VARIOUS, VARIOUS - JUNE 25: Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1988. (Photo by Kevin ... [+]
Whenever Ed Sheeran has a new collection to share with the world, he’s guaranteed to not only land at No. 1 on the albums chart in the U.K., but to do so with a massive first frame. He has demonstrated this power many times before, and now he’s done so once more with = (Equals), one of the most highly-anticipated releases of the year. While he easily scores the largest debut of the week, his is not the only set worth celebrating right now.
Here are five titles that make waves on this week’s U.K. albums chart.
No. 1 - Ed Sheeran - =
Sheeran has released seven collections, and five of them have gone right to No. 1 in the U.K. The singer-songwriter has now reached the summit on the albums chart in his home country with four titles from the mathematics series, as well as his No. 6 Collaborations Project. = (pronounced Equals) is his latest winner, as it starts in first place with 139,000 equivalent units shifted. That’s a huge sum, and Sheeran’s new effort outperforms the rest of the top 30 combined.
No. 15 - Elton John - Diamonds
Last week, Elton John collected yet another No. 1 album with The Lockdown Sessions, which also recently produced his latest chart-topping single “Cold Heart” (Pnau remix) with Dua Lipa. This frame, the piano player’s beloved greatest hits compilation Diamonds celebrates four full years on the albums chart, or 208 weeks. Impressively, the set actually climbs this time around, lifting one rung to No. 15.
No. 19 - Adele - 21
As the world prepares itself for the release of her fourth album 30 in a little over a week, Adele fans can’t stop buying and streaming her older projects. This frame, her decade-defining collection 21 hits 300 weeks spent on the ranking of the most-consumed albums in the U.K. Her other full-lengths 25 (No. 7) and 19 (No. 54) are also present on the list, and they’ve been performing quite well recently.
No. 26 - Michael Jackson - Number Ones
As millions of fans all around the world have been playing his song “Thriller” non-stop around Halloween, Michael Jackson’s greatest hits compilation Number Ones improves again on the albums chart, and it reaches an incredible milestone simply by finding space on the tally. Number Ones has now lived on the ranking of the most popular albums in the U.K. for 520 weeks, or exactly 10 years.
No. 94 - Nirvana - Nevermind
Nirvana released Nevermind back in 1991, and since then, it has been cited as one of the most influential and important (as well as one of the best) alternative rock albums ever. The set rises and falls regularly on the U.K. albums chart, disappearing and returning often. This frame, it’s back at No. 94 in its three-hundred-and-sixty-fourth turn on the tally. That means the title has now been present on the ranking for seven years.
