Albums that have spent the longest in the Top 10

As Ed Sheeran becomes the first artist to have three albums log over a year in the UK Top 10, we look back at the albums with staying power on the Official Chart.

This week sees Ed Sheeran's latest album ÷ pull off the rare feat of logging a full year (52 weeks) inside the Top 10 on the Official Albums Chart.

And if that wasn't impressive enough, those are consecutive weeks - ÷ hasn't dipped lower than Number 6 since its release this time last year - check out its week-by-week chart run here.

Still not impressed? Ed's previous two albums, + and x, have also spent more than a year in the Top 10 - and he's the only artist to manage it with three albums. Check out which acts have an unbroken run of Number 1 albums here.

Excluding compilation albums, which were once eligible for the Official Albums Chart, just 22 artist albums in UK chart history have logged 52 weeks or more in the Top 10. Top of the list is Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water, which to date has spent a massive 135 weeks in the top tier (that's just over two-and-a-half years!), 33 weeks of which were at Number 1.

Ed's second album x is the second longest Top 10 runner at 98 weeks (74 of which were consecutive), and Michael Jackson's Thriller is in third at 88 weeks, eight of which were at the top spot.

Elsewhere, Adele's second album 21 has notched up an impressive 77 weeks to be the longest-running female album in the Top 10, closely followed by Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour at 76 weeks. Check out the female artists with the most UK Number 1 albums here.

Four greatest hits albums have logged more than a year inside the Top 10: The Carpenters' Singles 1969 - 1973, Simon & Garkfunkel's Greatest Hits, Abba's Gold and The Best Of The Beach Boys Vol.1. Two of those, Simon & Garfunkel and Beach Boys, peaked at Number 2 on the chart, proving you don't always need to reach Number 1 for longevity.

See the complete list of artist albums below - and the full list including 'Various Artist' compilation albums that were chart eligible in their day beneath that.

Artist albums that have spent a year or longer in the Official Albums Chart Top 10

POS	TITLE	ARTIST	YEAR	WEEKS
1	BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER	SIMON & GARFUNKEL	1970	135
2	X	ED SHEERAN	2014	97
3	THRILLER	MICHAEL JACKSON	1982	88 (Includes Thriller 25)
4	21	ADELE	2011	77
5	IN THE LONELY HOUR	SAM SMITH	2014	76
6	TUBULAR BELLS	MIKE OLDFIELD	1973	74
7	BACK TO BLACK	AMY WINEHOUSE	2006	72 (Includes the deluxe edition)
7	THE FAME	LADY GAGA	2009	72 (Includes The Fame Monster)
9	OUR VERSION OF EVENTS	EMELI SANDE	2012	67
10	BROTHERS IN ARMS	DIRE STRAITS	1985	66
11	THE SINGLES 1969-1973	THE CARPENTERS	1974	64
12	PLEASE PLEASE ME	BEATLES	1963	62
13	GREATEST HITS	SIMON & GARFUNKEL	1972	59
14	GOLD	ABBA	1992	58
15	TALK ON CORNERS	CORRS	1997	56
15	NO ANGEL	DIDO	2000	56
15	+	ED SHEERAN	2011	56
18	BEST OF THE BEACH BOYS VOL 1	BEACH BOYS	1966	55
19	LED ZEPPELIN II	LED ZEPPELIN	1970	54
20	SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND	BEATLES	1967	52
20	(WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY	OASIS	1995	52
20	÷	ED SHEERAN	2017	52

Albums that have spent a year or longer in the Official Albums Chart Top 10 (including 'Various Artists')

POS	TITLE	ARTIST	YEAR	WEEKS
1	SOUTH PACIFIC (OST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1958	276
2	THE SOUND OF MUSIC (OST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1965	233
3	THE KING & I (OST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1956	153
3	WEST SIDE STORY (OST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1961	153
5	BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER	SIMON & GARFUNKEL	1970	135
6	MY FAIR LADY (ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1958	122
7	THE BLACK & WHITE MINSTREL SHOW	GEORGE MITCHELL MINSTRELS	1960	120
8	OKLAHOMA! (OST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1956	113
9	X	ED SHEERAN	2014	98
10	THRILLER	MICHAEL JACKSON	1982	88
11	GIGI (OST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1959	79
12	21	ADELE	2011	77 (Includes Thriller 25)
13	IN THE LONELY HOUR	SAM SMITH	2014	76
14	TUBULAR BELLS	MIKE OLDFIELD	1973	74
15	BACK TO BLACK	AMY WINEHOUSE	2006	72 (Includes the deluxe edition)
15	THE FAME	LADY GAGA	2009	72 (Includes The Fame Monster)
17	OUR VERSION OF EVENTS	EMELI SANDE	2012	67
18	BROTHERS IN ARMS	DIRE STRAITS	1985	66
19	THE SINGLES 1969-1973	THE CARPENTERS	1974	64
20	PLEASE PLEASE ME	BEATLES	1963	62
21	GREATEST HITS	SIMON & GARFUNKEL	1972	59
22	GOLD	ABBA	1992	58
23	TALK ON CORNERS	CORRS	1997	56
23	NO ANGEL	DIDO	2000	56
23	+	ED SHEERAN	2011	56
26	OLIVER! (ORIGINAL LONDON CAST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1960	55
26	MARY POPPINS (OST)	VARIOUS ARTISTS	1964	55
26	BEST OF THE BEACH BOYS VOL 1	BEACH BOYS	1966	55
29	LED ZEPPELIN II	LED ZEPPELIN	1970	54
30	SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND	BEATLES	1967	52
30	(WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY	OASIS	1995	52
30	÷	ED SHEERAN	2017	52

Article image: Rex

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Liam Friel

2nd March 2018

Do you mean "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield at number six?