Ed Sheeran Discography Ranked

Hi Friends!

Hope you're doing well. You might recall my Ed Sheeran Loop Tour Review from early August. As a fellow music innovator, singer, guitarist, pianist, percussionist, and producer, who's learning and growing musically every day, Ed's definitely a hero of mine. I know his music well, he's my favorite artist, and I hope this piece inspires you to listen to some of his work.

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#8: Autumn Variations (2023)

Autumn Variations is Ed’s first independent album, released under his own Gingerbread Man Records. Inspired by Elgar’s Enigma Variations, which is music about the composer’s friends, he created this album as a reflection on the changes of his friends’ lives in 2022. There are so many interesting themes in this 14-song album, including how things fall apart and come together.

Highlights: “American Town”, “Plastic Bag”, “Magical”, “Punchline”

#7: No. 6 Collaborations Project (2019)

An experimental and fun project where Ed collaborated with some of the biggest artists including Justin Bieber, Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Eminem and Travis Scott. These collabs span many different genres including pop, hip-hop, R&B and rock. It's a great album to introduce yourself to Ed's music, particularly if you're already a fan of some of the artists he collab'd with.

Highlights: “Beautiful People”, “I Don’t Care”, “South of the Border”, “Blow”

#6: Equals (2021)

 Equals (stylized as “=”) marked a return to primarily solo songs for Ed after his 2019 collab album, featuring a wintry mix of ballads, upbeat pop tracks, chart-toppers and reflective songs about life. "Visiting Hours" is particularly poignant, a song where Ed processes his grief after the untimely passing of a friend and mentor.

Highlights: “Shivers”, “Bad Habits”, “Overpass Graffiti”, “Visiting Hours”

#5: Multiply (2014)

Multiply (stylized as “x”) is Sheeran’s second studio album, showcasing his versatility by combining his signature acoustic sound with pop, R&B and soft hip-hop influences, along with stars like Pharrell Williams and Benny Blanco as producers.

Highlights: “Photograph”, “I’m a Mess”, “Sing”, “Thinking Out Loud”

#4: Subtract (2023)

Subtract (stylized as “-”) is Ed’s sixth studio album, marking a deeply personal, acoustic-driven turn in his career and serving as his fifth and final mathematical-themed album. He wrote these songs during a difficult time when his wife was diagnosed with a tumor, his close friend suddenly died, and he was involved in a lawsuit on his song "Shape of You". With this album, he aimed for honesty and raw emotional expression rather than conventional hits.

Highlights: “Eyes Closed”, “Boat”, “Life Goes On”, “The Hills of Aberfeldy”

#3: Play (2025)

Play (stylized as “►”) was released through Gingerbread Man Records and Atlantic Records. It is the first in Sheeran’s planned pentalogy of albums themed after media control symbols, with sequels planned as Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Stop. It blends pop, Indian and Persian musical influences, incorporating instruments like the dhol, ghatam, bouzouki, bansuri, tabla and bamboo flute. This album is my dad’s favorite and is characterized by energetic beats and a fusion of global melodies — a vibrant contrast to the introspective tone of Subtract and Autumn Variations.

Highlights: “Sapphire”, “Azizam”, “Old Phone”, “Camera”

#2: Divide (2017)

Following a break from social media to reconnect with life, Ed released Divide (stylized as “÷”) as a reflection of his personal experiences and musical exploration. The album marked a return to high-profile pop music while incorporating elements from folk-pop, R&B and Irish influences. The record broke lots of streaming sales and remains his most defining album and the fan-favorite, with his song “Shape of You” as the second-most-streamed song on Spotify with over 5 billion streams (for those curious, "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd is first with over 5.5 billion streams).

Highlights: “Shape of You”, “Perfect”, “Castle on the Hill”, “Galway Girl”

#1: Plus (2011)

Plus (stylized as “+”) is in my opinion Ed’s best album. His debut studio album was an instant breakthrough, introducing his now iconic mix of folk, pop and rap-inspired phrasing to the world, instantly marking him as one of the UK’s most promising artists. I don't know if or when I'll release my first studio album, but it'd be epic to kick things off like this! I honestly think this is the best debut album any artist has made.

Highlights: “The A Team”, “Lego House”, “Give Me Love”, “The City”

Well, there you have it folks! Let me know your favorite Ed Sheeran album in the comments or if you haven't quite gone as far as listening to his albums, share your favorite Ed songs!

That's all for today! See y'all next time! Sarang out.