It’s autumn but there is no variation in Ed Sheeran’s debut position, as his seventh full length studio album, Autumn Variations, emulates its predecessors by opening at No.1.

Arriving just 21 weeks after Sheeran’s sixth album Subtract, Autumn Variations was never in any danger from the chasing pack – which includes seven other debuts – registering first week consumption of 30,016 units (16,027 CDs, 6,121 vinyl albums, 2,188 digital downloads and 5,680 sales-equivalent streams).

Sheeran thus becomes the first ...