The overall market might have been buoyant, but 2016 was as tough a year as anyone can remember when it came to breaking new talent.

There were only five 2016 debut albums in the year’s Top 100 sellers, down from seven in 2015. And even that figure is only reached by including Together by Michael Ball & Alfie Boe (a new partnership between two established solo acts), Christine & The Queens’ Chaleur Humaine (which came out in France in 2014 ...