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    Ed Sheeran Scores His Ninth U.K. No. 1 Album With ‘Play,’ Rises on All-Time Rankings

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    By Thomas Smith

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    Ed Sheeran Scores His Ninth U.K. No. 1 Album With ‘Play,’ Rises on All-Time Rankings

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    Ed Sheeran has held off competition from Twenty One Pilots and JADE for his ninth No. 1 album on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart dated Sept. 19.

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    Play gives Sheeran his second chart-topper of 2025 following the success of +–=÷× (Tour Collection), a greatest hits compilation that encompasses his Mathematics album series, which took the top spot in June.

    Each of his studio albums from that series — 2011’s + (Plus), 2014’s × (Multiply), 2017’s ÷ (Divide), 2021’s = (Equals) and 2023’s – (Subtract) — have hit No. 1, as well as 2019’s No. 6 Collaborations Project and 2023’s Autumn Variations.

    The superstar now matches Bob Dylan, Take That and Stereophonics on the list of artists with the most U.K. No. 1 albums. The Beatles and Robbie Williams are currently tied at the top of the all-time list with 15 No. 1s each.

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    Following a flurry of release week activity, Sheeran announced the North American leg of his upcoming Loop tour for 2026. The run will commence at the State Farm Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on June 13.

    Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend remains strong at No. 2, having spent the past two weeks in the top spot. JADE’s That’s Showbiz Baby! earns 2025’s biggest opening week yet for a debut album, finishing the week at No. 3. The Little Mix member’s solo LP was bolstered by an in-store tour of record shops, resulting in a top-place finish on the Official Record Store Chart.

    Twenty One Pilots’ quest for a U.K. No. 1 album continues as the group’s new LP, Breach, finishes at No. 4. It’s the fifth time the Ohio-born band has missed the top spot following 2015’s Blurryface (No. 5), 2018’s Trench (No. 12), 2021’s Scaled and Icy (3) and 2024’s Clancy (No. 2).

    Sophie Ellis-Bextor celebrates her highest charting LP in over a decade with Perimenopop closing at No. 5, and gives the pop star her sixth U.K. top 10 overall.

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