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Billboard’s Top Pop Stars of the 21st Century: No. 24 — Ed Sheeran
With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to a close, Billboard is spending the next few months counting down our staff picks for the 25 greatest pop stars of the last 25 years. We’ve already named our Honorable Mentions and our No. 25 star, and now we remember the century in Ed Sheeran — who went from coffee shops to stadiums without ever changing his fundamental singer-songwriter identity.
A single person, playing the guitar alone on stage in the middle of a stadium. It’s a fantasy — being an artist whose music and lyrics are simply so undeniable, so unifying, that they leap from the meekest clubs to the most gargantuan venues in the world! Many singer-songwriters from all walks of life have attempted this over the past 25 years, but almost all have come up short. It’s the wrong instrument for this century; modern pop doesn’t function like it did when rock ’n roll was the dominant sound, so this Greatest Pop Stars list does not include many six-string-toting chart-toppers.
With that in mind, the scale of Ed Sheeran’s 21st-century success is even more impressive. In a pop age where singer-songwriters generally hit a commercial ceiling early on, this red-headed kid from Halifax kept soaring higher and higher. He has become globally appealing and influential, transforming from a teen busking on the streets of London to often finding himself in the center of 80,000 people, an acoustic guitar strapped to his shoulder, no one and nothing else in his vicinity. And he doesn’t even look out of place.
Unlike hitmakers such as John Mayer, Jason Mraz, and Gavin DeGraw, Sheeran began his journey into the spotlight with a quiet, unassuming breakthrough hit. Following years of independent releases in between street performances and open-mic nights across the UK, Sheeran chose “The A Team,” a tender folk ballad about a sex worker addicted to drugs, as his debut single in 2011. Betting on its juxtaposition of finger-picked melodies and a soothing vocal tone with dark subject matter and stripped-down production, the bet paid off.
In the heart of the EDM-fueled, turbo-pop assault at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, the minimalist sing-along of “The A Team” counteracted the spastic movement of concurrent megapop hits by LMFAO and Pitbull. Sheeran’s debut was smarter, sincere, and more striking than the soundalike songs around it, climbing to No. 3 in Sheeran’s native UK and to No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Beyond its chart peaks, “The A Team” introduced Sheeran as an early-twenties troubadour worth investing in long-term. He played the song on late-night talk shows and later at the Grammys, where it was nominated for song of the year. Sheeran’s debut studio album, +, arrived a few months later in 2011, scoring a respectable No. 5 debut on the Billboard 200. With follow-up singles like “Lego House” and “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You,” Sheeran expanded expectations for what his music could sound like as his voice reached wider audiences.
Soon enough, those wider audiences included Taylor Swift, who tapped Sheeran for the Red duet “Everything Has Changed,” which became a top 40 Hot 100 hit. Swift brought him on the road as the opening act on the Red arena tour. Swift’s co-sign remains a crucial stamp of approval for aspiring artists, and the two remain close friends and collaborators more than a decade later, having recently re-recorded “Everything Has Changed” for Swift’s mega-selling Red (Taylor’s Version).
By the time Sheeran’s stint on the Red Tour wrapped up in September 2013, he was a star in his own right, headlining Madison Square Garden for the first time that fall and picking up a best new artist Grammy nomination. Sheeran’s next album, 2014’s x, featured collaborators like Pharrell Williams on lead single “Sing,” and Rick Rubin and Benny Blanco on follow-up single “Don’t.” x took Sheeran’s sonic blueprint to new, broader horizons. “Thinking Out Loud,” a soulful romantic ballad, became another huge hit, reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100 and winning song of the year at the 2016 Grammys.
As the wins accumulated for Sheeran in the mid-2010s, he also scored hits that sounded like his own but came under the names of other artists. “Love Yourself,” performed by Justin Bieber, mirrored Sheeran’s songwriting style and became a smash hit. Sheeran also co-wrote for artists like One Direction and Jessie Ware, but Bieber’s hit marked a significant moment for Sheeran the songwriter.
Meanwhile, Sheeran established himself as a must-see live performer with his x Tour. His setup — just him, his guitar, and a collection of pedal loops — allowed him to re-create the sonic worlds of his songs on his own, setting him apart from other touring acts.
If x elevated Sheeran to pop’s arena class, its follow-up, 2017’s ÷, made him a superstar. “Shape of You,” the gargantuan lead single, became his biggest hit, spending 12 weeks atop the Hot 100 and finishing 2017 as the biggest song of the year. Other singles from ÷ like “Castle on the Hill” and “Perfect” also found major success, cementing Sheeran as an A-list star.
Sheeran’s next full-length, 2019’s No. 6 Collaborations Project, a collection of team-ups with household names like Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, and Cardi B, continued his success. The album became a No. 1 hit. Sheeran took a break as the COVID-19 pandemic raged and became a father in August 2020.
Sheeran’s 2021 album = powered him into his second decade as a star, with singles like “Bad Habits” and “Shivers” finding success inside the top 10. In 2023, he released –, marking a downbeat reflection on personal tragedies, produced by Aaron Dessner. Although both – and its follow-up, Autumn Variations, didn’t spawn any hit singles, they seemed more for Sheeran’s peace of mind than for radio gains.
The good thing about graduating to no-brainer stadium status is that Sheeran can easily weather a commercial lull because he’s collected so many hits over a decade-plus while remaining a road warrior and onstage force. He has written songs that are built to last and influenced a new generation of singer-songwriters.
Ed Sheeran has transcended every pop trend, succeeded in various styles, and made his voice a familiar sound in modern pop music. He’s still enormous, and probably will be for a long, long time. Not bad for a guy with an acoustic guitar and loop pedal.
Read more about the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century and check back on Tuesday when our No. 23 artist is revealed!
Source: Billboard
