Ed Sheeran has edged closer to a chart record as his hit Shape Of You held on to the number one spot for an 11th week, overtaking stints by Rihanna and Whitney Houston.

Rihanna’s 2007 chart-topper Umbrella and Houston’s 1992 version of the ballad I Will Always Love You both held the top spot for 10 weeks.

Rihanna
Rihanna (Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA)

Ed has now tied Slim Whitman’s song Rose Marie, which stayed at number one for 11 weeks in 1955.

He will need to hold on for another month to tie Drake’s One Dance and Wet Wet Wet’s Love Is All Around, which both dominated the charts for 15 weeks, and another five weeks to draw with Bryan Adams, who holds the current record for longest-reigning number one with (Everything I Do) I Do It For You from 1991.

Ed’s single Galway Girl has held the number two spot and his Castle On The Hill has held third position, forcing Drake’s new entry Passionfruit to take number four and nudging Chainsmokers & Coldplay’s Something Just Like This to the fifth spot, according to the Official Charts Company.

Dame Vera Lynn made chart history this week as she became the first centenarian to have an album in the Official UK Album Charts and the oldest living artist to score a top 10.

Dame Vera Lynn (Decca Records)
Dame Vera Lynn (Decca Records)

The record, entitled Vera Lynn 100, features re-orchestrated versions of her best loved music including We’ll Meet Again and White Cliffs Of Dover and has taken the number three spot, behind Ed Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) and Drake’s new offering More Life.

Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s album Human slipped from number two to four, while Depeche Mode’s Spirit entered the charts at number five.

Rag N Bone Man
Rag’n'Bone Man (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Dame Vera said: “I have been quite overwhelmed by the response to my 100th birthday and now the icing on the cake is the news that my new Decca album is No. 3 in the UK Album Charts.”

The Forces Sweetheart still holds the record for the oldest living artist to score a number one album, hitting the top in 2009 with her Very Best Of collection, at the age of 93.

Dame Vera Lynn
(Decca Records/PA)

Martin Talbot, Official Charts Company chief executive, added: “What a fantastic achievement for Vera Lynn, to set these amazing landmarks and find herself rubbing shoulders in the albums top five with Ed Sheeran, Drake, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and Depeche Mode. I’m sure they feel equally as honoured to be mentioned in the same breath as such a genuine British icon.”

The Official Charts Company said Ed’s album has sold 1.18 million copies across physical, digital and streaming equivalent.