Longest climb to No.1 on the UK Official Singles Chart (consecutive chart run)

Ed Sheeran's (UK) 2014 ballad "Thinking out Loud" took a record 19 weeks to reach No.1 on the UK's Official Singles Chart. The third single from Sheeran's album x ("multiply") debuted at No.26 on the chart dated 5 July 2014 and peaked at No.1 on 8 November 2014. The track spent all 19 weeks inside the Top 30 and climbed to No.1 after the singer-songwriter had performed it live on the ever-popular TV show The X Factor on 26 October.

"Thinking out Loud" eclipsed two singles that had been jointly responsible for the longest treks to No.1 in a single chart run (i.e., without leaving the Top 75 after chart debut): Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love" (16 weeks from 29 June to 12 October 1985) and Celine Dion's "Think Twice" (16 weeks from 22 October 1994 to 4 February 1995).

Two other UK singles matched "Thinking out Loud's" 19-week journey to No.1, but in two chart runs: Jackie Wilson's "Reet Petite (The Sweetest Girl in Town)" spent 14 weeks on chart in 1957-58 (peak 6) and took a further five weeks to reach No.1 when it was re-issued in 1986; The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" spent 15 weeks on chart in 1969-70 (peak 3) and took a further four weeks to reach No.1 when it was re-issued in 1988.

The 19-week chart run of "Thinking out Loud": 26 (5 July 2014)-25-29-23-28-20-18-16-13-17-18-24-19-18-15-16-4-2-1 (8 November 2014).

"Thinking out Loud" was the UK's most played track in the week it reached No.1 with almost 1.6 million streams. In the same week, the song registered 89,000 sales/streams (with 100 streams equal to one sale), taking its total UK sales/streams to more than 356,000.

"Thinking out Loud" debuted at No.26 in the same week Sheeran's album x entered the Official Albums Chart at No.1. He had the following songs in the UK Top 75 on 5 July 2014): "Sing" (No.3), "Don't" (No.19), "Thinking out Loud" (No.26), "One" (No.35), "Photograph" (No.44), "Afire Love" (No.71), "I'm a Mess" (No.72).