Taylor Swift becomes the latest artist to achieve the relatively rare Official Chart Double, as her tenth studio record Midnights and its breakout hit Anti-Hero claim Number 1 on the Official Albums and Singles Chart simultaneously.
Proving she’s an artist at the top of her game over 13 years after her debut, Taylor fends off competition from Arctic Monkeys to land straight in at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart with Midnights with the most explosive opening week of her career so far.
According to new Official Charts Company data released today, Taylor has shifted a staggering 204,000 UK chart sales in seven days – that’s more than double her previous personal best of 90,300, which she managed when her album 1989 debuted on the chart in 2014.
The fastest-selling album of the year so far, Midnights overtakes 2022’s previous title-holder, Harry’s House, almost doubling Harry Style’s first-week figures (113,000 chart sales). Taylor’s tenth studio LP also debuts with the biggest first-week albums sales since Adele’s 30, which logged 261,000 chart sales last November.
Midnights now claims the title of the most-streamed album of the year in its first week, too. The record boasts 72.5 million streams in seven days, surpassing Harry Styles’ 53.9 million with Harry’s House earlier this year.
With nine consecutive Number 1 albums now under her belt, Taylor Swift overtakes Madonna to set a new all-time Official Chart record, generating the fastest succession of nine UK Number 1 albums of any female artist.
Taylor scored her first UK Number 1 album exactly 10 years ago in October 2012 with Red, whereas it took Madonna 21 years to reach the same tally. The Beatles hold the overall record here, racking up nine chart toppers in 5 years and 7 months between their debut album Please Please Me in May 1963 and The White Album in December 1968.
Madonna retains the title of the female artist with the most Number 1 albums overall with 12 to her name, but Taylor now overtakes Kylie Minogue to follow in second place. Taylor also extends her lead as the female solo artist with the highest-collection of Number 1 albums this century.
Midnights joins Taylor’s previous eight UK chart-topping albums, all achieved consecutively; Red (2012), 1989 (2014), reputation (2017), Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2021) and Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021).
Soaring straight to the top of the Official Singles Chart, Taylor also scores her second UK Number 1 single to date with Anti-Hero this week, following 2017 chart-topper Look What You Made Me Do. Midnights boasts two further tracks in the Official Singles Chart Top 10, too; Lavender Haze (3) and Lana Del Rey collaboration Snow On The Beach (4) - more on that below.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Taylor also becomes the first female artist in nine years to debut atop the Official Albums and Singles Charts simultaneously. The last was Miley Cyrus back in August 2013, when Bangerz and Wrecking Ball both entered the Official Charts at Number 1.
Recognising both Taylor and Arctic Monkeys’ incredible achievements this week, Martin Talbot, Chief Executive, Official Charts Company says:
“Many congratulations to Taylor Swift on her fantastic achievement in topping 200,000 sales this week.
“We always knew this would be a huge week for fans of Taylor and Arctic Monkeys, following the release of their brand new albums - and their combined first week total of more the 320,000 chart sales indicates that their pre-release excitement was well placed. Coming so soon after a fantastically successful National Album Day earlier this month, the successes also highlight just how popular albums continue to be in the digital era – and suggest that the pre-Christmas sales surge is underway.”
Albums
Arctic Monkeys’ streak of six UK Number 1 albums may have been broken, but they put up a valiant fight. The Car revs up to a Number 2 debut, also pushing over 100,000 chart sales in its opening week, a rare feat indeed.
Lambeth rapper Loyle Carner debuts at Number 3 with Hugo. His third studio album and second Top 10 LP to date in the UK, it equals Loyle’s previous career-high with Not Waving But Drowning.
Eighties icons Simple Minds also claim their highest-charting album in four years with Direction of the Heart (4), while Kylie Minogue’s underrated alt-pop opus Impossible Princess celebrates its 25th anniversary by re-entering into its highest chart position ever (5). Originally released under the title Kylie Minogue, it peaked at Number 10 in 1998.
Outside the Top 10, alt-rockers Dry Cleaning enter at Number 11 with second album Stumpwork, while A-ha’s True North claims a Number 12 debut.
Cult pop queen Carly Rae Jepsen follows on with her eclectic sixth studio album The Loneliest Time (16), her highest-peaking album in the UK in ten years. Andrea Bocelli makes Christmas a family affair with son Matteo and youngest daughter Virginia. A Family Christmas (17) is the elder Bocelli’s 23rd Top 40 album and helps kickstart the festive season a little earlier.
British metalcore outfit Architects are our last new entry with The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (18).
Following her triumphant Official Chart Double, a select collection of Taylor Swift’s previous albums are also present in the wider Top 40; 2020’s folklore (28), 2014 release 1989 (30) and 2019 LP Lover (36).
Singles
As Taylor Swift dominates the the Top 3 of the Official Singles Chart this week, several former Number 1 hits are still present in the Top 10; Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ infernal Unholy (2), David Guetta & Bebe Rexha with I’m Good (Blue) (5) and Lewis Capaldi’s Forget Me (6).
The only non-Taylor high climber inside this week’s Top 10 comes courtesy of Oliver Tree & Robin Schultz’s fast-rising viral hit Miss You, rising one to a new peak of Number 8.
Arctic Monkeys also impact the Official Singles Chart today, with two tracks from The Car landing inside the Top 40. Body Paint vaults a massive 38 slots to Number 22, while I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am debuts at Number 23, giving Alex Turner and co. their 18th UK Top 40 single.
Doo-wop queen Meghan Trainor has returned to her roots, and its paying off in dividends. New single Made You Look gives Meghan her first Top 40 single in the UK four years (27).
Elsewhere, singer-songwriter Dean Lewis’s emotional track How Do I Say Goodbye also makes gains this week, up four to Number 31, while Joel Corry & Tom Grennan debut with their fiery new collaboration Lionheart (Fearless) (37).
And finally, South London’s own K-Trap re-enters the Top 40 with Warm (40).
