Taylor Swift has become the female artist with the most UK Number 1 albums after knocking Madonna off the top spot.
Following the re-release of her 2019 record, Lover (Live From Paris), the singer, 35, has achieved her 13th Number 1, while Madonna previously held the title with 12.
Taylor is also now in joint top spot for the international artist with most Number 1 albums in UK chart history with Elvis Presley.
Lover is also the first album to go straight to Number 1 from just sales, with no streams, since another of Taylor’s albums, Reputation, in 2017, according to the Official Charts Company.
The album was originally released on vinyl in 2023 but has re-entered the charts following the release of a brand new heart-shaped 2LP vinyl version in time for Valentine’s Day.
Martin Talbot, Chief Executive Officer of the Official Charts said: ‘If we thought Taylor Swift would peak in 2024, with her domination of the charts during the summer, we couldn’t have been more wrong.’
Taylor Swift has become the female artist with the most UK Number 1 albums after knocking Madonna off top spot
Following the re-release of Lover (Live From Paris), the singer, 35, has achieved her 13th number one, while Madonna (pictured in May) previously held the title with 12
He added: ‘What an amazing achievement to surpass the Albums Chart record of Madonna, such a huge music icon.’
Taylor secured 12 chart-topping albums under her belt and was tied with Madonna after the release of The Tortured Poets Department in April 2024.
The 14-time Grammy winner broke a string of records following the release of her highly anticipated record.
A heartfelt album which is thought to contain references to her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn and The 1975’s Matty Healy.
On the day of its release, April 19, her album became the first in Spotify history to achieve more than 300 million streams in a single day and secured the biggest opening week in seven years.
The album shifted 270,000 UK chart units in its first week, which eclipsed her previous record of 204,000 in seven days, from her 2022 album Midnights.
It took Taylor less than 12 years to secure her 12 chart-toppers, which, in comparison had taken The Beatles 14 years to achieve.
The band’s first number one album in the UK was with the 1963 record Please Please Me and their 12th was The Beatles At Hollywood Bowl (1977).
Lover is also the first album to go straight to number 1 from just sales, with no streams, since another of Taylor’s albums, Reputation, in 2017, according to the Official Charts Company
Taylor secured 12 chart-topping albums under her belt and was tied with Madonna after the release of The Tortured Poets Department in April 2024
In another feat, Taylor she also achieved her third UK chart double for the third consecutive year in a row.
Her single Fortnight, featuring rapper Post Malone, soared to number one in the singles chart alongside her album.
In 2022, she secured a chart double with Midnights and its lead single Anti-Hero, and the same happened again in 2023 with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and her re-recorded version of Is It Over Now?
The Bad Blood singer was named 2023’s biggest-selling global recording artist by topping the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) chart last year.