Ed Sheeran’s single Thinking Out Loud is his second chart-topper after Sing. Photo: Ian West/PA WireEd Sheeran proved that it is better late than never as he topped the singles charts and broke a record while he was at it.
The 23-year-old singer-songwriter’s track Thinking Out Loud made it to the summit after spending 19 weeks in the top 40.
It breaks the previous record for the longest climb after entering the top 40 held by Celine Dion, whose 1994 single Think Twice took 13 weeks to reach number one.
The ginger songsmith, who has just finished playing to over 290,000 people on his recent UK tour, is on a high at the moment.
Thinking Out Loud is his second chart-topper to date after Sing made it to number one in June.
And his second studio album X is the current fastest-selling and longest-running number one album of 2014.
Sheeran said: “I’m not used to having number one singles and this is my favourite song on the album, my favourite song I’ve written, so I’m really proud it’s getting this recognition.”
The track racked up combined sales of over 89,000 this week and has now sold over 356,000 copies while being streamed online nearly 14 million times so far.
It first entered the top 40 in June after the release of X and has climbed steadily since then, bucking the trend in recent years for singles to debut at number one before sliding down the chart.
Aside from Sheeran and Dion, other acts with lengthy journeys to the top spot from entering the top 40 include Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World (11 weeks in 1968), Lady Gaga’s Poker Face (10 weeks in 2009) and Coldplay’s Paradise (10 weeks in 2011/12).
Completing the top five, Meghan Trainor’s All About that Bass was down to number two after four weeks in the top spot, followed by Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off at three, Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj at four and Don’t Tell ‘Em by Jeremih ft. YG at five.
In the albums chart, Swift notched up her second number one to date with 1989, which became the fastest-selling album of the year by a female artist.
The 1980s-inspired LP shifted 90,000 copies in the UK this week, overtaking previous record holder and X Factor winner Sam Bailey, whose debut The Power of Love sold over 72,000 copies in its first week of release in March.
The American singer’s album includes top 40 hits Shake It Off and Welcome to New York and is Swift’s second consecutive UK number one album, following 2012’s chart-topping Red.
Ed Sheeran’s X was at number two, followed by Sam Smith’s In the Lonely Hour at three, Ben Howard’s I Forget Where We Were at four and George Ezra’s Wanted on Voyage at five.