Topping the 1XtraPowerList– promoted by the BBC as naming the “most important UK artists in the black and urban music scene” – was Ed Sheeran, the white son of an art lecturer, who grew up in rural Framlingham, Suffolk, and whose music has combined elements of folk with hip-hop and grime.

The highest-placed black artist was rapper Tinie Tempah, who came third – behind second-placed Disclosure, the white brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, and just ahead of Sam Smith, the white son of a former City banker.

It debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, selling 180,000 copies in its first week of release, becoming the fastest selling album of 2014 so far, and it also marked Sheeran's second number one album in the United Kingdom.

In the United States, the album became Sheeran's first number one on the Billboard 200, debuting at number one with sales of 208 974 copies in the first week. Furthermore, Sheeran marks the largest debut for a pop album so far this year and the fourth-biggest opening overall in 2014. In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart; in its second week, the album remained at number one selling 7,000 copies.