Taylor Swift’s dominance of the Official Albums Chart continues as Midnights secures a fifth week at Number 1.
Taylor’s tenth album beats out competition from SZA’s SOS (2) and The Weeknd’s greatest hits collection The Highlights (3) to remain at Number 1 for another week.
With five non-consecutive weeks now logged at the top, Midnights extends its lead as Taylor’s longest-running Number 1 album, and is the longest-running Number 1 album in the UK since Harry Styles’ Harry’s House completed six non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 last year.
Topping the Official Singles Chart with Pointless this week, Lewis Capaldi also re-enters the Official Albums Chart Top 10 with former chart-topper Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent (10) as anticipation continues to build for his sophomore record, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, in May.
Greatest hits albums still prove popular with the public at the start of the new year, with Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years – Don’t Stop re-entering the Top 10 (9) and Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You: The Best Of rising two (13) thanks to audiences enjoying the new biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody starring Naomi Ackie as Houston.
Gabrielle Aplin’s fourth album Phosphorescent claims this week’s highest new entry in the UK, debuting at Number 15. It’s her third Top 20 album, and first in eight years; following 2013 debut English Rain (2) and 2015's Light Up The Dark (14).
Speaking exclusively to OfficialCharts.com, Gabrielle said: “I am so over the moon to be highest new entry. I love this album so much and my fans have been so enthusiastic and supportive this week so thanks so much to them.”
The 1975 kickstarted their UK and Ireland tour this week in support of their Number 1 fifth album Being Funny In A Foreign Language, which jumps twelve places today (19). Last night’s gig at The O2 in London saw Matty and the boys welcome Taylor Swift on-stage to perform Anti-Hero live for the first time ever.
Following the viral renaissance of its single Die For You, The Weeknd’s luxuriant third album Starboy blazes up six (27), having originally peaked at Number 5 in 2016.
Finally, punk icon Iggy Pop debuts at Number 33 with his 19th solo album Every Loser, gaining his fifth Top 40 LP in the process.
