Taylor Swift on course for sixth Official Albums Chart Number 1 with Evermore

Orchestral albums from Neil Diamond and Johnny Cash are heading for new chart peaks.
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Taylor Swift is in pole position for Number 1 on this week’s Official Albums Chart with her surprise-released ninth studio album Evermore.

Announced last Thursday less than 24 hours before it was released, Evermore racked up the most downloads and album streams over the weekend. The collection is billed as a sister album to summer release Folklore and is a continuation of her lockdown sessions with The National’s Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver and Jack Antonoff. Evermore’s CD edition is released December 18.

Should the US megastar’s momentum continue, it will mark Taylor’s third chart-topping album in the space of 15 months following Lover (2019) and Folklore (2020). Her prior three Number 1 albums are Red (2012), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017).

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

Two recent orchestral albums are heading for new peak positions on this week’s chart. The biggest physical seller of the week is Neil Diamond’s Classic Diamonds with the London Symphony Orchestra currently at 2, while Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s album Johnny Cash and the RPO is up 11 places to 4.

Mancunian band James are at Number 10 with live album Live In Extraordinary Times, while a re-entry at Number 11 midweek are The Killers with their Number 1 album Imploding The Mirage, charging back into the Top 40 following its vinyl release. Gerry Cinnamon’s chart-topper The Bonny is also on the rebound after the release of a special vinyl edition, currently at Number 18.

Katherine Jenkins’ festive album Christmas Spectacular is new at 23, Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon III: The Chosen streams its way to 24, and Australian electronic band The Avalanches are on course for their third Top 40 album at 25 with We Will Always Love You.

Finally, Toyah’s debut album Sheep Farming In Barnet could reach the Official Albums Chart Top 40 for the first time following a 40th anniversary reissue (38).

See the full Official Albums Chart Update Top 100

View this week's Top 100 Official Singles Chart Update

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Matt R Rhys

-1

You lot are brainwashed.

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thierry henon

2

"Marjorie" is such a beautiful song!! The video is so beautiful too...Gives me chill!!

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🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜

1

please be number 1, i beg. this album is absolutely fabulous and deserves to follow in the footsteps of folklore! ❤️

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Piran

3

This album is unbelievably incredible though! :D

This might be an unpopular opinion, but currently, I could see it being my second favourite album of hers (after ‘Fearless’).

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Matt R Rhys

-3

SHE IS A FAKE.

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Piran

1

Oh wow, imagine being this delusional!

I’ve been following her career for almost 15 years now & I can safely say that she’s one of the most genuine celebrities in the world, both as an artist & as a person in general.

Now, why don’t you back to listening to your 80’s & 90’s music, instead of getting butthurt? ;)

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Piran

3

Three #1 albums in less than 18 months! 😍

I’m curious to know which artists have done this before, because I don’t think it’s many.

It’s probably one of the shortest gaps of all-time between #1 albums too!

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Blank

3

I was wondering this too, but with the slightly wider criteria of 3 in 3 years (because of Kylie). Even more incredible this is half the time and all-new material (no live or compilations).

Do you count new releases only, or include old releases that climb late?
Besides the obvious to have achieved it (Beatles/Elvis), T-Rex did it in 72. 3 #1 albums that entered just 6 months apart (not sure when they reached #1, particularly the last one).

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Piran

2

I’d have counted any album that reached #1, regardless of whether it debuted at the top of the charts, or climbed gradually to get there. :)

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Blank

2

I've just looked it up. If she gets it, Taylor's achievement will be far more significant than this article suggests. She will be the first female artist ever to achieve two #1 albums of new material in the same year, and just the 8th overall, on the 10th occasion (Beatles achieved it 3 times, accounting for the extra 2).

In my 1995 Guinnes Hit Albums book, 2 #1 albums in a year had only been achieved 28 times by 16 artists. The only occasions where both albums were new releases (excluding greatest hits, reissues and previous years' albums climbing/staying over New Year) were:
Elvis 1962, Beatles 1963, 1964, 1965; Monkees 1967, Dylan 1970, Elton John and David Bowie 1973, Led Zep 1976.

From my calculations, only Spice Girls (1997), Michael Jackson (2009) and David Bowie (2016) have achieved 2 #1s in a calendar year since 1995. All times included an old album climbing or staying at #1 over new year. The males were both achieved posthumously with an old greatest hits climbing.

It is a very rare event!
Check the more modern (21st century ones) - I may have missed one.

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Piran

2

Oh wow... so if your research is correct (which I’m sure it is), then Taylor could become the first living artist this century to have two #1 albums in the same year?! :O

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Blank

1

I think so. Surprised the OCC have missed such a significant fact / angle to report on.
Only happened 10 times in history, and 5 of those were in the 60's!

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Blank

1

The other 5 were in the 70's, hasn't happened in almost 50 years.
If you include reissues/greatest hits/last year's album etc., then 1973 is the only year to have 3 different artists having 2 #1s in a year.

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Piran

0

I think they’re probably waiting until it’s actually official. :)