Taylor Swift is the queen of the U.K. charts, as Evermore (EMI) bows at No. 1 on the U.K. albums survey and three tracks from it crack the national Top 20.
Evermore gives Swift a second leader in the same year, following Folklore, which ruled the Official U.K. Albums Chart for three weeks in August.
It’s her sixth career leader in the territory, a feat bettered or equaled by only three other female artists: Madonna (with 12), Kylie Minogue (eight) and Barbra Streisand (six).
Evermore also gives Swift a spot in the record books. According to the Official Chart Company, the U.S. singer has achieved her six No. 1s in just eight years, a record time among female artists, eclipsing the 11 years it took Madonna to reach the same tally, between 1997 and 2008.
Also, it’s the fastest sprint to six No. 1s since Robbie Williams and Westlife managed that haul between 2000 – 2006.
She’s Swift by name, a swift chart-topper by nature.
It’s that time of year, and the top end of the albums tally is dominated by Christmas-themed records, including Michael Ball and Alfie Boe’s Together At Christmas (Decca), which dips 2-3; Michael Buble’s Christmas, up 7-4; and Andrea Bocelli’s Believe (Decca), up 10-5.
Further down the list are new LPs from Kid Cudi (Man On The Moon III – The Chosen new at No. 26 via Republic Records), British ’90s rockers James (Live In Extraordinary Times at No. 31 via Nothing But Love Music), Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins (Christmas Spectacular at No. 36 via Decca) and Australian electronic act Avalanches (We Will Always Love You at No. 39 via EMI).
Meanwhile, Mariah Carey rules the Official U.K. Singles Chart for a second consecutive week with “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia), ahead of Wham’s ‘80s classic “Last Christmas” (RCA), which has logged 70 weeks on the list and never lifted higher than its current position of No. 2.
Just 3,600 chart sales separate the top two tracks. Carey’s 1994 release is both the most downloaded and streamed song of the week, with more than 10 million plays across audio and video streaming platforms, the OCC reports.
Next up is Swift’s Evermore release “Willow,” new at No. 3, while album tracks “Champagne Problems” (No. 15) and “No Body No Crime” featuring Haim (No. 19) give the pop artist a trio of fast starters.
