Ed Sheeran is the quintessential laidback pop star. Most of his musical artistry involves stripped-down, bashful performances and relatable lyrics. However, make no mistake—Ed Sheeran is a commercial heavyweight, churning out record-breaking singles and albums like no man’s business. Most notably, his first string of albums were uniquely titled.
From his debut LP, +, to his fifth, =, the British crooner opted for symbols for album titles. While each of these efforts all produced timeless songs, it was his third album, ÷ (Divide), that became his biggest global smash hit. The Grammy-winning album is the best-selling in the singer’s catalog, boasting some awe-inspiring numbers. Altogether, around the world, Divide has amassed over 13 million units sold.
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A Worldwide Phenomenon
To go into more detail, Ed Sheeran dominated the album market for the entire calendar year of 2017. Divide kicked off its record-breaking run in the UK, selling over 232,000 units on its first day, without including streaming data. After three days, it had sold more than 432,000 copies, a surefire guarantee that it would debut at No. 1 on the UK Albums chart. Finally, at the end of the first week, Divide had sold over 672,000 units, awarding Ed Sheeran one of the best first-week sales in the history of UK albums. In his native England, the album has been certified 13x Platinum for shipments of over 3.9 million units.
Likewise, in the United States, Divide debuted atop the Billboard 200. The album sold over 450,000 units in its first week. Altogether, it sold over five million copies, earning a 5x Platinum from the RIAA. All over Europe, Ed Sheeran dominated with Divide, which became one of the best-selling albums in multiple countries. For example, it stayed atop the Danish Albums chart for 36 weeks, becoming the longest-running No. 1 album in Denmark. There, it also achieved total sales of over 240,000 units, achieving a 12x Platinum certification.
At the time of its release, Divide was the fastest-selling album of the 2010s in Ireland. The album also performed exceptionally well in Canada, earning a Diamond certification after 800,000 units sold. Additionally, in Australia, it was the best-selling album of 2017 and has since sold over 770,000 units, earning an 11x Platinum certification. In France, the LP has been certified Diamond for over 500,000 sales. Italy is not far behind, with a 7x Platinum certification after 350,000 units sold.
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Ed Sheeran Becomes Pop Royalty
With his third LP, Ed Sheeran achieved sales equivalents that matched albums released during the Britpop era of the 80s and 90s. The overwhelming success of Divide signified his reign as the most widespread British act of the modern age, alongside Adele. Divide dominated worldwide, and its singles were not left behind. In particular, “Shape of You” and “Perfect” conquered the radio. The former is also the second most streamed song on Spotify. Overall, of all the albums in his repertoire, Ed Sheeran completely shattered all expectations with Divide.
