London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist of 2021 in the UK

Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist of 2021 in the UK

The pop star’s single Bad Habits was also the most-played song of last year, according to new data from music licensing company PPL

Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist in the UK last year according to new data from music licensing company PPL, which calculates usage by radio stations, TV channels and public locations that play recorded music in order to distribute royalties.

Sheeran also had the most-played track of 2021 in Bad Habits, from his fourth album, =. He previously held the PPL double in 2017, when he was the year’s most-played artist and his song Shape of You dominated public life.

Peter Leathem, chief executive officer at PPL, said that, over the last five years, Sheeran’s success was “a testament to the quality of his output [and] the strength of UK music at a time when the global music landscape is more competitive than ever”.

Nipping at Sheeran’s heels for cultural dominance, however, is Bedford-born pop star Tom Grennan, who was recently hospitalised after being attacked in New York. His collaboration with Calvin Harris, By Your Side, was the second biggest song of 2021; his solo single Little Bit of Love was the third.

Reflecting how streaming has given the biggest hit songs a longer tail than ever, the fourth biggest song of last year, the Weeknd’s Blinding Lights, was in fact released in 2019. Its placing here adds to a litany of records: in November 2021, it was ranked as the biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit of all time.

Little Mix on their farewell tour in April.


Also sticking around was Miley Cyrus’s Midnight Sky, originally released in 2020. It is the only solo song by a female artist in the Top 10 most-played tracks of 2021. Heartbreak Anthem, Little Mix’s collaboration with Galantis and David Guetta placed at No 7, and Joel Corry, Raye and Guetta’s hit Bed placed at No 10.

The most-played artists charts revealed a closer split between genders, with 60:40 male to female. Little Mix have been in the Top 10 for each of the last five years; this year they are No 4, which may mark their final placing in the list given their recent hiatus. At No 5, Coldplay have featured in the artist Top 10 eight times in the past 10 years, placing top in 2016 and 2012.

Pink appears at No 10 on the artists chart, reflecting another PPL win for the US pop star: last year, the organisation named her the UK’s most-played female artist of the 21st century.

In 2021, the PPL collected a total revenue of £252.8m, distributed to 147 performers and rightsholders.


The full PPL charts for 2021


Most-played tracks

1. Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits

2. Calvin Harris – By Your Side ft Tom Grennan

3. Tom Grennan – Little Bit of Love

4. The Weeknd – Blinding Lights

5. Coldplay – Higher Power

6. Rag’n’Bone Man – All You Ever Wanted

7. Galantis, David Guetta and Little Mix – Heartbreak Anthem

8. Years & Years – Starstruck

9. Miley Cyrus – Midnight Sky

10. Joel Corry x Raye x David Guetta – Bed

Most-played artists

1. Ed Sheeran

2. David Guetta

3. Dua Lipa

4. Little Mix

5. Coldplay

6. The Weeknd

7. Justin Bieber

8. Calvin Harris

9. Taylor Swift

10. Pink

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×