Ed Sheeran Scores His Ninth U.K. No. 1 Album With ‘Play,’ Rises on All-Time Rankings

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The Suffolk-raised vocalist is present tied with Bob Dylan, Take That and Stereophonics.

Ed Sheeran has held disconnected contention from Twenty One Pilots and JADE for his ninth No. 1 medium connected the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart dated Sept. 19.

Play gives Sheeran his 2nd chart-topper of 2025 pursuing the occurrence of +–=÷× (Tour Collection), a top hits compilation that encompasses his Mathematics medium series, which took the apical spot successful June.

Each of his workplace albums from that bid — 2011’s + (Plus), 2014’s × (Multiply), 2017’s ÷ (Divide), 2021’s = (Equals) and 2023’s – (Subtract) — person deed No. 1, arsenic good arsenic 2019’s No. 6 Collaborations Project and 2023’s Autumn Variations.

The superstar present matches Bob Dylan, Take That and Stereophonics connected the database of artists with the astir U.K. No. 1 albums. The Beatles and Robbie Williams are presently tied astatine the apical of the all-time database with 15 No. 1s each.

Following a flurry of merchandise week activity, Sheeran announced the North American limb of his upcoming Loop circuit for 2026. The tally volition commence astatine the State Farm Arena successful Glendale, Ariz., connected June 13.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend remains beardown astatine No. 2, having spent the past 2 weeks successful the apical spot. JADE’s That’s Showbiz Baby! earns 2025’s biggest opening week yet for a debut album, finishing the week astatine No. 3. The Little Mix member’s solo LP was bolstered by an in-store circuit of grounds shops, resulting successful a top-place decorativeness connected the Official Record Store Chart.

Twenty One Pilots’ quest for a U.K. No. 1 medium continues arsenic the group’s caller LP, Breach, finishes astatine No. 4. It’s the 5th clip the Ohio-born set has missed the apical spot pursuing 2015’s Blurryface (No. 5), 2018’s Trench (No. 12), 2021’s Scaled and Icy (3) and 2024’s Clancy (No. 2).

Sophie Ellis-Bextor celebrates her highest charting LP successful implicit a decennary with Perimenopop closing astatine No. 5, and gives the popular prima her sixth U.K. apical 10 overall.