Official Top 40 Biggest Songs & Albums of 2022

Posted July 7, 20222 yr

Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2022 so far

Harry Styles’ As It Was swoops in to become the biggest single of 2022 so far in the UK. 

The lead track from Harry’s third solo album Harry’s House logged a total of 10 weeks atop the Official Singles Chart, making it the longest-running Number 1 of the year so far. As It Was overtakes We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Disney’s Encanto which lead the way at the end of the first quarter.

The ‘80s-influenced track streaks ahead of the competition with over 855,000 combined chart units for the year-to-date so far, driven by a huge 95 million streams. As It Was is also the most physically purchased (11,000 units) and digitally downloaded (33,000 units) song of the year so far in the UK.

Coming in hot in second place is a surprise link-up between two superstars; Afrobeats legend Fireboy DML and Ed Sheeran, whose Peru may have peaked at Number 2 on the Official Singles Chart, but storms ahead of the track that denied it of its Number 1, We Don’t Talk About Bruno, propelled by a cool 98 million streams. 

And speaking of We Don’t Talk About Bruno, the Encanto mega-hit may place at Number 3, but it’s by far the most-streamed track of the year to date in the UK. Bruno logs a mammoth 110 million streams overall, massively bolstered by 36 million video streams, the most for any song so far in 2022.

Ever the chart titan, Ed Sheeran logs a total of three entries in the Top 10; alongside Peru, two Number 1 hits Bad Habits (4) and Shivers (6) continue to show impressive legs. Ed is also present in the wider Top 40 thanks to his collaboration with Camila Cabello, Bam Bam (22).

Dance smash Where Are You Now by Lost Frequencies and Calum Scott places inside the Top 5 (5) after an extraordinary uplift at the beginning of the year, despite the track first dropping in 2021.

New talent is arguably the most important thing in keeping the chart alive, and today we have two acts whose breakthrough UK single earns them a place in the Top 10 of the biggest singles of the year to date. 

Cat Burns’ Go (7) and Belters Only’s Make Me Feel Good ft. Jazzy (9) both experienced massive success this year, and earned each act their first UK Top 10 single in the process. 

Speaking to OfficialCharts.com about Go’s success, Cat Burns says: “If someone told me Go was going to be in the Top 10 of the Official Singles Chart, let alone the unbelievable success it has brought to me as an artist a year ago, I would’ve laughed! The song has taken on a life of its own and I’m incredibly grateful for everyone’s support.” 

Belters Only tell OfficialCharts.com: “We always had a vision for this track, but to find out it’s one of the Top 10 biggest songs of the year so far is just magical, we honestly have no words for the support since we have released this record, we just thank everyone for loving it & supporting us!”

Rounding out the Top 10, we have Starlight (10), the first new release of the year from Brixton-born rapper Dave. It became the Mercury Prize-winning star’s second Number 1 single in the UK, where it ruled the roost for a month-long stint.

Other hits from 2022 to make the list include Aitch & Ashanti’s Baby (15), Jax Jones and MNEK’s dance bop Where Did You Go? (17), Mimi Webb’s red-hot House On Fire (21), Tate McRae’s angsty pop-rock slow burning smash She’s All I Wanna Be (33) and Lizzo’s catchy viral hit About Damn Time (37).

Kate Bush’s chart resurrection across the last month has truly been a pleasure to witness, and it included the pop auteur breaking several long-standing Official Charts records in the process as Running Up That Hill (25) made its exciting journey to Number 1. Now the Stranger Things anthem can claim its place as one of the biggest tracks of 2022, 37 years after its original 1985 release.

And finally, the song with the lowest Official Singles Chart placement to make the list is a distinction that goes to Justin Bieber’s synth-tinged ballad Ghost (38), which peaked at a still-impressive Number 19 in the UK, and has proved to be a long-standing hit with consumers.

Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2022 so far:
POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK
1 AS IT WAS HARRY STYLES 1
2 PERU FIREBOY DML & ED SHEERAN 1
3 WE DON'T TALK ABOUT BRUNO GAITAN/CASTILLO/ADASSA/FELIZ 1
4 BAD HABITS ED SHEERAN 1
5 WHERE ARE YOU NOW LOST FREQUENCIES/CALUM SCOTT 4
6 SHIVERS ED SHEERAN 1
7 GO CAT BURNS 5
8 HEAT WAVES GLASS ANIMALS 1
9 MAKE ME FEEL GOOD BELTERS ONLY FT JAZZY 1
10 STARLIGHT DAVE 5
11 SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER SAM FENDER 1
12 COLD HEART ELTON JOHN & DUA LIPA 1
13 ABCDEFU GAYLE 6
14 DOWN UNDER LUUDE FT COLIN HAY 3
15 BABY AITCH/ASHANTI 1
16 EASY ON ME ADELE 1
17 WHERE DID YOU GO JAX JONES FT MNEK 1
18 SURFACE PRESSURE JESSICA DARROW 1
19 FIRST CLASS JACK HARLOW 1
20 OVERSEAS D-BLOCK EUROPE FT CENTRAL CEE 1
21 STAY KID LAROI & JUSTIN BIEBER 1
22 BAM BAM CAMILA CABELLO FT ED SHEERAN 1
23 RUNNING UP THAT HILL KATE BUSH 2
24 OVERPASS GRAFFITI ED SHEERAN 1
25 BMW BAD BOY CHILLER CREW 1
26 THE MOTTO TIESTO & AVA MAX 1
27 HOUSE ON FIRE MIMI WEBB 1
28 ANYONE FOR YOU GEORGE EZRA 1
29 FINGERS CROSSED LAUREN SPENCER-SMITH 4
30 GOOD 4 U OLIVIA RODRIGO 1
31 THE FAMILY MADRIGAL STEPHANIE BEATRIZ/OLGA MEREDIZ 1
32 COMING FOR YOU SWITCHOTR FT A1 & J1 3
33 SHE'S ALL I WANNA BE TATE MCRAE 1
34 SAVE YOUR TEARS WEEKND 1
35 MR BRIGHTSIDE KILLERS 1
36 ENEMY IMAGINE DRAGONS/JID/LEAGUE OF 1
37 ABOUT DAMN TIME LIZZO 3
38 GHOST JUSTIN BIEBER 19
39 DO IT TO IT ACRAZE FT CHERISH 5
40 FLOWERS (SAY MY NAME) ARRDEE 1

©2022 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

July 7, 20222 yr

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Official Top 40 Biggest Albums of 2022 so far

The biggest album of 2022 so far is Ed Sheeran’s = (Equals), the Official Charts Company can reveal today.

Having claimed the title of the second-biggest album of 2021 overall, the 31-year-old’s fourth studio record leads the charge at this year’s halfway point. To date this year, = has racked up 256,000 combined UK chart units and counting.

A recently-released Tour Edition of = will also give the album a new lease of life as we enter the third quarter, with Ed having recently completed the UK leg of his +–=÷x (Mathematics) Tour. Since its release in October 2021, = has achieved 689,000 combined UK chart sales, and is also the most streamed and downloaded album of the year to date.

At Number 2 is 2022’s biggest new release album; Harry Styles’ Harry’s House. The One Direction star’s third solo LP, which saw him claim the rare Official Chart Double as he topped both the Official Albums Chart and Official Singles Chart with lead track As It Was, has already achieved 244,000 UK chart sales since its release in May. No other release this year has sold more copies on physical formats, the record has spent three non-consecutive weeks atop the Official Albums Chart this year.

Elsewhere in the year-to-date Top 5, Olivia Rodrigo’s debut SOUR is at 3, having spent over a year on the Official Albums Chart since its release in June 2021. Adele’s 30 is the fourth-biggest album of 2022 so far, accumulating over 120,000 chart sales this year.

A host of greatest hits collections also appear in the Top 10 of 2022 to date, with Little Mix’s Between Us (5), Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years – Don’t Stop (6), The Weeknd’s The Highlights (7) and Eminem’s Curtain Call: The Hits (9) all proving popular at the midway mark. Other chart mainstays continuing to make an impact include Queen’s Greatest Hits (12), ABBA’s Gold – The Greatest Hits (13) and Oasis’s career-spanning compilation Time Flies – 1994-2009 (17).

It’s a big year for new releases, too, with many Number 1 albums amongst the year’s biggest records so far. At Number 10, The Weeknd’s Dawn FM has enjoyed over 101,000 combined chart sales since its January release. Liam Gallagher’s recent chart-topper C’Mon You Know also gets off to a strong start at Number 15 on the list.

The biggest new British release of the year so far comes courtesy of Shepherd’s Bush-born drill rapper Central Cee and his mixtape 23 (20). The inclusion of D-Block Europe’s Home Alone 2 mixtape (23) further proves the UK’s appetite for homegrown hip-hop.

Other new releases on the end-of-Q2 Official Albums Chart Top 40 include Years & Years’ glittering third release Night Call (27); a Number 1 record back in January. George Ezra’s Gold Rush Kid, the singer-songwriter’s June 2022 chart-topper, makes its mark on the year-to-date chart already (30), Kendrick Lamar’s latest release, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, also features on the list (32).

Finally, Wet Leg’s chart-topping self-titled debut album comes in at Number 39, while Brighton rapper ArrDee sees his debut mixtape Pier Pressure round off the list at Number 40.

Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2022 so far
POS TITLE ARTIST PEAK
1 = ED SHEERAN 1
2 HARRY'S HOUSE HARRY STYLES 1
3 SOUR OLIVIA RODRIGO 1
4 30 ADELE 1
5 BETWEEN US LITTLE MIX 3
6 50 YEARS - DON'T STOP FLEETWOOD MAC 5
7 THE HIGHLIGHTS WEEKND 2
8 DIVIDE ED SHEERAN 1
9 CURTAIN CALL - THE HITS EMINEM 1
10 DAWN FM WEEKND 1
11 DIAMONDS ELTON JOHN 5
12 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 2
13 GOLD - GREATEST HITS ABBA 1
14 FINE LINE HARRY STYLES 2
15 C'MON YOU KNOW LIAM GALLAGHER 1
16 PLANET HER DOJA CAT 3
17 TIME FLIES - 1994-2009 OASIS 1
18 WE'RE ALL ALONE IN THIS TOGETHER DAVE 1
19 SEVENTEEN GOING UNDER SAM FENDER 1
20 23 CENTRAL CEE 1
21 RUMOURS FLEETWOOD MAC 3
22 FUTURE NOSTALGIA DUA LIPA 1
23 HOME ALONE 2 D-BLOCK EUROPE 6
24 AM ARCTIC MONKEYS 1
25 1 BEATLES 1
26 CERTIFIED LOVER BOY DRAKE 1
27 NIGHT CALL YEARS & YEARS 1
28 NUMBER ONES MICHAEL JACKSON 1
29 DIVINELY UNINSPIRED TO A HELLISH EXTENT LEWIS CAPALDI 1
30 GOLD RUSH KID GEORGE EZRA 1
31 LEGEND BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS 5
32 MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS KENDRICK LAMAR 2
33 HAPPIER THAN EVER BILLIE EILISH 1
34 WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY OASIS 1
35 I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - THE BEST OF WHITNEY HOUSTON 27
36 SHOOT FOR THE STARS AIM FOR THE MOON POP SMOKE 1
37 PSYCHODRAMA DAVE 1
38 LEGACY DAVID BOWIE 5
39 WET LEG WET LEG 1
40 PIER PRESSURE ARRDEE 2

©2022 Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.

July 7, 20222 yr

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Music Week's 2022 half-year analysis: Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles compete for supremacy
by Andre Paine | July 7th 2022 at 7:15AM

The sales results are in for the half-year of 2022, which is shaping up to be a close contest between Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles.

Read on for the Music Week analysis of the first six months and Q2, based on exclusive Official Charts Company data…

Ed rush

Ed Sheeran’s = (Asylum/Atlantic) had to make do with No.2 overall in 2021 behind Adele, but the UK superstar’s album is out in front so far in 2022.

With sales so far this year of 256,609, = is setting the pace with Sheeran’s stadium run (and consistent singles chart presence) helping to maintain consumption. The album has sales to date of 689,104, according to the Official Charts Company. It means that = is in hot pursuit of 30 (Columbia) by Adele, which is on 720,990 sales.

Catalogue is also strong for Sheeran in 2022 with ÷ at No.8 overall in 2022 - fully five years after its release - with sales this year of 105,889. Based on its current rate of consumption, it will pass four million units by the end of 2022 (current sales: 3,929,331).

Sheeran is also at No.51 this year with X (48,132) and No.77 with No 6 Collaborations Project (40,482). And he has five tracks in the Top 30 of the year’s biggest singles.

House music

While Sheeran reigns supreme on the albums rundown for 2022 so far, Harry Styles was the star performer of Q2.

Released in May, Styles’ third album Harry’s House (Columbia) was the biggest seller of the second quarter on 244,349 sales. The LP broke 21st century first week vinyl sales with just over 36,000 copies moved in the opening frame.

For the first-half of the year, the sales for Harry’s House are enough to secure second place behind Ed Sheeran. But with a gap of just 12,000 units, Styles could pull ahead of his chart rival in the weeks ahead if the album maintains its current momentum. In terms of catalogue, Fine Line is No.14 for the year to date with 89,398 sales (from a total of 631,003), while the self-titled debut is No.63 with 44,599 sales (total: 428,138).

Harry Styles does already have the biggest single of 2022 so far with As It Was (855,355). The track pulled ahead of Peru by Ed Sheeran & Fireboy DML (821,163) in the final weeks of June.

Tracks from Harry’s House have not had enough time to make an impact on the year-to-date rankings. But three of them have made the Top 50 for Q2, including Late Night Talking (No.28, 201,493), Music For A Sushi Restaurant (No.33, 176,535) and Matilda (No.50, 141,331).

Sour times

Olivia Rodrigo performed at Glastonbury last month, and her debut album still remains a favourite in the UK.

Released in May 2021, Sour (Polydor/Geffen) is the third biggest album of 2022 so far with sales this year of 127,069. Sour has sales to date of 522,392.

The record had a Glastonbury boost but it’s actually seen pretty consistent consumption so far this year. Sour was No.5 in Q2 with 63,022, just 1,000 sales below its Q1 consumption figure. So the album should finish the year with 250,000 sales in addition to its 2021 tally of 395,323.

Olivia Rodrigo was Music Week’s Artist Of The Year for 2021. Sour was the front runner for much of last year until the release of big Q4 albums from Adele, Ed Sheeran and ABBA.

Catalogue jam

The scale of catalogue streaming meant that half of the Q1 Top 10 albums were not current releases (or they were greatest hits collections).

In Q2, there was more room for big new albums to come through and make an impact, including Harry’s House, C’mon You Know (Warner Records) by Liam Gallagher at No.3 (85,186), Gold Rush Kid (Columbia) by George Ezra at No.4 (63,114) and Kendrick Lamar’s Mr Morale & The Big Steppers (Polydor) at No.7 (59,349).

Overall, three catalogue titles made the Q2 Top 10 - Little Mix’s Between Us (RCA) collection, Harry Styles’ Fine Line and 50 Years - Don’t Stop (Rhino) by Fleetwood Mac.

For the year to date, however, half of the Top 10 can be classified as catalogue with Little Mix and Fleetwood Mac joined by Ed Sheeran’s ÷, The Weeknd’s The Highlights (Island/Republic/XO) and Eminem’s Curtain Call - The Hits (Polydor/Interscope).

Of course, we shouldn’t forget Kate Bush and the revival of Running Up That Hill (Fish People) thanks to Stranger Things. The 1985 single made No.6 in Q2 and is No.23 for the year to date (387,245).

Break a leg

Wet Leg are the biggest UK breakthrough act of 2022 so far with their self-titled debut - although there was only three sales in it.

The Domino-signed duo stand at No.39 with sales of 55,566, following a strong week one vinyl performance. Released in April, the LP was No.9 overall in Q2.

ArrDee’s debut mixtape Pier Pressure (Island) is just behind Wet Leg in the year-to-date sales rankings. It finished the half-year at No.40 with 55,563. That tiny gap means that it will be an interesting tussle for this year’s biggest breakthrough between the Isle Of Wight indie act and the teenage rapper from Brighton.

Yard Act made an impact in Q1 with their debut, The Overload.

Last year’s biggest new UK act, Central Cee, is building on his success. The UK rapper’s mixtape 23 (Central Cee/ADA) is at No.20 for the year to date (70,603).

In terms of a singles breakthrough, Cat Burns is this year’s significant developing UK artist. The singer-songwriter from Streatham is at No.7 so far in 2022 with Go (RCA/Since ‘93) on 672,396.

July 8, 20222 yr

The above listing is actually last weeks Top 40 Year To Date - so if you want to see the full Top 100 it's in last weeks ChartsPlus Issue 1089.

July 8, 20222 yr

Mr Brightside :drama:

July 8, 20222 yr

I hope RUTH makes top 10 for the year, would be such an achievement

July 8, 20222 yr

Harry must've overtaken 'Peru' pretty quickly in the past month. As much as I thought it stayed at #1 too long I must admit it's the better song to have on top of EOY atm.

Kate for top 10 would be fab but I'm uncertain she'll be there come December really.