Taylor Swift reigns over the Official U.K. Albums Chart with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (EMI), and in doing so sweeps aside a record set by The Beatles.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version), the first in Swift’s campaign to rerecord all her studio albums, blasts to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Chart, her third leader in less than a year.
For the latest cycle, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) snags more than 21,000 chart sales to give the U.S. pop superstar her seventh U.K. No. 1 album, good enough for third place among female artists with the most chart-topping LPs, behind only Madonna (12) and Kylie Minogue (8).
That’s only part of the tale. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) sets a new all-time mark for the fastest accumulation of three No. 1 albums, reaching the target in just 259 days from Folkore (on July 31), to Evermore (Dec.18) and now Fearless (Taylor’s Version).
Until now, the record was owned by The Beatles and stood for 54 years, the OCC reports. The Hall of Famers established the old mark back in 1965-1966 when they knocked out a trio of leaders in 364 days with Help!, Rubber Soul, and Revolver.
Swift’s other U.K. No. 1 albums are Red (2012), 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017) and Lover (2019).
Elsewhere, Ariana Grande’s former chart-topper Positions (Republic Records) vaults 49-4 following its release on vinyl, ruling the Official Vinyl Albums Chart, while the DMX career retrospective The Best Of (Def Jam) impacts the chart at No. 12, one week following the hip-hop star’s death, aged 50.
Further down, the chart sees new arrivals for veteran French electronic music producer Jean-Michel Jarre (Amazonia at No. 21 via RCA), and hip-hop collective Brockhampton (Roadrunner – New Light New Machine at No. 24 via RCA).
Meanwhile, Lil Nas X makes it three weeks in a row atop the Official U.K. Singles Chart With “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (Lil Nas X).
“Montero” isn’t showing signs of slowing. During the seven-day cycle, the song generated 64,000 chart sales including 8.4 million streams, for its biggest week of chart sales in the U.K., the OCC reports.
Fellow U.S. rapper Polo G earns the week’s highest new entry with “Rapstar,” new at No. 3, for his third Top 40 hit.
It’s one of three new entries in the Top 10 as London rapper and singer Dave’s “Titanium” (Dave Neighbourhood) bows at No. 9 and Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More” (Ministry of Sound) featuring SZA starts at No. 10.
Down the list, Taylor Swift’s “Mr Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version)” drops in at No. 30, just ahead of Rag’n’Bone Man collaboration with Pink, “Anywhere Away From Here” (Best Laid Plans/Columbia). It’s new at No. 32 for Rag’n’Bone Man’s fifth Top 40 and Pink’s 35th.
