Ed Sheeran Claims Chart Double In Final Week Of 2021
Ed Sheeran has regained the top spot in both the UK albums and singles charts with = (Equals) and Merry Christmas (with Elton John) both reclaiming the No 1 position. Ed’s fourth album earns its second total week at No 1, having stayed at No 2 for the past three weeks.
At the time of its release, Equals became the UK’s fastest-selling album of the year, although it was overtaken just a few weeks later by Adele’s 30 – which finishes this week at No 2 with fewer than 500 chart sales between the two releases.
Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran also reclaims the UK’s No 1 single with his Elton John collaboration Merry Christmas, after being nudged to No 2 by its pastry-themed reworking – Sausage Rolls For Everyone by LadBaby, which falls from No 1 to No 29 this week.
Michael Buble rises one place in the albums chart to No 3 this week with Christmas, its highest peak of the year. Also rising this week are Little Mix, jumping up four places with their greatest hits collection, Between Us at No 5.
This week sees several albums rising back into the Top 10; Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour is up 10 to No 6, D-Block Europe’s Home Alone 2 is at to No 7, Queen’s Greatest Hits is up 6 places to No 8, and Elton John’s Diamonds best-of is up 20 places to No 9.
Outside of the Top 10, several more chart mainstays have also experienced a surge in the Christmas holidays – these include Ed Sheeran’s Divide (11), ABBA’s Gold (12) and Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years – Don’t Stop (15).
Further down, Greatest hits compilations 1 by The Beatles (30) and Twenty Five by the late George Michael (32) also enjoy major uplifts this week, with the latter collection re-entering following the fifth anniversary of the much-loved singer’s death.
Christmas spirit is of course alive and well on the Official Albums Chart: Frank Sinatra’s Ultimate Christmas is this week’s biggest climber, flying up a massive 64 places to No 33, a new peak. Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey is breaking back into the Top 40 with Merry Christmas rising 25 to No 34, and finally, Bing Crosby’s Christmas Classics is up 54 places to No 36.