To date, Ed Sheeran has sold more than 150 million albums worldwide.
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In the internet age, to sell that many records is unbelievable. Sheeran is a musical icon with hit songs like “Shape of You,” “Perfect” and more. He’s collaborated with everyone, from Eminem to Taylor Swift to Camila Cabello.
Truly, he’s one of the most accomplished and prolific songwriters of the modern era.
[RELATED: 15 Songs You Didn’t Know Ed Sheeran Wrote for Other Artists]
But with all this under his belt, so to speak, one may wonder: how did Sheeran get to be this way? What makes him such an impressive and successful artist?
Well, the answer may lie in what songs Sheeran listens to. For the 31-year-old British-born artist, his major influences include Stevie Wonder, Derek and the Dominos, and Van Morrison.
Without further ado, let’s dive into Ed Sheeran’s 15 favorite songs.
In 2015, Sheeran shared his all-time favorite songs with Rolling Stone magazine. From Eric Clapton inspiring him to want to play guitar to his admitted love of Eminem, check out what nine songs he said are his favorites.
1. “Cannonball,” Damien Rice
“Seeing Damien Rice perform when I was 11 changed my life forever,” shared Sheeran. “After seeing him play this small club in Ireland, I was able to meet him, and he was unbelievably cool. I went straight home and started writing songs. I would not be doing what I’m doing now if he’d been a jerk.”
2. “Layla,” Derek and the Dominos
“It sounds a bit clichéd, but Eric Clapton made me want to play guitar,” revealed Sheeran. “I saw him perform ‘Layla’ at the Queen’s Jubilee on TV when I was about the same age—11—and said, ‘I want to do that.’ Of course, no one plays like Clapton, least of all me.”
3. “Stan,” Eminem
“Believe it or not, my dad was the one who bought me The Marshall Mathers LP,” said Sheeran. “I think he read an article that compared Eminem to Bob Dylan, and he loved Bob Dylan, so he figured it had to be good. He wasn’t wrong. Eminem is still my favorite rapper of all time.”
4. “Ricky,” the Game
“The Game is one rapper that I constantly look up to,” said Sheeran. “He has so much passion and feeling in this song. You know everything he does is the truth.”
5. “Irish Heartbeat,” Van Morrison and the Chieftains
“I’m a big Van Morrison fan. My parents used to play this album on our road trips when I was a kid, so it really takes me back,” recalled Sheeran. “The album is a collaboration with the Chieftains, and the entire thing is incredible. This is the title track.”
6. “Guiding Light,” Foy Vance
“I’ve been a huge fan of Foy since I was 14 or 15, and this is one of my favorite songs of his,” said Sheeran. “When he set out to make his first album in years, Joy of Nothing, he asked me to join him on the recording of ‘Guiding Light.’ It’s one of my proudest moments.”
7. “Do You Remember,” Jarryd James
“I heard this while I was in an Australian radio station last week, and I had to find out who the singer was,” remarked Sheeran. “Ends up he’s a young lad from Brisbane, and this is his debut single. I just love the sound.”
8. “White Foxes,” Susanne Sundfør
“I love when friends introduce me to something I’ve never heard of,” shared Sheeran. “My friend Christina Perri bought me Sundfør’s album, The Silicon Veil, and it’s simply ambient brilliance. I could sit for hours listening to it.”
9. “A Million Miles Away,” Rory Gallagher
“This was the first song I learned on guitar,” said Sheeran. “The story goes that when Jimi Hendrix was asked how it felt to be the greatest guitarist in the world, he answered, ‘I don’t know. Go ask Rory Gallagher.'”
Six years ago, Sheeran appeared on BBC Radio Four’s Desert Island Discs and talked about even more songs that he can’t live without. Two of those tracks, “Stan” and “Layla,” are also on his list above, but there were six more that weren’t previously mentioned. So, check out those six new tracks that Sheeran loves to listen to.
10. “Carrickfergus,” Van Morrison & the Chieftains
Sheeran’s second from Van Morrison on the list.
11. “Volcano,” Damien Rice
A second choice from Rice, too.
12. “Flooded Quarry,” Nizlopi
An acoustic-driven pop song with flares of hip-hop. Makes sense.
13. “They Won’t Go When I Go,” Stevie Wonder
Perhaps the most dramatic song from Stevie. This is a slept-on classic.
14. “Indian Sunset,” Elton John
No wonder the British-born Sheeran loves the British-born John.
15. “Two Shades of Hope,” Foy Vance
A lesser-known track loved by Sheeran.
Photo: Dan Martensen / Atlantic Records
