Musician Ed Sheeran secures ninth chart-topping album as Play emerges as the leading release in a week filled with new music debuts
Ed Sheeran Breaks UK Solo Artist Record with 51 Weeks at No.1
Ed Sheeran has made history as the first British solo artist to spend 51 weeks at the top of the UK albums chart. His latest album, Play, has now reached the number one position, adding to his impressive run.
Sheeran's album Play has earned him his ninth consecutive chart-topper, a feat that few artists can claim. The opening week sales for Play are significantly higher than those of his previous album, Autumn Variations, released in 2023.
Interestingly, the success of Play was not boosted by a tour bundling pre-order mechanic, a strategy often used to inflate week one sales. Instead, the album's strong performance is a testament to its appeal to fans.
The album has also earned Sheeran his second chart-topper of the year, following the success of his other 2023 release, (Substract). Two of Sheeran's songs, Sapphire and A Little More, have also climbed the UK singles chart, reaching No.28 and No.32 respectively.
Sheeran's song Camera has debuted at No.16 on the UK singles chart, further solidifying his position as a dominant force in the music industry.
Play has the third highest weekly total of albums released in 2025, behind Sam Fender's People Watching and Sabrina Carpenter's Man's Best Friend.
Sheeran's achievement places him in elite company, as only The Beatles (176 weeks), Elvis Presley (66 weeks), and ABBA (58 weeks) have spent longer at the top of the UK albums chart than Sheeran. He has also been equaled in the number of UK number-one albums by The Beatles, with both artists having achieved six number-one albums each in the UK.
Sheeran has also matched Bob Dylan, Take That, and Stereophonics on the list of artists with the most UK No.1 albums ever.
Harry Hall has photographed Sheeran for an article, capturing the singer-songwriter in his element.
Meanwhile, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's album, Perimenopop, has debuted at number five on the UK charts, while Jade's album, That's Showbiz Baby!, has debuted at number three, with the biggest opening for a debut album so far in 2025. Twenty One Pilots' album, Breach, has debuted at number four.
With his latest album's success, Ed Sheeran continues to solidify his status as one of the UK's most successful musicians of all time.
