Ed Sheeran lands double chart success in final week of 2021

Ed Sheeran has topped both the UK single and album charts in the final week of 2021.

The singer-songwriter, 30, reclaimed the number one position in the singles chart with his festive collaboration with Sir Elton John, titled Merry Christmas.

Last week the pair were beaten to the Christmas number one title by LadBaby’s charity rework of their track, Sausage Rolls For Everyone, which featured Sheeran and Sir Elton and was in aid of The Trussell Trust food banks.

The novelty single by social media star Mark Hoyle and his wife Roxanne made chart history by securing a fourth consecutive year in the top spot – becoming the first act to do so in the 70 years of the Official Christmas Chart – but the track has now tumbled to number 29 in the chart.

Festive songs continued to dominate the top 10 in the final week of 2021, with Wham’s Last Christmas taking second place and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You in third.

The Pogues’ Fairytale Of New York featuring Kirsty MacColl climbed to number four and Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee moved up four spots to fifth place.

Meanwhile, Sheeran’s fourth record Equals also earned its second week at the top of the album charts, after holding second place for the past three weeks.

Global superstar Adele’s comeback record 30 slipped to second place but was hot on Sheeran’s heels with fewer than 500 chart sales between the two albums.

Michael Buble rose one place to third with his festive favourite record Christmas, which was originally released in 2011, while Abba’s first album in nearly 40 years, Voyage, dropped to fourth. 

Following Little Mix’s announcement at the start of December that they will be taking a break after finishing their Confetti tour next year, their greatest hits album Between Us climbed a further four places to take the fifth spot.