Taylor Swift's Evermore debuts at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart and sets UK record

Taylor Swift's surprise-released ninth album becomes her sixth chart-topper in just eight years.
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Taylor Swift’s surprise new album Evermore debuts at Number 1 on this week’s Official Albums Chart.

Swift claims a rarely seen feat of landing two chart-topping albums within a calendar year, following Folklore, which spent three weeks at the summit in August. Evermore was the most downloaded and streamed album of the week.

The singer-songwriter is the first artist in four years to hold the Number 1 spot with two different albums in a calendar year, since David Bowie scored two Number 1s across January - February 2016 with Blackstar and Best of Bowie following his death.


Taylor Swift with her Official Number 1 Album Award for Evermore.

Released last Friday less than 24 hours after it was announced, Evermore earns Swift her sixth UK Number 1 album. Only three other female artists have six or more chart-topping albums in Official Chart history: Madonna (12), Kylie Minogue (8) and Barbra Streisand (6).

MORE: Every Official UK Number 1 album ever

Swift has achieved her six Number 1s in record time among female artists, eight years, surpassing Madonna’s 11 years (between 1997 – 2008). It is also the fastest accumulation of six chart-toppers since both Robbie Williams and Westlife achieved six Number 1 albums between 2000 – 2006. View Taylor Swift’s Official UK Chart history here.

Buoyed by the success Evermore, Swfit's previous album Folklore rises 13 places this week to Number 21. 

Elsewhere on this week’s Official Albums Chart, there are big gains in the Top 10 for Neil Diamond, whose orchestral best-of Classic Diamonds rises two spots to Number 2 – now his highest-charting album since 2008’s chart-topping Home Before Dark - while violinist Andre Rieu and the Johann Straus Orchestra hit a new high with Jolly Holiday, up two spots to Number 4. 

Andrea Bocelli’s Believe rebounds five places to Number 5, and Johnny Cash & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra leap seven spots to Number 8 with the album of the same name, earning the late country legend a new peak for his ninth Top 10 album.

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2020 so far

Outside the Top 10, Bruce Springsteen’s 20th album Letter To You rebounds nine spots to Number 13, Harry Styles’ Fine Line is back up ten places to Number 15 following a one year anniversary box set release, and The Killers former chart-topper Imploding The Mirage re-enters at Number 25 after being released on vinyl this week – the UK’s best-seller on wax over the past seven days and Number 1 on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart.

Further down, four new releases land in this week’s Top 40: US rap trendsetter Kid Cudi lands in at 26 with Man On The Moon III - The Chosen, British rockers James enter at Number 31 with live album Live In Extraordinary Times, Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins’ Christmas Spectacular (taken from the TV special of the same name) arrives at Number 36, while Australian dance duo Avalanches are new at Number 39 with their third album We Will Always Love You.

View this week's Top 100 Official Albums Chart in full

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Michael Jenkins

0

Congrats to Taylor, that is an amazing accomplishment.

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thierry henon

0

I can't believe ROXETTE: BAG OF TRIX didn't even chart!! At least it is at number 2 in Sweden!!

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Blank

1

She is now exactly equal on #1s and total weeks at #1 with: Blur, Muse and Chemical Brothers. 6 hits, 8 weeks, at equal #34 on the all time chart. A second week would see her move up to =33rd with Radiohead.

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Mark Willmott

0

She definitely won’t be number one next week

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Blank

1

Indeed, but if her previous albums had totalled 9 weeks, she'd be 32nd on her own. No artist has been 10 weeks at #1 with 6 albums.

NN

Nu No

1

Probably the first album this year to be just #14 on Album Sales Chart when debuting at #01 (Ariana Grande did bad on sales peaking just #08 but she had the CD released on first week while "Evermore" CD was only released today).

Taylor new #01 album was totally based on streaming (where the album was #01 this week). Her previous album "Folklore" peaked at #02 on Album Sales Chart for 2 weeks but this time her new album is not even a SALES TOP 10.

As streamings are more and more a part of the charts this kind of records will be possible and easier to beat by any artist with big fan bases streaming like crazy on week of release - if the album is out in a slow week for new releases (as sales are more or less the same or even decreasing a bit and streamings are increasing a lot every year).

"Evermore" did got #01 on Albums Download Chart too - but was not downloaded enough to be a Sales TOP 10. As physical release was only released today the album will certainly hold on the charts next week (at least into the TOP 5 for sure) but will it be able to become a TOP 10 on the Album Sales Chart - or a #01?

Taylor Swift was tied with Celine Dion for 5 #01 Albums on The Official Chart. Only Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Barbra Streisand have more #01 albums now.

Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion #01 albums were all also #01 on Album Sales Chart too (some of them were also when the chart was SALES ONLY too - sales chart and official chart were the same before streaming).

Taylor Swift still only had 4 #01's on the Album Sales Chart. Her first 2 albums to peak #01 were also #01 on sales as chart didn't have streams back then. "Reputation" and "Lover" also peaked #01 on Album Sales Chart (so on the sales chart she is still behind Celine Dion that had 5 #01s on Album Sales Chart).

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Blank

2

I commented 0on the weekly chart page before noticing this story

The chart record happened for Taylor Swift:

First female to achieve 2 #1 albums of new material in the same year

First living artist this century to achieve the feat.
Only the 10th occasion to have happened in chart history,
first
time since 1976. 8th Artist ever to achieve the feat (Beatles achieving
it 3 times, accounting for the extra 2 occasions without adding a
different artist).

This is a very rare event that deserves more attention.
2
#1 albums in a year has been achieved 28 times if including albums from
previous years, greatest hits and re-issues. T-Rex even achieved 3 #1s
in a year by this method: a new album, a reissue and last year's new
album all hit #1 within 6 months of each other in 1972. The fastest ever
to have achieve it.

at 15 months, Taylor has achieved the fastest set of 3 #1 albums entirely of newly released material

PK

Philip King

0

So the click bait headline of Taylor Swift overtakes Madonna to make Official Chart history, is that she has had six number one albums faster than Madonna? Yeah come back to me when she has has the another 6 number ones and the longevity of success Madonna enjoyed. She's not even in the same ball park as Madonna. :D

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Blank

1

At the current rate, that could be as soon as 2022!

NN

Nu No

1

Before the 00's getting to #01 could be tricky as physical albums had to be distributed.
During the 80's they could take over 2 weeks to get all over the country shops so it was rare to debut at #01 as people couldn't buy an album with a click sitting at their homes.

It's a huge achievement for Taylor Swift and it was bold from her to release so many albums so quickly (most artist delay releases as new releases usually canibalize sales from previous albums). Sure some her recent albums will

Madonna have 12 #01 albums (all her studio albums released since 1984 peaked #01 or #02 - only her first album didn't peak that high).

Her latest album to peak #01 was already in 2012 but all her studio albums went to #02 since including "Madame X" in 2019 with a strong first week sales of 27,227 (so higher sales in June than "Evermore" had in December) but the #01 album that week was Bruce Springteen having the strongest first week of 2019 that very same week.

So Female Artists With Most #01 albums updated now as Taylor Swift climbs to #4 Female Artist:

#01 Madonna - 12 (latest in 2012 - her latest 2 albums peaked #02)
#02 Kylie Minogue - 8 (latest in 2020 - also had #01 albums in 2018 and 2019)
#03 Barbra Streisand - 6 + 1 OST (latest in 2016)
#04 Taylor Swift - 6 (latest in 2020)
#05 Celine Dion - 5 (latest in 2002 - but her 2019 album did peak #02)

Now Taylor just need to have stellar album sales in UK.
She have a strong and big fan base but is not appealing to much more than her core fans with most of her albums. Despite having all these number one albums she still sold a lot less than half the albums Rihanna (to name someone to be her comtemporary and that lives in US) or any of the other ladys in this #01's All Time TOP 5.

NN

Nu No

0

Don't expect her to release 2 albums per year and be lucky for them to be always #01.
It was a really slow week for December (her album sold just 25k this week and most #01's in November weeks sold over 45k or 55k to be #01).

Still took her over 8 years to get 6 #01 albums. At the same rate it could be as soon as 2028 (if Madonna doesn't get any other #01 album until then - she likely will). But Taylor is doing amazingly well on the UK album charts (on the single charts she is not doing so great as on albums charts though but still having a nice amount of TOP 10 hits but even having some songs missing TOP 40 a few times).

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Blank

0

2028 sounded like eons away, I then realised it's only the same future distance as the debut is old! All six have been in a row (no lower hits to break the run). Low-selling week or not, a new #1 album has become par for the course this year, and most of the last 10.

I don't expect her to do it, but it would be nice. Madonna's 12 only seems good because she only tends to get compared statistically to other females, usually solo at that. Factor in the men, and she's a long way behind The Beatles. A few are either close to, or have actually overtaken her total while having a debut over a decade later than her. Eminem (debut 1999, first #1 2000, 10 #1s), same for Westlife except 8 #1s, Robbie Williams debut 1997, 13 #1s.
So it's not just the grandad acts of yore ahead of her! Although there could be some debate about Elvis and the Stones' tallies that include reissues and re-recordings.
Officially it's 13 each.

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Blank

1

As a streaming act, I'd expect her to be the next one in the top 5 to add to their total. Streaming has changed one thing massively: you can now have huge hits appealing only to your fanbase. In the physical days, they would drop quickly without the crossover appeal. The same is still true for artists whose fans don't do streaming as shown by a number of high top 20 entries dropping out of the top 100 the following week never to be seen again.

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julesin09

0

Wait what? Madonna’s 12 only seems good? lol Only 3 acts have had more number ones. 15-13-13. She is tied on 12 with Bruce.

All men in front.. nah dude It doesn’t seem good it is a GREAT stat to have.

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Mark Willmott

0

Next week Eminem will be Christmas number one and also have 2 number ones in a calendar year.

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Blank

0

Would it count though, it's a reissue?

NN

Nu No

0

Is it? Isn't a "part 2" of his album?

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Mark Willmott

0

No, it’s a new album plus the old one included. Would be his 11th Uk Number one (I believe). Think his only competition will be Paul McCartney but hope he makes it.

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Blank

0

An expanded reissue. Bonus tracks (side B) of the original album afaik. Could get counted in the same way recent Rolling Stones #1s, or Back To Black. Or it could be added to the weeks of the original issue.

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Mark Willmott

0

It’s not bonus tracks, it’s a whole new album of 16 tracks, hence the different title.

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Blank

0

16 bonus tracks as it were. Goats Head Soup had 25 tracks of bonus material over the original release.

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Mark Willmott

0

Jeez! It’s got a new album title and is called a “New” album. What’s there to understand? Someone else help me out here!

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Blank

1

There's probably more to understand than you think. I'm citing previous examples where this has happened before.
Goats Head Soup: Same title, huge amount of extra material, different entry
Back To Black: DIfferent title, some extra material, different entry
Good Girl Gone Bad: Different title, some extra material, same entry
Many other examples of a 2nd disc being added to an album, marketed under a different title (e.g. Expanded, Remixed etc...) and added to the original chart entry (counted as same album) e.g. The Fame Monster.

Plenty of precedents for all scenarios, little in the way of consisancy over many years of official chart collation.

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Blank

0

Turns out it looks like it's going to be academic with Paul McCartney going in at #1. The article that reports on it seems to consider Side B as a re-entry of the original album.

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Mark Willmott

1

Yes, looked like I jumped the gun there. It’s advertised everywhere as a “new” album though like you say, OCC have reported it as a re-entry.

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🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜

1

i only have one word and three syllables to describe this album...

FAB-U-LOUS!!! 😍

P

PN

0

Not surprised at all, but happy for Taylor - good album. Probably not as good as folklore, but still a pretty good album

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JoeNak

3

This is the 40th #1 Album this calendar year of 2020, beating the record of album turnover rates

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thierry henon

1

MARJORIE is my favourite track...Do hope she will release it as a single? and the video is so beautiful, so touching!!

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Blank

0

Technically all album tracks are released as singles as soon as the album is out!

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Marko

-7

Taylor Swift is so overrated.
This album is trash.
There is 0 good songs on it.

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thierry henon

3

you obviously haven't listened to her album!! MARJORIE will make you change your mind!!

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Piran

3

He probably did, but just forgot to take it off mute. 🤭

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Marko

-2

Listened to it completely.
It's garbage.

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Piran

1

Then why have Metacritic given it an average score of 85/100?

That's indicating "universal acclaim" from across 25 critics! They're people who actually gave justifications & a did thorough analysis on each track, so they're argument is more believable than trolls who just label is as "trash" & "garbage" with no explanation as to why (proof that the album is indeed amazing!). :)

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Marko

0

Nah, it's garbage. No one cares about metacritic bro

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Piran

0

I love how you're still butthurt over the chart performance of an album that was released nearly three months ago now! :P

Besides, Taylor's now had three #1 albums in less than 18 months, so clearly a lot of people disagree with your opinion that she's garbage.

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Piran

3

While I'm not certain on this & I don't think it was mentioned in the article, I'm fairly sure that she becomes the first living artist of the 21st century to have achieved multiple #1 albums in the same calendar year. :)

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Blank

1

And as I commented on the week (copied above), the first to do it with 2 new studio albums since 1976. First female act to ever do it with new albums, after Spice Girls did it with their old album (Spice) and Spiceworld in 1997.

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Piran

0

I'm so proud of her! I've been following her before she even charted in the UK, so this is absolutely amazing news. :)

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Piran

4

I get that Taylor going back towards her roots might not be for everyone, but to release two full studio albums in the space of just four months really shows how much she cares about her fans. Very well deserved! :D

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Rob Parkinson

2

Not to mention re-recording her first albums too! She has been really busy

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Piran

1

Yeah, she's really made the most out of being at home, which is awesome! :D

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Piran

8

Yes!!!!!! This has honestly made my weekend. :)

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thierry henon

2

i know it will!! i love MARJORIE: do hope she will release it as a single!! i nearly "cry" when i watched and listened to the song: beautiful, so touching: a great tribute to her grandma...great video

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Piran

1

'Marjorie' is so emotional! I always tear up I watch the lyrics video too.

My favourite tracks from it at the moment are: 'Willow', 'Ivy', 'No Body, No Crime' & 'Long Story Short'! :D

J

Jstar

1

Yep, truly amazing for Taylor. Looking forward to her scoring the number 1 album on the billboard 200 aswell.

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Piran

1

That would become her eighth leader over on the Billboard charts! Hopefully a seventh #1 single will follow in three days from now too. :)

J

Jstar

2

Wow, 8 already. Really amazing. She will clearly have at least 10 number 1 albums in her career which is an amazing feat.

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Half Giant- Ethan

1

How has she only got 1 no.1 single and how didn't blank space, shake it off, bad blood, and end game get number 1.

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Piran

1

I honestly have no idea! You can add 'Love Story' to that list too. :/

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Piran

2

The Headline Planet article is up now actually. :)