1. Elton John – ‘Diamonds‘

Elton John’s ninth number one album, and his longest charting week. ‘Diamonds‘ spent last week at number 6 and finally managed, after 374 weeks charting, to achieve the number one spot thanks to a new limited edition release. It is a collection of Elton John’s greatest hits, and a reflection of the artist’s longevity and popularity with every generation.

2. Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Short n Sweet‘

Ever since its release in August of last year, Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n Sweet’ hasn’t left the UK top ten. Peaking at number one for two non-consecutive weeks, the album contains some of last year’s most popular songs in the UK. The album is currently on its 20th week charting and it was made last year’s list of biggest albums at number three. Sabrina will be touring the UK soon on a sold out arena tour!

3. SZA – ‘SOS‘

SZA’s second full length album ‘SOS‘ has recently climbed charts once again thanks to a deluxe version being released. Despite spending 109 weeks on charts (twenty of which in the top 10!), ‘SOS‘ still has to claim the number one spot and has only peaked at number two for three non-consecutive weeks at the end of 2022. Perhaps this new deluxe version is exactly what it needed to climb up charts and claim that number one spot.

4. Ed Sheeran – ‘Mathematics Tour Collection‘

Last week, the album had peaked at number one becoming Ed Sheeran’s eight record to do so. A collection of the songs played on the ongoing ‘Mathematics Tour’, it has spent 15 weeks so far on charts, 13 of which in the top 10.

5. The Weeknd – ‘The Highlights‘

Another charts staple, named the biggest album of 2023 and the second biggest album of 2024. This week marks the album’s 205th week in the top 100, which is certainly set to become one of the biggest albums of the decade.

6. Billie Eilish – ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft‘

On its 34th week charting, it is Billie Eilish’s third record to peak at number one and one of three records currently charting in the UK, with ‘When we all fall asleep where do we go?‘ at number 57 and ‘Happier Than Ever‘ at number 55.

7. Chappell Roan – ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess’

Chappell was named this year’s winner of BBC Sound of 2025 after her debut album peaked at number one and was one of the biggest selling physical records of the year. The album has, so far, spent 39 weeks in the top 100.

8.  Charli xcx – ‘Brat‘

One of the most popular albums of last year, ‘Brat‘ is one of those records that truly leaves a mark in a generation. It has peaked at number one and has spent, so far, 31 weeks in the top 100. Last week, Charli xcx was announced as a performer at this year’s edition of the BRIT’s awards.

9. Noah Kahan – ‘Stick Season‘

‘Stick Season’ was named the biggest song of 2024, while Noah Kahan and the album ‘Stick Season’ spent the entire year at the top spots of the UK’s album charts. With 83 weeks in the top 100 and 28 in the top 10, it has earned Kahan worldwide recognition and many, many sold out shows.

10. Fleetwood Mac – ‘Fifty Years: Don’t Stop’

On its second consecutive week at number ten, this collection of songs by the Fleetwood Mac has spent 321 weeks in the top 100, peaking at number five. Released in 2018, it could benefit from a new edition released, just like ‘Diamonds’ by Elton John, that could help it climbing all the way to number one

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In an exclusive interview with Official Charts, Elton John said:

“I’m so happy to have a UK Number 1 album with Diamonds. It came out in 2017, which feels like a lifetime ago. This is the first time it’s topped the charts since its release. I’m blessed that so many incredible things have happened with my career during that time. I’m overjoyed and want to sincerely thank all my incredible fans for their constant love and support.”

  ‘Diamonds‘ is Elton John‘s ninth album to achieve the number one position. In 1973, ‘Don’t Shoot Me I’m the Only Piano Player’ became Elton’s first record to achieve the number one position, spending six weeks topping charts and an overall of 42 on the UK top 100. Afterwards, ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’, ‘Caribou’ and ‘Elton John’s Greatest Hits’ reached number one consecutively between 1973 and 1974. In 1989 and 1990, two new albums achieved the position: ‘Sleeping with the Past‘ and ‘The Very Best of Elton John’. It would take the artist another 22 years before earning another number one album with ‘Good Morning to the Night‘ in 2012 and again, in 2021, with ‘The Lockdown Session‘.    

‘Diamonds‘ surpasses by far any other album by Elton John in terms of chart longevity with 375 weeks, significantly more than Elton’s biggest charting albums. It was also named the twelfth biggest album of 2024 by Official Charts. Out of its impressive amount of weeks spent on charts, 84 weeks were spent in the top 10 and 266 in the top twenty. These numbers are a reflection of the impact and longevity throughout generations of Elton John’s incredible career, success and above all talent.

Since his debut in 1971, the Middlesex-born singer and songwriter spent 809 weeks charting in the single’s top 75 and 1434 in the top 75 album. Furthermore, his tour ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’, which spans between 2018 and 2024, is the third highest grossing tour of all time.

The album is a collection of Elton’s greatest hits, some of which are remastered. Multiple versions of the album have been released so far, and the most recent also includes the record for the first time ever on cassette. Thanks to this latest limited edition, ‘Diamonds‘ is currently number one on Vinyl Charts as well as Record Store Charts.  

 

 

 

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In this week’s UK albums chart, Ed Sheeran is at number eight on its 13th week charting; previously, ‘The Mathematics Tour Collection‘ peaked at number five on its debut week and overall for three-non consecutive weeks since September. If the album climbs its way to number one, it would become Sheeran’s eight album to achieve the position: first, the artist claimed the spot with his first project in the mathematics collection, titled ‘+‘, which has since its debut become one of the longest charting albums of the century with 444 weeks charting. Afterwards, Sheeran topped charts again with ‘x‘, ‘divide’, ‘=‘ and ‘-‘. Perhaps the most successful out of all the ‘Mathematics’ projects is ‘Divide‘ which has spent 408 weeks in the UK top 100 after being released in 2017. Sheeran also reached the number one with ‘No. 6 Projects Collection‘ and ‘Autumn Variations’. 

The album is set to climb charts after the release of a limited edition vinyl variant.

According to Official Charts, Sheeran won’t be the only chart climber this week. Chappell Roan’s ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess‘ might be making its way to the top three podium after charting at number four this week. Sabrina Carpenter, currently at number two with ‘Short n Sweet’, is expected to hold on to the position, while current chart-topper Michael Buble will most likely fall out of the top ten after the festive excitement with his 2011 album ‘Christmas‘. Currently, the UK top five is made up of ‘Christmas‘, ‘Short n Sweet‘, SZA’s ‘SOS‘, ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess‘ and Charli xcx’s ‘BRAT‘.

Earlier last December, Sheeran had revealed that he had ‘big projects’ for 2025, hinting that a new album might be in the near future for the ‘Shape of You’ singer.

Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” came back to the number one spot on charts last week, after the release of its extended version “The Anthology” on physical copies. It is the album’s tenth week at number one in the UK, and it marks Taylor Swift’s twelfth album at number one and thirtieth week at the top position. With “The Tortured Poets Departments: The Anthology” Swift made a career-marking album, which has broken records worldwide and quickly became a fan favourite.

Right after Swift, Sabrina Carpenter is still topping charts with her album “Short n Sweet”, currently on its sixteenth week in the top ten. The album previously peaked at number one on its debut week, and its singles made Carpenter this year’s charts queen. Ever since the album was released, it charted on the UK’s top three. “Short n Sweet” made Carpenter one of the biggest artists of the year, and perhaps of the decade. She will be headlining BST Hyde Park next summer, after her sold-out tour which will take her around the UK.

Michael Buble’s “Christmas” is currently at number three, but it’s likely that it will climb charts in the next couple weeks over Christmas. The album, originally released in 2011, is on its 117^th week on the UK’s top ten. It achieved the number one position various times in the past, spending six weeks at the top spot of charts in total. Buble’s climb is almost a yearly tradition, and the album has managed to make its way to the charts’ top ten every year since its release, achieving the number one in 2011, 2020, 2022 and 2023.

Rose’s album “Rosie”, released earlier this month, has climbed its way to number four on UK charts. One of the previously released singles, “APT”, in collaboration with Bruno Mars, has topped the songs charts for the past couple of weeks, becoming a worldwide hit. This is the album’s debut week on UK charts, but with the popularity of its singles it is likely that “Rosie” is here to stay.

At number five, Sabrina Carpenter debuts on charts with “Fruitcake”, a Christmas album originally released last year which is gaining popularity this year after Carpenter released her Christmas Special “A Nonsense Christmas” on Netflix, earlier this month. The album contains some new Christmas-themed songs, as well as some covers of all time Christmas classics.

Up next on the UK’s albums chart is Chappell Roan with “The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess”, on its 35^th week charting, followed by Charli xcx’s “Brat”, Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX”, Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft” and at number ten, The Weeknd’s “The Highlights”.

Congratulations to @kendricklamar, GNX is the acclaimed MCs 2nd UK Number 1 album! https://t.co/Tzs7PSLhGv

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) November 29, 2024

Currently, the number one album in the UK is Kendrick Lamar’s “GNX” which was released only a week ago and debuted right at the top spot. It is the artist’s second album to achieve the position, and a few songs off the album are featuring on the singles charts. After Kendrick Lamar, London-born singer songwriter Micheal Kiwanuka holds the number one position with “Small Changes” which was released on November 22 and has only been charting for one week. Kiwanuka’s earlier albums such as “Love and Hate” and “Kiwanuka” received critical acclaim and peaked at number one (for one week) and number two. Thanks to his previous releases, the British artist has been nominated for a Mercury Prize earlier in his career and, most recently, a BRIT.  

He put up a brave fight for Number 1…but @michaelkiwanuka still secures his fourth consecutive Top 10 album! https://t.co/Tzs7PSLhGv pic.twitter.com/WuRvkBGQrJ — Official Charts (@officialcharts) November 29, 2024

At number three Sabrina Carpenter is still topping charts with record-breaking “Short n Sweet”. At its 14^th week charting, after peaking at number one, it looks like it won’t be leaving the charts anytime soon. With the undisputed summer hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, Sabrina Carpenter has finally gained the popular and critical acclaim that her previous albums lacked. “Short n Sweet” is the artist’s first album to achieve the UK’s top ten; her previous release “Emails I can’t Send” peaked at number 41.

Linkin Park holds the fourth position with their latest release “From Zero”, which had previously peaked at number one in its debut week. It is the first release from Linkin Park with their new line-up and after their former front man Chester Bennington passed away. “From Zero” is the band’s fourth album to achieve the number one position on UK charts. The song “The Emptiness Machine” off the album debuted at number four when first released, becoming the band’s sixth song to chart in the UK top ten.

Lastly, at number five there’s another album that made headlines and became a cultural even this year, and it’s Charli xcx’s “Brat”. Brat became the word of the year and the very recognizable shade of green on the album cover is pretty much everywhere. The album has been charting for 25 weeks and peaked at number one. It is Charli xcx’s second album to achieve the number one position after “Crash” in 2022. The Essex-born artist will be headlining Victoria Park next summer.

Honorable mentions outside the top five are Chappell Roan’s “The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess” which, despite being released in 2023, is still topping charts, The Weeknd’s “The Highlights” on its 199^th week charting, and Elton John’s “Diamonds” which has never achieved the number one position but has been charting for 368 weeks.