Dutchman's Blog

Adele’s 21 has scored an incredible 19th week at the top of the UK album chart to become the longest-reigning LP from a solo artist in history.

The London-born singer’s sophomore record – which was recently named as the UK’s biggest-selling album of the 21st century with over 3.8m copies to date – returned for a third stint in pole position in its 50th week of release.

21 has now become the longest-running number one album for almost 42 years and achieved the sixth-greatest reign in history, finishing behind releases from music legends The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel.

Adele is trailed by fellow chart veteran Doo Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars, a non-mover at two, and last week’s number one + by Ed Sheeran at three.

New mother Beyoncé celebrates by seeing her 4 album leap from 12 to six in its 28th week of release, while Olly Murs drops three to seven with In Case You Didn’t Know and Jessie J’s Who You Are scrambles two to eight.

Rihanna falls three to round out the Top 10 with Talk That Talk, as Westlife’s Greatest Hits album and Will Young’s Echoes move in the opposite direction, climbing two and four respectively to 11 and 12.

The Top 10 in full:
1. (6) Adele: ’21’
2. (2) Bruno Mars: ‘Doo Wops & Hooligans’
3. (1) Ed Sheeran: ‘+’
4. (3) Coldplay: ‘Mylo Xyloto’
5. (5) Amy Winehouse: ‘Lioness: Hidden Treasures’
6. (12) Beyonce: ‘4’
7. (4) Olly Murs: ‘In Case You Didn’t Know’
8. (10) Jessie J: ‘Who You Are’
9. (9) Rebecca Ferguson: ‘Heaven’
10. (7) Rihanna: ‘Talk That Talk’

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Ed Sheeran has returned to the top of the UK album chart with his debut record +.

The ‘A-Team’ singer’s LP boosted back to pole position from last Sunday’s nine, having first landed at number one upon its release 15 weeks ago.

Sheeran wrote on Twitter after the announcement: “My album ‘+’ is number one in the UK album charts again. I couldnt ask for a better start to a new year, thank you all so much…this wouldn’t have happened without you lot, give yaselfs a pat on the back *pat pat pat*.”

The runner-up spot is also claimed by an advancing old favourite, Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars, which is up from its previous finish of 11 in its 51st week on the chart.

Elsewhere, Lioness: Hidden Treasures by the late Amy Winehouse slips from second place to five, while Rihanna’s Talk That Talk and Rebecca Ferguson’s Heaven fall two apiece to seven and nine, with One Direction’s Up All Night rising the same number to sit between them at eight.

The Top 10 in full:
1. (9) Ed Sheeran: ‘+’
2. (11) Bruno Mars: ‘Doo-Wops & Hooligans’
3. (4) Coldplay: ‘Mylo Xyloto’
4. (3) Olly Murs: ‘In Case You Didn’t Know’
5. (2) Amy Winehouse: ‘Lioness: Hidden Treasures’
6. (6) Adele: ’21’
7. (5) Rihanna: ‘Talk That Talk’
8. (10) One Direction: ‘Up All Night’
9. (7) Rebecca Ferguson: ‘Heaven’
10. (14) Jessie J: ‘Who You Are’

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