Robbie Williams's Success and Achievements in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: October 17, 2025

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Robbie Williams.

Robbie Williams is an English singer-songwriter who rose to fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995 before embarking on a highly successful solo career in 1996. His debut album, *Life thru a Lens* (1997), featured the hit single "Angels." Williams achieved further success with albums like *I've Been Expecting You*, featuring number-one singles "Millennium" and "She's the One." He has seven UK No. 1 singles and multiple chart-topping albums, with six of his albums among the UK's best-selling. In 2006, he set a Guinness World Record for selling 1.6 million concert tickets in a single day.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2000: Topped the 2000-2010 UK airplay chart

From 2000 to 2010, Robbie Williams topped the UK airplay chart, solidifying his popularity during that decade.

2000: "Rock DJ" Released

In 2000, Robbie Williams released "Rock DJ" which became an instant hit despite controversy over its music video. It won several awards, including "Best Song of 2000" at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

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2002: Release of "Feel" and Escapology

In late 2002, Robbie Williams released "Feel" as the first single from his fifth album, Escapology. "Feel" became an international hit, and Escapology reached number one in numerous countries. The demo version of "Feel", co-written with Guy Chambers, was used as the single after Robbie was dissatisfied with re-recording the vocals.

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August 2003: Knebworth concerts

From 1–3 August 2003, Robbie Williams performed three consecutive concerts at Knebworth, drawing 125,000 people each night. This was the biggest event in UK music history. He performed "Come Undone" and interacted with the audience.

October 2004: Release of Greatest Hits and "Radio"

In October 2004, Robbie Williams released Greatest Hits, a retrospective album containing new tracks with Stephen Duffy. The first single, "Radio", debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart. The compilation was the best-selling album of the year in the UK and Europe.

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2004: Inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame

In 2004, Robbie Williams was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, recognized as the Greatest Artist of the 1990s.

November 2005: MTV Europe Music Award and Guinness World Record

In November 2005, Robbie Williams won the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male'. He also entered The Guinness Book of World Records for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day for his 2006 World Tour.

2005: "Angels" voted best single

In 2005, eight years after its release, Robbie Williams' song "Angels" was voted as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the Brit Awards.

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April 2006: Close Encounters World Tour begins

In April 2006, Robbie Williams kicked off his Close Encounters World Tour in South Africa. By the end of the European leg, 2.5 million people had attended the show, with the total reaching 3 million after touring Latin America and Australia.

2006: Guinness World Record

In 2006, Robbie Williams earned a Guinness World Record for selling 1.6 million tickets in a single day during his "Close Encounters Tour".

2010: Topped the 2000-2010 UK airplay chart

From 2000 to 2010, Robbie Williams topped the UK airplay chart, solidifying his popularity during that decade.

September 2012: Release of "Candy"

In September 2012, Robbie Williams' single "Candy" premiered on 10 September and was released on 11 September in most countries and 29 October in the UK. It became his first number one single since "Radio" (2004) and his seventh solo number one single, selling 137,000 copies in its first week.

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2014: Awarded Freedom of Stoke-on-Trent

In 2014, Robbie Williams was awarded the freedom of his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent, and a tourist trail was created in his honor.

December 2019: Release of The Christmas Present and "Hey Tiger"

In December 2019, Robbie Williams released his first Christmas album, The Christmas Present, featuring various guest appearances. It debuted at number two on the UK Charts but later reached number one. He also released the promotional single "Hey Tiger" for The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

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