With his latest feat, Sheeran becomes the first British solo artist to reign over the chart for a full year across his catalog.
In the 69 years since the launch of the Official U.K. chart, just Elvis Presley (80 weeks) and The Beatles (69) have spent more time at the top.
Of Sheeran’s songs, 2017’s “Shape of You,” the most streamed song on Spotify, has enjoyed the longest stay at the summit, at 14 weeks, while “Bad Habits” ruled for 11 weeks.
Other solo artists in the same ballpark as Sheeran include Englishman Cliff Richard (46 weeks at No. 1), Canadian singer Justin Bieber (38 weeks), Scottish EDM star Calvin Harris and Canadian rapper Drake (31 weeks), and the veteran U.S. pop star Madonna (29 weeks), the OCC reports.
