Taylor Swift breaks Official Chart records as she becomes the female artist with the most Number 1 albums in the UK ever.
Surpassing Madonna, Taylor secures the feat as she nets her 13th chart-topper with Lover (Live From Paris).
This milestone also sees Swift tie with Elvis Presley as the international artist with the most UK Number 1 albums, trailing only The Beatles and Robbie Williams, who each have 15.
Originally released in limited quantities in 2023, Lover (Live From Paris) soared to the top spot following the launch of a heart-shaped vinyl edition in time for Valentine’s Day.
The album moved an impressive 47,000 units, making history as the first album in eight years to reach Number 1 based purely on physical sales, without any streaming contribution. The last album to achieve this feat? Swift’s own reputation in 2017.
Taylor Swift’s Record-Breaking Achievements
- Taylor becomes first female artist ever to achieve 13 UK Number 1 albums (previously tied with Madonna at 12).
- Taylor now draws level with Elvis Presley as the international artist with most UK chart-topping albums (both with 13). Only The Beatles and Robbie Williams have more (15 apiece).
- Lover (Live From Paris) is the first album to go to Number 1 only on pure sales since Taylor’s own album reputation in November 2017.
- Lover (Live From Paris) claims the biggest total weekly sales of a Number 1 album so far this year.
- Lover (Live From Paris) nets biggest first week sales for a live album in over 10 years in the UK, since George Michael’s Symphonica in March 2014.
- Lover (Live From Paris) has biggest weekly sales for a live vinyl album this century.
The record now joins Taylor’s impressive list of UK chart-toppers.
Taylor Swift’s UK Number 1 Albums
- Red (2012)
- 1989 (2014)
- reputation (2017)
- Lover (2019)
- folklore (2020)
- evermore (2020)
- Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2021)
- Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021)
- Midnights (2022)
- Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (2023)
- 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2023)
- The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
Here’s how Taylor stacks up in the all-time list of artists with the most UK Number 1 albums:
| ARTIST | TOTAL NUMBER 1 ALBUMS | WEEKS AT NUMBER 1 | |
| 1 | THE BEATLES | 15 | 176 |
| 2 | ROBBIE WILLIAMS | 15 | 38 |
| 3 | THE ROLLING STONES | 14* | 49 |
| 4 | ELVIS PRESLEY | 13 | 66 |
| 5 | TAYLOR SWIFT | 13 | 31 |
| 6 | MADONNA | 12 | 30 |
| 7 | BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN | 12 | 18 |
| 8= | ROD STEWART | 11 | 33 |
| 8= | EMINEM | 11 | 33 |
| 10 | DAVID BOWIE | 11 | 27 |
Martin Talbot, Chief Executive Officer, Official Charts says:
“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. What an amazing achievement to surpass the Albums Chart record of Madonna, such a huge music icon.”
