THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

888-Ed Sheeran-Supermarket Flowers.

2018-Number 8 single.

Best Bit-At 0.47. According to a 2019 survey by ‘Co-Op’ care, this song is the sixth most popular funeral song. ‘My Way’ (see also best songs 120) by Frank Sinatra remained at Number 1 for the 53rd year in a row.

Edward Christopher Sheeran was born on February 17th, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, with sales in excess of 150 million records he is one of the best selling artists of all time. At the age of four he moved with his family to Framlingham, in Suffolk, where he first sang in the local church choir, it was at the age of 11, that he learned to play the guitar. In 2004, at the age of 13, Ed Sheeran independently released his first collection of songs, titled ‘Spinning Man,’ and then he began gigging, to get himself heard. In 2010 he posted a video through ‘SB.TV,’ which gained him lots of positive publicity, which was quickly followed by the release of the ‘Loose Change’ EP, which featured his future breakthrough debut hit single ‘The A Team.’

The discography of Ed Sheeran includes six studio Albums released between 2011-2023, these Albums are called + (2011) x (2014) ÷ (2017) = (2021) and – (2023.) He has also issued 37 official singles as lead artist (at the time of writing) in the same time period. In the UK as the lead artist he has achieved 32 top 40 entries, with 11 of those songs reaching Number 1. Ed Sheeran has also appeared on a further 28 singles as a featured artist, with 12 of those tracks making the top 40, with three of those songs reaching the Number 1 spot. He has also charted with a further 15 tracks that have reached the top 40 on downloads, and streaming alone, without actually being given an official release, these include ‘Supermarket Flowers.’ In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, he has had 17 top 40 hits as the lead artist, with two of those tracks reaching Number 1. As a featured artist on Billboard, Ed Sheeran has charted on four occasions, while a further three tracks have charted as unofficial releases. In the UK, all six of his studio Albums have reached Number 1, while in America, only his debut Album ‘+’ has failed to make Number 1, having peaked at Number 5 in 2011.

‘Supermarket Flowers’ is the 12th and final track on the standard edition of ‘ ÷’ which was the third studio Album released by Ed Sheeran in March 2017. There were five official singles released from the Album, with a further three issued as promotional singles,’Supermarket Flowers’ was the final release in February 2018, following Sheeran’s performance at the ‘2018 Brit Awards.’ ‘Supermarket Flowers’ was co-written by Ed Sheeran, along with his long term working partner Johnny McDaid, (see also best songs 14) and Benny Blanco, (see also best songs 373) with the production being by McDaid, and Blanco.

‘Supermarket Flowers’ is written as a tribute to Ed Sheeran’s maternal grandmother ‘Anne,’ Sheeran has said,’I just wanted to make a tribute to my gran, she was the musical one in my family. Hopefully I will pass that on to my kids.’ He has also gone on to say,’She was in a hospital near my house where I was making the Album, so I saw her quite a lot while making the album, and she passed away while I was in the studio. So that’s my first reaction for anything that happens to me, good or bad, pick up a guitar.’ ‘Supermarket Flowers’ had not been one of the tracks chosen for the Album, as it was simply a personal tribute to his grandmother, but after Sheeran performed the song at the funeral he had a change of mind, ‘Sheeran has said,’My grandfather just turned to me, [at the funeral] he was like you have to put that out, that has to go on the record. It’s such a good memory, that’s why it’s ended up on there.’

Ed Sheeran has also explained where the songs title came from,’My gran passed away, and we were clearing out her hospital room, and the supermarket flowers from the windowsill, and having that moment.’ Although the lyrics were written by Sheeran, they are actually written from the viewpoint of his mother.

‘I took the supermarket flowers from the windowsill, I threw the day-old tea from the cup. Packed up the photo album Matthew had made, memories of a life that’s been loved.’