Taylor Swift Routs The Beatles In U.K. Albums Chart Race
Written by djfrosty on November 20, 2023
Swifties saw off Beatlemania in a close race for the U.K. albums chart crown.
Taylor Swift enters a third straight week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI), the fourth in her six rerecorded LP projects.
In doing so, Swift denies the Beatles a record-extending 16th No. 1 with 1967-1970 (also known as the Blue album) (both via Apple Corps), which reenters the chart at No. 2, and 1962-1966 (the Red album), close behind at No. 3.
The Beatles had led both the U.K.’s midweek singles and albums charts with 1967-1970 and “Now And Then,” respectively, and were on track for a rare chart double. Neither title finished in first place when the Official Charts were published last Friday, Nov. 17.
Coincidently, 1967-1970 and 1962-1966 return to their respective original peaks, locked in on release back in 1973. A composite boxed set of the two LPs, released to celebrate the release of “Now and Then,” the Beatles’ recent U.K. No. 1 single, arrives at No. 33 on the national albums survey.
Further down the albums tally, Chase & Status make a splash with 2 RUFF, Vol. 1 (EMI), new at No. 4, for the drum ‘n’ bass duo’s fifth U.K. top 10 appearance.
Closing out the top five is Quarter Life Crisis (Polydor), the debut studio album from South Africa-born, London-based artist Baby Queen. It’s new at No. 5.
As Noah Kahan embarks on his U.K. tour, the Vermont singer-songwriter’s third studio LP Stick Season (Island) powers 22-6, a new peak position. The title track, meanwhile, lifts 8-5, a new peak on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, while another album track, “Northern Attitude,” sits at No. 16.
Reissues of sets by Passenger (All the Little Lights at No. 7 via Cooking Vinyl) and New Order (Substance at No. 10 via Rhino) return to the top 10, as new releases from Chris Brown (11:11 at — you guessed it — No. 11 via Chris Brown Entertainment/RCA), James Marriott (Are We There Yet? at No. 17 via James Marriott), Chris Stapleton (Higher at No. 22 via EMI), PinkPantheress (Heaven Knows at No. 28 via Warner Records), and The Kid LAROI (The First Time at No. 29 via Columbia) impact the top 40 on debut.