Ed Sheeran’s ‘x’ Debuts At #1 On Album Chart, Sam Smith Hangs In Right Behind At #2

Ed Sheeran has clearly multiplied his fan base and sales between the releases of debut LP + and its follow-up, x. The latter goes straight in at #1 on the Billboard 200 after selling 210,000 copies in its opening week. This puts Sheeran in fourth place for biggest first-week sales overall in 2014, behind Coldplay‘s Ghost Stories (383,000), Eric Church‘s The Outsiders (288,000) and Brantley Gilbert‘s Just As I Am (211,000).

Hanging in just behind Ed is his fellow UK countryman Sam Smith, with In the Lonely Hour (67,000). Smith debuted at #2 last week, just behind Lana Del Rey‘s Ultraviolence, which now takes a tumble to #4.

With the British gents locking up the top of the chart, head below to see where the rest of pop’s movers and shakers landed this week.

1. Ed Sheeran, x *new* *1 week*
2. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour
3. G-Eazy, These Things Happen *new*
4. Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
5. Soundtrack, Frozen
6. Mastodon, Once More ‘Round The Sun *new*
7. Phish, Fuego *new*
8. Miranda Lambert, Platinum
9. Linkin Park, The Hunting Party
10. Various, NOW 50

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