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Ed Sheeran tops the list of the 10 biggest music acts in the world in 2017

Only one UK act was in 2017's global best-sellers, so it's a good job they topped the list.

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Who were the world’s ten best-selling music acts of 2017? The standings have been revealed, and Ed Sheeran has come out on top.

In a list made up of only one UK artist, seven US acts and two Canadians, international music body IFPI has named Ed Sheeran as 2017's best-selling musician globally following the incredible success of his third album ÷.

Shape of You, the lead single from the album, spent 14 non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 here in the UK, while it also spent 12 weeks at Number 1 in the US, and topped charts in a further 42 countries. ÷ was also a global success, hitting Number 1 in 14 territories.

Here in the UK, Ed’s third studio record finished 2017 with combined sales of 2.7 million, more than any other album. 672,000 of those sales were logged in its first week of release in March, making it the fastest-selling ever by a solo male, and the third fastest-selling album of all time behind Adele’s 25 and Oasis’ Be Here Now.

÷ features more Top 10 singles on it than any other studio album in UK chart history, had all 16 of its tracks chart concurrently in the Official Singles Chart Top 20, has yet to exit the Top 10 since its release, and achieved 20 non-consecutive weeks at Number 1. ÷ also hit the top spot on seven separate occasions, a record among solo male artists. Pretty incredible.

Last year's leader Drake had to settle for the runner-up spot this time around, while Taylor Swift is the only female in the Top 10 at Number 3; her album reputation sold over one million copies in its first week on sale in the US.

Aside from Drake, rap dominates the list, with Kendrick Lamar and Drake completing the Top 5. Imagine Dragons and The Chainsmokers are two of three groups in the Top 10, the other being Linkin Park at Number 9.

The Top 10 Global Recording Artists of 2017 are:

1. Ed Sheeran
2. Drake
3. Taylor Swift
4. Kendrick Lamar
5. Eminem
6. Bruno Mars
7. The Weeknd
8. Imagine Dragons
9. Linkin Park
10. The Chainsmokers

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Sunshine Gal

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i mean, i do like some of his music but he's a perfect example that you really just have to be yourself and either people will like you or not. i gotta give him a lot of credit for making it big here in the u.s. he reminds me a lot of eminem when he was red-hot around the time of the marshall mathers' lp *he had a great momentum here in the states that year*.

let's put it this way, i can't recall a wk in recent times where ed wasn't in the bb hot 100 or 200's top 10 :D he's doing fantastic and i think the uk would be really proud that a brit is a dominating act in the u.s. music scene, esp. where it's harder for international acts to make it over here.

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Sunshine Gal

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and if the one direction guys are out there reading this: you guys are letting so many u.s history-making musical feats pass you guys by....everything ed is doing over here, you guys *with the right public relations* could be doing the same and even more ;). think about it! and ed's not complaining on who his fans are and why they like him. (just like jt, he's never complained one time who his fans were and why they liked him) big mistake on the 1D guys' part ;). i still think 1D can build a big momentum here and be even bigger then they were before. just sayin...

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Sunshine Gal

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he's also doing very good here in the states: he has the longest running top 10 hit 'shape of you' with 33 wks *topping leann rimes' 'how do i live' @ 32 wks*; achieved a diamond single (2nd male british act after elton john's 'candle in the wind') with 'thinking out loud' @ 10x plat. and he's achieved numerous billboard awards and multi-plat. awards with the riaa.

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I Am A Stegosaurus

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Pah, Chainsmokers and Drake on the same list as Linkin Park and Imagine Dragons, I mean both the latter artists turned to in 2017 but they still have talent when they use it! ......

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luca

1

It’s all so sad. Uninteresting music is everywhere...boring people...no pop stars...no big hairdos...no synth...no meanings..no romantic...no tears...no joy...just elevator music....I miss the 70s 80s 90s...

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Kasper Elbjørn

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Sorry, don't want to be the Viking that spoils the party, but 'fastest-selling' is that real sold albums or just streaming?

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Foxes

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Both. It shifted 593,000 in pure sales, making it the fastest selling among male artists and 3rd overall for pure sales, and it shifted 79,000 in streaming-equivalent sales, making it by far the most streamed album in its first week (and now of all time) in the UK.

K

k-bar

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2017ran, World's top selling artist for 2017.... yet he is shut out of the top Grammy categories for a nomination! Way to get it wrong #Grammys