Elton John’s Greatest Hits Take the Crown: A Chart-Topping Triumph!

Sir Elton John’s comprehensive collection of greatest hits, Diamonds, has ascended to the top position after 374 weeks on the charts.

Including iconic tracks such as Tiny Dancer, I’m Still Standing, and Rocket Man, this 51-song compilation has secured the artist his ninth number one album at the age of 77.

“I am incredibly excited and delighted that Diamonds is the top album in the UK this week,” he expressed. “What a wonderful beginning to the new year. I couldn’t be happier.”

Initially released in 2017, Diamonds has consistently featured on the charts since its debut. A surge in sales occurred last week due to its re-launch as a super deluxe edition on Blu-ray, cassette, and diamond-effect vinyl.

There has also been an increase in the star’s streaming activity, attributed to the Disney+ documentary Never Too Late, which was released last month.

Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, it charts the artist’s evolution from an occasional session musician to a worldwide sensation, alongside his battles with addiction, fatherhood, and the conclusion of his farewell tour in 2023.

Co-directed by his spouse David Furnish, the documentary has been shortlisted for the Bafta best documentary longlist disclosed last week.

Diamonds was initially launched in 2017 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sir Elton’s songwriting collaboration with Bernie Taupin.

The double album has since sold over 1.5 million copies in the UK, yet it never achieved a higher position than number two on the charts.

Its rise to number one was facilitated by a slow week for new releases, with no fresh music entering the Top 10.

According to the Official Charts Company, Diamonds has also spent more weeks consecutively within the Top 40 than any other album in the history of the charts.

Sir Elton’s previous number one albums span six decades, commencing with 1973’s Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player. His initial greatest hits compilation topped the charts a year later.

Diamonds is not the only enduring hits collection to maintain a significant place in the Top 100.

Highlights, by Canadian artist The Weeknd, was the second largest-selling album of 2024, three years after its initial launch.

Similarly, Abba’s Gold and Queen’s Greatest Hits have each spent over 1,000 weeks on the album chart.

All of these collections benefit from the integration of music streaming in chart calculations, where plays of individual songs count towards the album’s cumulative sales total.

In other news from this week’s chart, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet secures the number two position, while SZA’s SOS remains at number three.

Gracie Abrams’ poignant ballad That’s So True claims the singles chart for a seventh non-consecutive week, with Rosé and Bruno Mars at two with APT, and British artist Lola Young with Messy at number three.

Additionally, Chappell Roan – recently announced as the recipient of the BBC’s Sound Of 2025 – sees her five-year-old track Pink Pony Club make a comeback in the chart at number 22.