Taylor Swift breaks the UK chart record

Singer scores 13th chart-topper

Taylor Swift has set a new milestone in UK music history, surpassing Madonna to become the female artist with the most No 1 albums in the country, The Guardian reported. Her latest release, Lover (Live From Paris), has topped the UK charts, marking her 13th No 1 album and tying her with Elvis Presley as the international artist with the most chart-toppers.

The live album, which features performances from her 2019 studio album Lover, originally had a limited release on Valentine's Day in 2023. It initially peaked at No 90, but a new heart-shaped double vinyl edition propelled it to the top, selling 47,000 copies - the biggest first-week sales of any album this year.

Notably, Lover (Live From Paris) achieved this feat with minimal streaming, a rarity in today's digital landscape. The last album to reach No 1 in the UK without major streaming numbers was another Swift record - 2017's Reputation, which initially debuted on sales alone before later arriving on streaming services.

Swift's UK chart dominance has grown significantly since her first No 1 album, Red, in 2012. Her ongoing project of re-recording her past albums has contributed to her tally, with new versions of Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989 all claiming the top spot. Fans are now eagerly awaiting her re-recording of Reputation, though Swift may be taking a well-earned break after wrapping up her historic Eras tour - the highest-grossing concert tour of all time.

Elsewhere in the UK charts, Irish rock band Inhaler, led by Bono's son Elijah Hewson, debuted at No 2 with their third album Open Wide. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar surged back into the Top 3 following the physical release of GNX and his widely discussed Super Bowl halftime show. Lamar's diss track Not Like Us also climbed to No 2 on the singles chart, though Lola Young's Messy held onto the top spot for a fourth consecutive week.