Elton John’s hits album finally goes to number one

Sir Elton John’s career-spanning greatest hits collection, Diamonds, has reached number one – after 374 weeks on the charts.

Featuring signature songs like Tiny Dancer, I’m Still Standing and Rocket Man, the 51-track collection has given the star his ninth number one album, at the age of 77.

“I’m so excited and thrilled that Diamonds is the number one album in the UK this week,” he said. “What a great start to the new year. I could not be happier.”

Originally released in 2017, Diamonds has been a permanent fixture on the charts ever since. It received a sales boost last week after being re-released as a super deluxe edition on Blu-ray, cassette and diamond-effect vinyl.

There has also been a surge in the star’s streaming numbers, thanks to the Disney+ documentary Never Too Late, which premiered last month.

Featuring previously unseen footage, it traces the star’s journey from jobbing session musician to global superstar, as well as his struggles with addiction, becoming a father and the conclusion of his farewell tour in 2023.

Co-directed by his husband David Furnish, the film was included on the Bafta longlist for best documentary last week.

Diamonds was originally released in 2017 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sir Elton’s songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin.

The double album has subsequently sold more than 1.5 million copies in the UK, but never managed to climb higher than number two in the charts.

Its ascent to number one was aided by a quiet week for new releases, with no new music entering the Top 10.

According to the Official Charts Company, Diamonds has also spent more consecutive weeks inside Top 40 than any other album in chart history.

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

Diamonds isn’t the only long-running hits compilation to take up permanent residence in the Top 100.

Highlights, by Canadian star The Weeknd, was the second biggest-selling album of 2024, three years after its debut.

Meanwhile Abba’s Gold and Queen’s Greatest Hits have both spent more than 1,000 weeks on the album chart.

All of them benefit from the way music streaming is incorporated into the chart calculations – with plays of individual tracks all counting towards the album’s overall sales total.

Elsewhere in this week’s chart, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet takes the number two spot, and SZA’s SOS is holding steady at number three.

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

Meanwhile, Chappell Roan – who has just been named winner of the BBC’s Sound Of 2025 – sees her five-year-old single Pink Pony Club re-enter the chart at number 22.