This is a list of artists who have spent more than 1000 weeks on the UK Singles Chart and UK Albums Chart combined. Only 37 artists have achieved this milestone. It uses the methodology used to compile a top 500 list in the British Hit Singles & Albums books until 2005. Any album or single must be credited to the named artist and must appear in the top 75 singles or albums chart as recorded by the Official Charts Company. [1]
Ed Sheeran has the most weeks on the singles charts with 1508 weeks. Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley, Drake and Rihanna are the only other artists to achieve over 1000 weeks in the singles chart. Ed Sheeran has had the most weeks in the singles chart since 2000.
Queen have the most weeks on the albums chart with 1927 weeks followed by fifteen other artists with more than 1000 weeks, Ed Sheeran being the latest to pass this threshold in July 2021. David Bowie passed the 1000-week mark following his death in January 2016, when 16 of his albums entered or re-entered the top 75. [2] ABBA's 'Gold' became the first album to reach 1000 weeks on the top 100 UK albums chart in July 2021. Robbie Williams is the only artist to feature on the list twice: as a solo artist, and with Take That.
Figures are as of chart week 5-11 April 2024.
Artist | Singles chart (weeks) | Albums chart (weeks) | Combined (weeks) | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elvis Presley | 1311 | 1625 | 2936 | [3] |
Ed Sheeran | 1508 | 1385 | 2893 | [4] |
Queen | 462 | 1951 | 2413 | [5] |
Michael Jackson | 721 | 1651 | 2372 | [6] |
The Beatles | 472 | 1765 | 2237 | [7] |
Elton John | 799 | 1394 | 2193 | [8] |
Cliff Richard | 1182 | 923 | 2105 | [9] |
Oasis | 420 | 1641 | 2061 | [10] |
Fleetwood Mac | 259 | 1787 | 2046 | [11] |
David Bowie | 476 | 1558 | 2034 | [12] |
Madonna | 770 | 1163 | 1933 | [13] |
Taylor Swift | 636 | 1287 | 1923 | [14] |
ABBA | 273 | 1456 | 1729 | [15] |
Eminem | 570 | 1135 | 1705 | [16] |
Drake | 1150 | 551 | 1701 | [17] |
Rod Stewart | 471 | 1189 | 1660 | [18] |
Rihanna | 1151 | 477 | 1628 | [19] |
U2 | 364 | 1104 | 1468 | [20] |
Frank Sinatra | 460 | 932 | 1392 | [21] |
The Rolling Stones | 389 | 927 | 1316 | [22] |
Bob Marley | 196 | 1077 | 1273 | [23] |
Coldplay | 571 | 661 | 1232 | [24] |
Whitney Houston | 378 | 843 | 1221 | [25] |
The Weeknd | 697 | 512 | 1209 | [26] |
Diana Ross | 569 | 634 | 1203 | [27] |
Justin Bieber | 924 | 278 | 1202 | [28] |
Adele | 471 | 725 | 1196 | [29] |
Arctic Monkeys | 183 | 998 | 1181 | [30] |
Simon & Garfunkel | 87 | 1092 | 1179 | [31] |
Take That | 417 | 708 | 1125 | [32] |
Robbie Williams | 415 | 655 | 1070 | [33] |
Dua Lipa | 596 | 473 | 1069 | [34] |
Pink Floyd | 57 | 992 | 1049 | [35] |
Phil Collins | 251 | 793 | 1044 | [36] |
Calvin Harris | 849 | 184 | 1033 | [37] |
George Michael | 309 | 702 | 1011 | [38] |
Kylie Minogue | 517 | 491 | 1008 | [39] |
"A Little Less Conversation" is a 1968 song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley, written by Mac Davis and Billy Strange and published by Gladys Music, Inc., originally performed in the film Live a Little, Love a Little. The song became a minor hit in the United States when released as a single with "Almost in Love" as the A-side. A 2002 remix by Dutch musician Junkie XL of a later re-recording of the song by Presley became a worldwide hit, topping the singles charts in nine countries and was awarded certifications in ten countries by 2003.
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a song recorded by American singer and actor Elvis Presley for his fourth soundtrack album, Blue Hawaii (1961). It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss and published by Gladys Music, Inc. The melody is based on "Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini. The song was initially written from the perspective of a woman as "Can't Help Falling in Love with Him", which explains the first and third line ending on "in" and "sin" rather than words rhyming with "you".
The UK singles chart was first compiled in 1969. However, the records and statistics listed here date back to 1952 because the Official Charts Company counts a selected period of the New Musical Express chart and the Record Retailer chart from 1960 to 1969 as predecessors for the period prior to 11 February 1969, where multiples of competing charts coexisted side by side. For example, the BBC compiled its own chart based on an average of the music papers of the time; many songs announced as having reached number one on BBC Radio and Top of the Pops prior to 1969 may not be listed here as chart-toppers since they do not meet the legacy criteria of the Charts Company.
The Official UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by sales and audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on Fridays. It is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and found on the OCC website as a Top 100 or on UKChartsPlus as a Top 200, with positions continuing until all sales have been tracked in data only available to industry insiders. However, even though number 100 was classed as a hit album in the 1980s until January 1989, since the compilations were removed, this definition was changed to Top 75 with follow-up books such as The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums only including this data. As of 2021, the OCC still only tracks how many UK Top 75s album hits and how many weeks in Top 75 albums chart each artist has achieved.
"In the Ghetto" is a 1969 song written by Mac Davis and recorded by Elvis Presley. It was a major hit released in 1969 as a part of Presley's comeback album, and was also available on the single release of "Any Day Now" as the flip side.
"What's My Name?" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, for her fifth studio album Loud (2010). Featuring guest vocals from Canadian rapper Drake, the song was released as the second single from Loud on October 25, 2010, through Def Jam Recordings and in Germany on January 21, 2011, as a single through Universal Music Group. The dancehall-infused electro-R&B song was produced by the Norwegian production duo Stargate, and was written by the duo along with Ester Dean, Traci Hale, and Drake. Lyrically, it incorporates themes of romance and sex.
Edward Christopher Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play No. 5 Collaborations Project. He signed with Asylum Records the same year.
"Work" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna featuring Canadian rapper Drake, from Rihanna's eighth studio album Anti (2016). It was released on January 27, 2016, by Westbury Road and Roc Nation as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Rihanna, Drake, Jahron Brathwaite, Monte Moir, Rupert Thomas, Allen Ritter, and Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels, the latter of which produced the track while Kuk Harrell and Noah "40" Shebib were additional producers. Incorporating elements of dancehall, reggae, pop, and R&B, "Work" contains an interpolation of Alexander O'Neal's "If You Were Here Tonight" (1985). Written in the English-based creole languages of Jamaica and Barbados, its lyrics are about fragile relationships and yearning for intimacy.
"Shape of You" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album ÷ (2017), along with "Castle on the Hill". The Dance Hall & R&B infused song was written by Sheeran, Steve Mac and Johnny McDaid. Due to its interpolation of "No Scrubs" by TLC, Kandi Burruss, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs are also credited as writers. The song was produced by Sheeran and Mac.