbia |
| 23 June | Iron Man: The Best of Black Sabbath | Black Sabbath | Universal |
| 30 June | Apocalyptic Love | Slash Myles Kennedy The Conspirators | Roadrunner |
| 7 July | Living Things | Linkin Park | Warner Bros. |
| 14 July | Living Things | Linkin Park | Warner Bros. |
| 21 July | Living Things | Linkin Park | Warner Bros. |
| 28 July | Living Things | Linkin Park | Warner Bros. |
| 4 August | Handwritten | The Gaslight Anthem | Mercury |
| 11 August | Handwritten | The Gaslight Anthem | Mercury |
| 18 August | Handwritten | The Gaslight Anthem | Mercury |
| 25 August | Priorities | Don Broco | Search and Destroy |
| 1 September | Hot Cakes | The Darkness | PIAS |
| 8 September | Greatest Hits | Foo Fighters | RCA |
| 15 September | Greatest Hits | Foo Fighters | RCA |
| 22 September | Dead Silence | Billy Talent | Atlantic |
| 29 September | Head Down | Rival Sons | Earache |
| 6 October | ¡Uno! | Green Day | Reprise |
| 13 October | The 2nd Law † | Muse | Helium 3/Warner Bros. |
| 20 October | The 2nd Law † | Muse | Helium 3/Warner Bros. |
| 27 October | The 2nd Law † | Muse | Helium 3/Warner Bros. |
| 3 November | House of Gold & Bones – Part 1 | Stone Sour | Roadrunner |
| 10 November | The 2nd Law † | Muse | Helium 3/Warner Bros. |
| 17 November | Music from Another Dimension! | Aerosmith | Columbia |
| 24 November | ¡Dos! | Green Day | Reprise |
| 1 December | Celebration Day | Led Zeppelin | Atlantic/Rhino/Swan Song |
| 8 December | Celebration Day | Led Zeppelin | Atlantic/Rhino/Swan Song |
| 15 December | Celebration Day | Led Zeppelin | Atlantic/Rhino/Swan Song |
| 22 December | Celebration Day | Led Zeppelin | Atlantic/Rhino/Swan Song |
| 29 December | Celebration Day | Led Zeppelin | Atlantic/Rhino/Swan Song |