PILTON, ENGLAND – JUNE 25: Ed Sheeran headlines on the Pyramid Stage during day 4 of the … [+]
Ed Sheeran returns to the top of the U.K. songs chart this week with his new single, “Eyes Closed.” As he takes the highest rung once more, Sheeran adds another achievement to his already-impressive career and further cements his status as one of the most successful musicians in the history of his home country.
“Eyes Closed” is Sheeran’s fourteenth No. 1 single in the U.K. According to the Official Charts Company, with this new addition to his collection of chart-toppers, he is now the musical act with the third-most number one hits in U.K. chart history, though he’s not alone in that position.
Sheeran is now on par with both Cliff Richard and Westlife, as all three acts have charted 14 No. 1 singles in the U.K. Before this week, Sheeran was tied with Madonna, with 13 leaders each.
Ahead of this group when it comes to the most No. 1 hits in U.K. chart history are only two names. Elvis Presley continues to rule with 21 champions, and The Beatles come in second with 17 smashes.
Amazingly, Sheeran required less than a decade to rack up his 14 No. 1 hits. He first reached the top spot in 2014 with “Sing.” Since then, he has become one of the most reliable producers of radio-ready productions in the business, and most of his proper singles–especially those that introduce a new collection–often climb to the summit…if not debut there.
In order to claim the No. 1 spot this week, Sheeran had to kick fellow pop star Miley Cyrus out of the penthouse. Cyrus had ruled for 10 weeks with her single “Flowers,” which has turned out to be one of the biggest songs in the world in 2023. Now, that cut dips slightly to No. 2.
“Eyes Closed” serves as the first single from Sheeran’s forthcoming album, which he has titled -, which people can pronounce as Subtract. The full-length is due in early May, and fans are already excited to hear more from the chart-topping artist.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/03/31/ed-sheeran-now-claims-the-third-most-no-1-hits-in-uk-history/