Ed Sheeran Caps Off A Hugely Successful 2017 By Claiming A New Charts Record

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Ed Sheeran caps off a hugely successful year by claiming a new record on the final UK Albums Chart of 2017. The singer-songwriter's ÷ album climbs a place to return to Number 1, logging a 19th week at the summit. It's the album's seventh stint at the top, setting a new record for most spells at Number 1 by a male solo album, first achieved by Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour (six stints, eight weeks in total at Number 1) back in 2015.

Ed also extends his reign over the UK Singles Chart this week with Perfect, which claims a fourth week at Number 1 and the final chart-topping single of 2017. Last week the song claimed 2017's UK Christmas No 1.

UK Albums Chart:
Behind Ed's ÷, which shifted 74,000 across physical, downloads and streaming equivalent sales this week, Sam Smith climbs a spot to Number 2 with his second album The Thrill Of It All, while last week's Number 1, Eminem's Revival, drops to 3.

Michael Buble's Christmas album rebounds six places to Number 8 (the album has re-entered the Top 10 every year since its release in 2011), while George Michael's re-issued Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 lifts a place to return to the Top 20 at 20.

Two new albums feature in this week's Top 40: Quavo & Travis Scott's collaborative record Huncho Jack Jack Huncho lands at 34, while the cast recording of The Greatest Showman film soundtrack enters at 39.

Further down, several albums make a return to the Top 40: Tom Chaplin's Twelve Tales Of Christmas jumps 12 places to 30, David Bowie's Legacy is up six places to 35, and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours climbs eight spots to 37.