Everyone knows that earning a top ten-charting album is a big achievement in an artist’s career. Every week, Official Charts compiles a list of 100 album titles that are considered the ‘biggest’ of the week, based off of physical sales, downloads, streams and even video views. Some artists find themselves spending a few weeks on the top ten, while some albums were released decades ago and still hold strong to their spots in charts with more than a thousand weeks charting. This week, the UK’s albums top ten is dominated by some artists that are more than used to holding the number one position in charts and are somewhat veterans of it: notably, Ed Sheeran has just earned his eight number one album.
1. Ed Sheeran – ‘Mathematics Tour Collection’
Sheeran does it again, releasing a collection of his biggest hits included in the set list of his record-breaking ‘Mathematics’ Tour which will resume this January in Asia and make its way back to Europe in the summer. The album debuted at number five and has spent 14 weeks in the UK top ten, peaking at number one for the first time this week. It marks Sheeran’s eight album to achieve this milestone, fourteen years after ‘+‘ had first reached the position.
2. Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Short n Sweet‘
We’re now used to seeing Carpenter dominating charts after she created new records with the singles off ‘Short n Sweet‘, which have altogether spent more than twenty weeks at number one. ‘Short n Sweet‘, released last August, has spent nineteen weeks charting and has never left the top three! It debuted at number one, where it spent two non-consecutive weeks. It is Carpenter’s first album to achieve the UK top ten and her sixth studio album overall.
SZA’s highly anticipated second studio album, ‘SOS‘ was released in December 2022 and debuted at number two. It has spent 108 weeks in the top 100, recently making a big comeback in the top 10 thanks to the deluxe version ‘Lana‘ being released. It’s a big accomplishment for a second album, considering her debut ‘CTRL‘ had only peaked 45, and ‘SOS‘ will perhaps climb to number one once the physical copies of the deluxe are released: it will make the artist’s first ever number one album.
4. Chappell Roan – ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess‘
The album spends another 29th week in the UK top ten, charting for an overall of 38. It previously peaked at number one, and it’s Chappell Roan’s first album to do so as well as her first ever album to chart in the UK. The album was originally released in September of 2023, and Official Charts included the artist as one of those whose slow-burn career turned out to be worth it in 2024.
5. Charli xcx – ‘BRAT‘
Another slow-burn career, and the artists behind mxdwn UK’s best song of 2024. ‘BRAT’ debuted at number two and it took the album a good while to achieve the number one position but it eventually did. It has spent an overall of 30 weeks in the top 100 since its debut back in June of last year. It is the artist’s second number one album and her longest charting yet.
6. Elton John – ‘Diamonds‘
The collection of hits has spent 373 weeks in the top 100 since its debut in 2017, peaking at number two in 2023 for two consecutive weeks. British legend Elton John currently has eight albums peaking at number one, and, including ‘Diamonds‘, he has so far spent 1433 weeks charting in the UK top 100.
7. Billie Eilish - ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft‘
The album first appeared on charts in May 2024, with a strong debut at number one. Ever since, it has spent 25 weeks in the top ten and 33 in the top 100. It is Eilish’s third album to peak at number one, her first was back in 2019 when the artist was only 17 and broke the record for the youngest female artist in UK history to achieve a number one album.
8. The Weeknd – ‘The Highlights‘
Another collection album, which has spent 204 weeks charting and has peaked at number two, spending there many non-consecutive weeks. It is the artist’s sixth album to reach the UK top ten, three of which have achieved the number one position.
9. Taylor Swift – ‘The Tortured Poets Department’
Swift’s twelfth album to peak at number one and the biggest album of 2024 in the UK. It has spent 37 weeks on charts, ten of which at number one, since its release in April of last year.
10. Fleetwood Mac – ‘Fifty Years – Don’t Stop’
Peaking at number 5 and spending 320 weeks charting, it is the band’s 13th album to reach the UK top ten. It was released to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the band’s creation and includes their biggest hits, including UK number one ‘Albatross’.
