Honestly, it feels like a lifetime ago that a scruffy, red-headed teenager from Framlingham changed the pop landscape with nothing but a loop pedal and a small acoustic guitar. Back in 2011, nobody expected much. Labels had literally told Ed Sheeran he didn't look like a star. They said his music was too "niche" or that the rapping was weird. But then + (pronounced Plus) happened.
The ed sheeran plus album songs aren't just tracks on a debut record. They’re the blueprint for everything that followed. If you weren't there when "The A Team" first hit the airwaves, it’s hard to describe how jarringly beautiful it was to hear a song about addiction and homelessness dominate the charts. It wasn't polished. It was raw.
Why the Ed Sheeran Plus Album Songs Still Hit Different
Most people think of Ed as the guy who writes "Perfect" for every wedding on the planet. But Plus was darker. Grittier. You’ve got songs like "The City" and "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" which sound like a kid who's been sleeping on the London Underground—because he basically was.
He didn't have a band. There were no big synth risers. It was just him.
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The Tracklist That Defied the Odds
- The A Team: Written after a visit to a homeless shelter when Ed was 18. It’s about a woman named Angel. It remains one of his most haunting pieces of storytelling.
- Drunk: A messy, honest look at trying to forget someone at the bottom of a bottle.
- U.N.I.: This one is a tongue-twister. It explores the breakdown of a relationship when one person goes off to university.
- Grade 8: A bit more soulful. It showed he could do more than just folk.
- Wake Me Up: This is pure, unadulterated Ed. It's a song about the tiny, mundane details of a relationship, like spilling crumbs in bed.
- Small Bump: One of the most heartbreaking songs in his entire catalog. It’s written from the perspective of a friend who suffered a miscarriage.
- Lego House: The big pop moment. Interestingly, he used Rupert Grint in the video because everyone said they looked alike.
- You Need Me, I Don't Need You: His "I've made it" anthem before he actually made it. It’s a middle finger to every label that passed on him.
- Give Me Love: The grand finale. The "hidden" track "The Parting Glass" follows it, a nod to his Irish heritage.
The Secret Ingredient: The Loop Pedal
You can't talk about the ed sheeran plus album songs without talking about how they were made to be played live. Ed was a pioneer of the Chewie II loop station. While other artists were using backing tracks, he was building entire orchestras of sound in real-time.
If you go back and watch his 2011 Glastonbury set on the BBC Introducing stage, you can see the sheer hustle. He was sweating. He was beatboxing into the guitar. He was making Plus happen through sheer force of will.
Misconceptions About the Record
People often think Plus was an overnight success. Not even close. Before the album dropped, Ed had released five independent EPs. He was gigging 300 times a year. By the time "The A Team" went platinum, he had already put in his 10,000 hours.
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Another myth? That he was "just another folk singer." If you listen to "The City," the influence of Jay-Z and Eminem is all over it. He was a hip-hop kid who happened to play an acoustic guitar.
A Legacy That Won't Quit
As of 2026, the album has sold millions of copies worldwide and remains a staple for anyone learning to play guitar. It’s "the orange album." It’s the record that proved you didn’t need a massive production budget to reach the top of the Billboard 200.
What’s wild is how these songs have aged. "Give Me Love" still feels like a punch to the gut. "Lego House" still feels like a warm hug. It’s that duality—the pain and the comfort—that made people fall in love with his music in the first place.
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How to Truly Experience the Plus Era Today
If you really want to appreciate these songs, don't just stream them on a loop. Go find the "Live at the Bedford" versions or the "Old Rooms" EP. Those raw, acoustic takes are where the magic lives.
- Listen for the "Hidden" Details: In "Wake Me Up," you can hear the sound of the room. It’s not a sterile studio recording.
- Watch the SBTV Sessions: This is where Ed got his first real break. Seeing him perform "You Need Me" in a backyard is a masterclass in performance.
- Check the Credits: You’ll see names like Jake Gosling. They created a specific sound in a small studio called "Sticky Studios" that defined a decade of Brit-pop.
Take a Saturday afternoon and play the record from start to finish. Skip the singles if you have to. Dive into "Sunburn" or "Autumn Leaves" from the deluxe edition. You’ll see that even before the stadiums and the Grammys, the talent was undeniable. The songs on Plus weren't just a starting point; they were a statement of intent that still resonates fifteen years later.