Three Weeks in a Row for Ed Sheeran on Top of U.K. Songs Chart, As Pete Tong Reaches Album Summit

1/27/2017 by Paul Sexton

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Ed Sheeran performs at Suncorp Stadium on Nov. 28, 2015 in Brisbane, Australia.

British DJ Pete Tong, a longtime visitor to the U.K. compilation album chart via his mix collections, is now the champion of the artist countdown. His Classic House set (Polydor/UMC/OMOD) with the Heritage Orchestra conducted by Jules Buckley, moves 6-1 on the new survey, as Ed Sheeran's “Shape Of You” and “Castle On The Hill” (Asylum/Warner Music) start a third week at Nos. 1 and 2 respectively on the Official Charts Company's singles list.

Classic House, which features orchestral adaptations of classic dance tracks such as “Right Here, Right Now” and “Lola's Theme,” is in its ninth week on the survey, and spent two weeks at No. 2 before falling to No. 6 last week. It assumes the top spot by finishing 3,000 combined units ahead of the La La Land soundtrack (Interscope/Universal), which rises 3-2, changing places with Little Mix's former No. 1 Glory Days (Syco Music/Sony).

Some 43 and a half years after first appearing on the U.K. album chart with Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield is back at No. 4 with Return To Ommadawn (Mercury/Universal). The title refers to Oldfield's 1975 release Ommadawn; the multi-instrumentalist created the new album in his home studio in Nassau, and its debut is his highest peak since Tubular Bells III also reached No. 4, in 1998.

Last week's new entry at No. 1, The xx's I See You (Young Turks), falls to No. 5. Frank Carter & his punk band the Rattlesnakes open at a career-best No. 7 with Modern Ruin (International Death Cult), and grime artist Loyle Carnerstarts at No. 14 with Yesterday's Gone (AMF).

“Shape Of You” continues as the U.K.'s No. 1 single with 56,000 downloads and 9.57 million streams; “Castle On The Hill” logs 46,000 downloads and 6.6m streams. “You Don't Know Me” (Polydor/Universal) by Jax Jones & Raye improves 4-3, and the new video for Little Mix's “Touch” helps it rise 6-4.

Rag 'n' Bone Man's “Human” (Best Laid Plans) is down 3-5 on the new chart, while The Chainsmokers are up 10-7 with “Paris” (Disruption).