Taylor Swift joins artists with record 12 UK chart-topping albums

ONCE again, Taylor Swift engraved a new achievement as she topped British music charts with her album “The Tortured Poets Department” or TTPD. She became the next female artist with the most No. 1 albums in the UK, tied with Madonna who currently has 12.

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Swift | Instagram

Swift outsold the rest of the top 10 combined and now holds the record as the fastest artist to achieve 12 No. 1 albums in the UK, beating the English rock band The Beatles. This added to her long list of legacies and earned her a spot in the Official Charts Company’s all-time chart-toppers.

Swift achieved the feat within 11 years and 6 months, from “Red” in October 2012 to “The Tortured Poets Department” in April 2024, while The Beatles took 14 years and 1 month between “Please Please Me” in May 1963 and “The Beatles At Hollywood Bowl” in June 1977.

Photo Courtesy: Billboard Chart

“No other artist has notched up 12 number one albums in such a short space of time,” the Official Charts Company said. 

The “Tortured Poets Department” also surpassed British singer-songwriter Adele’s fourth studio album “30” to earn the UK’s biggest opening week. 

Also tied with Swift and Madonna who have 12 UK No. 1 albums is American rock singer Bruce Springsteen, while the only artists with more are the Beatles which has 15, the Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams with 14, and Elvis Presley with 13.

Photo Courtesy: Billboard Chart

The “Tortured Poets Department” is the new addition to Swift’s tally of consecutive chart-topper albums, along with “Red” (2012), “1989” (2014), “Reputation” (2017), “Lover” (2019), “Folklore” (2020), “Evermore” (2020), “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” (2021), “Red (Taylor’s Version)” (2021), “Midnights” (2022), and “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” (2023) and “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” (2023).

Swift repeated her achievement as her 10th studio album “Midnights” occupied the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 with TTPD.

Moreover, TTPD’s first track “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone peaked at No. 1 in the first week since its release in the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing Hozier’s “Too Sweet” which is his first No. 1, while Swift’s “Guilty As Sin” landed at No. 10.

With reports from Marvin Cabalhin