Atlantic RecordsEd Sheeran’s #1 hit “Shape of You” is a massive smash, but just how big is it? At least twice as big as any other song currently on the chart.
Billboard did the math. According to the magazine, since they began electronically measuring charts back in 1991, there have only been 17 #1 songs that have been twice as popular as the #2 hit at the time. Popularity is based on chart points received for things like radio airplay, sales and streaming. The more points you have, the higher you rise on the chart.
Ed’s “Shape of You” is the 18th song to join that club — it has a more than two-to-one point lead over the current #2 song, “Bad and Boujee,” by rap trio Migos. The last song to enjoy such a wide margin was Adele‘s “Hello,” back in 2015.
“Shape of You” is in good company. Among the seventeen #1 songs that have previously enjoyed that two-to-one popularity margin are megahits like Whitney Houston‘s “I Will Always Love You,” “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men, Celine Dion‘s “My Heart Will Go On,” “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, “Heartbreaker” by Mariah Carey, and Aerosmith‘s “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.”
“Shape of You” has been #1 for seven weeks. Ed’s album ÷ (Divide) is also #1. He’s just released the lyric video for another track from the album: “Galway Girl,” about an female Irish fiddle player who falls in love with an English guy.
Fun fact: both “Shape of You” and “Galway Girl” mention putting “Van on the jukebox.” That’s a reference to legendary Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, who’ one of Ed’s idols.
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