The lead single from her latest album ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’, it was released on the same day as the album and first got to Number One on October 16. It spent three weeks there before being replaced by ‘Golden’ from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, which Taylor’s single replaced again two weeks later.

Previously, ‘Anti-Hero’, from Taylor Swift’s album ‘Midnights’ had been her longest-running UK Number One, spending six consecutive weeks at the top spot. She had also become the first women since Miley Cyrus to top the albums and singles charts simultaneously.

Altogether, Taylor has topped the UK charts with five different tracks. Her first was ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ in 2017, spending two weeks at Number One, followed by ‘Anti-Hero’ in 2022, then ‘Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)’ in 2023, and ‘Fortnight’ the following year, both which spent a week at Number One, and now ‘The Fate Of Ophelia’.

‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ has become Taylor Swift’s 14th Number One album in the UK, spending four non-consecutive weeks at the top. She has the most Number One albums for an international artist, joint-second place with The Rolling Stones. Only The Beatles and Robbie Williams have more, both with 15.

The Official Charts has listed Taylor Swift as one of the artists likely to get Christmas Number One this year, with three of her songs currently charting – ‘The Fate Of Ophelia’, ‘Opalite’, and ‘Elizabeth Taylor’.

Also expected to be in the running are Olivia Dean with ‘The Christmas Song’, Labrinth with ‘Where Love Lives’ (which is the soundtrack for this year’s John Lewis advert), Tom Fletcher with ‘One Of Us’ from Paddington: The Musical, and RAYE with ‘Where Is My Husband!’ which has spent 11 weeks in the charts so far.

Other festive classics such as ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham! and ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ could be Christmas Number One, with both singles currently charting at Number Three and Four respectively.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift has recently shared the trailer for her new concert film, The Eras Tour: The Final Show, set to come out on Disney+ on December 12, alongside the first two episodes of a six-episode docuseries.

The concert film captures the entire concert from her last ‘Eras Tour‘ stop at the BC Place stadium in Vancouver, Canada, last December, including ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ set.

The six episode docuseries captures behind the scenes content from the tour and is titled The End of an Era, with the first two episodes coming out December 12. A trailer for this series has also been shared online.

RECORD STORE DAY 2025

A blockbuster weekend of record shopping, live music, DJ sets and all the best that indie record store culture has to offer. Record Store Day returns Saturday 12th April!

Hit the link for everything #RSD25 at Rough Trade.@RSDUKhttps://t.co/X4ahhEl35J pic.twitter.com/fVzumkYLDQ

— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) March 24, 2025

This year’s RSD boasts an impressive lineup of limited-edition vinyl releases from a diverse array of artists:

Oasis: The Britpop icons reissue ‘Time Flies… (1994-2009)‘, featuring remastered audio and new packaging. This numbered box set includes four colored LPs, marking its first vinyl release since 2010.
Taylor Swift: Fans can look forward to a special 7″ white vinyl of ‘Fortnight‘, featuring Post Malone, from her Grammy-nominated album ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ (2024).
The Cure: A picture disc edition of their sixth studio album, ‘Head on the Door‘ (1985), will be available, offering collectors a visually distinctive version of this classic record.
Adam Ant: ‘Prince Charming‘ (1981) which has been long out of print is coming back in a special gold vinyl edition.
The Charlatans: The reissue of ‘The Only One I Know‘ as a 12” picture disc features their iconic 1990 single, newly remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Frank Arkwright. It’s the first time the track is available as a picture disc.

For a full list of exclusive releases, visit the official RSD UK website.

Beyond exclusive releases, RSD 2025 features a variety of events and live performances:

Rough Trade East (London): Performances by Swamp, Heather Nova, Fiona-Lee, Gewalt, The Nightinghales, Panchiko, Tough Cookie, Raining Blue, and Sam Akpro. DJ sets include Kate Goodrum, MRCY Soundsystem, Emanuel Pavlova, Mr Bongo, Shame, and DOTWAVNOTWAVE.
Rough Trade West (London): Featuring Sarabeth Tucek, mini-Mekons, The Limiñanas, and Martin Luke Brown.
Rough Trade Nottingham: Hosting Bored Marsh, ronnietoldus, The Housecat Collective, Chloe Rodgers, Sancho Panza, Gigi Gold, Airport Dad, and PASTE.
Rough Trade Liverpool: Performances by The Molotovs, Remée, Hank Bee, Cruush, and Sara Wolff.
Rough Trade Bristol: Featuring Krooked Tongue, a secret set (TBA), Split Chain, DYE, Seneca, and Mass House, with DJ sets by Des Lennis, The Vibe, and Stevebob.

ROUGH TRADE WEST

Live music will return to Talbot Road with some very special acoustic performances from Sarabeth Tucek, @TheMekons, @theliminanas and @martinlukebrown, playing outside the Rough Trade West shop.

FREE ENTRY RSVPhttps://t.co/D6GWeOVoID pic.twitter.com/MfUta5CnGL

— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) March 24, 2025

Aside from the Rough Trade stores, other indepedent record stores will also participate, including:
Sister Ray (London)
Banquet Records (Kingston Upon Thames)
Resident (Brighton)
Spillers Records (Cardiff) - the world’s oldest record store
Crash Records (Leeds)
Piccadilly Records (Manchester)

hundreds of people queuing to get into our record shop for Record Store Day #RSD24 pic.twitter.com/R4gl8l6yUS
— Banquet Records (@BanquetRecords) April 20, 2024

Each of these stores will have their own exclusive vinyl releases, live performances, DJ sets, and special events to celebrate RSD. As RSD 2025 approaches, fans are encouraged to support local record stores, enjoy live performances, and explore exclusive releases, celebrating the vibrant culture of independent music retail.

This is UK chart HISTORY…#TaylorSwift (@taylorswift13) surpasses #Madonna as the female artist with the most UK Number 1 albums EVER

Read the full story: https://t.co/OoANg1LmhM pic.twitter.com/yls4AqOG4h

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) February 14, 2025

Swift’s career has been nothing short of extraordinary in recent years. Her re-recorded albums, including ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)‘ (2021), ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)‘ (2021), ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)‘ (2023), and ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)‘ (2023), have all debuted at No. 1 in the UK, reviving her past works while reinforcing her dominance in the industry. Additionally, her ‘Eras Tour‘ shattered records, becoming one of the highest-grossing tours in history. The tour has also spawned a concert film, ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour‘, which broke box office records globally, underscoring her unparalleled influence. The tour also contributed £1 billion pounds to the UK economy.

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A post shared by Taylor Nation (@taylornation)

Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover (Live From Paris)‘ is more than just a live album, it’s a celebration of her dynamic performance style and her deep connection with audiences worldwide. The album achieved the biggest first-week sales for a live album in over a decade, highlighting not only the singer’s widespread popularity but also the strong demand for live recordings that capture the authenticity of her performances. By presenting re-imagined versions of her well-known tracks, the album offers fans a fresh perspective on Taylor’s music, combining intimate live moments with high-energy performances.

Now that the ‘Eras Tour’ is over, the singer is likely to be working on her next album, which could be released in 2026. Another tour might follow after this album is released. Fans eagerly anticipate her next move, as speculation also swirls about future re-recordings and potential new projects. As she adds yet another historic accolade to her name, the question remains, what record will she break next?

Attention everyone who leaves the Christmas lights up till January! Lover (Live From Paris) special edition heart-shaped vinyl is here for 72 hours or while supplies last! Get one for you or your lover at https://t.co/ZSGtuHT89J. pic.twitter.com/CQXbSgjXdU

— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) January 7, 2025

Fans all over the UK and Europe have begun receiving the vinyl this week, several days after it was shipped out in the US. The shipment of the vinyls have drastically changed the race for this week’s number one album, with Swift now gaining more chart units than Inhaler’s ‘Open Wide‘ which was released last week and is currently topping the update albums chart.

The vinyl was originally released as a special and very limited edition in 2023, four years after the album ‘Lover‘ was released. Swift held a concert, titled ‘City of Lover’, in Paris in September 2019, weeks after the release of the album, and recorded the set to release it on streaming platforms the following year. ‘Lover (Live from Paris)‘, marked Swift’s fourth live recorded album and only entered UK charts upon the release of the first vinyl edition, in 2023, peaking at 90.

The original album ‘Lover‘ had peaked at number one, and has (so far) spent 268 weeks charting, and is currently charting at 43.

‘Lover (Live from Paris)‘ includes eight songs, all from the ‘Lover‘ album and many of which have made it to Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ setlist. The trackless includes: ‘ME!’, ‘The Archer’, ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’, ‘Cornelia Street’, ‘The Man’, ‘Daylight’, ‘You Need To Calm Down’ and, of course, ‘Lover’. The album’s biggest hit, ‘Cruel Summer’, which peaked at number two in the UK, was not included in the ‘City of Lover’ concert but made it to the ‘Eras Tour’ setlist after its incredible popularity years after the release of the album.

If ‘Lover (Live from Paris)’ achieved the number one spot of this week’s UK chart like it is expected to, it would mark Swift’s 13th album to reach the position. Previously, she had claimed the number one spot 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)

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (2023)

1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2023)

The Tortured Poets Department (2024)

Have you checked out the #RSD25 list yet? Tell us your top picks in the comments below https://t.co/YdFzKBjkYM

— Record Store Day UK (@RSDUK) February 6, 2025

Record Store Day has become an annual celebration ever since it first started in 2008, and now it is more famous and popular than ever with all the best selling artists in the world joining in. While the initial goal of the event was that to support small and independent record stores, it has now become a staple in the music culture and a date that vinyl collectors await with much excitement, as it is the one day in the year where we can all get our hands on a new, very limited edition, a recording from decades ago or a special deluxe edition which will only be available on the day.

Among the most anticipated records are:

1. Taylor Swift – ‘Fortnight’

The lead single from Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ will be available on 7″ white vinyl, with one side featuring the song and one side featuring ‘Fortnight [BLOND:ISH Remix]’ which will be available for the first time on vinyl.

2. Oasis – ‘Compilation Time Flies‘

The compilation which ranges from 1994 to 2009 will be available for the first time on vinyl.

3. Charli xcx – ‘Number 1 Angel’ 

The artist’s third mixtape, originally released in 2017. It was only released on vinyl as a double pressing with ‘Pop 2‘ and will be released on a new pressing for the first time ever for RSD.

4. Charli xcx and Billie Eilish – ‘Guess’

The collaboration between Billie Eilish and Charli xcx, which earned them a number one on the UK songs chart and was included in MXDWN’s best songs of 2024, will be released for the first time on vinyl.

5. Sam Fender – ‘Me and the Dog‘

British singer and songwriter Sam Fender was announced as the ambassador for this year’s edition of Record Store Day. The artist will also be releasing an exclusive RSD pressing of a special six tracks EP titled ‘Me and the Dog‘, which will also include two brand new tracks.

Other artists that are releasing special editions or limited pressing of their music for RSD include Fred Again with the very first release on vinyl of the EP ‘Actual Life Piano Sessions’, a new live recording from Elton John, a live recording edition of ‘The Secret of Us’ by Gracie Abrams and Griff ‘Live at Alexandra Palace’.

The full list is available here, and RSD also offers a feature to check which store close to you will be participating.

Despite saying before that he didn’t intend to write about his brief romances, The Sun have reported that the band’s sixth album allegedly features a track called ‘God Has Entered My Body’, including the lyric, “Keep your head up Princess, your tiara is falling”, rumoured to be referencing Swift.

It’s been speculated that the two singers shared a short-lived relationship in the summer of 2023, following Swift’s split from actor Joe Alwyn. Fans have theorized that Healy inspired much of the material from her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department.

Swiftie sleuths have pointed to various tracks on the album as mentions of Matty. For example, the title track saying: “You smokеd then ate seven bars of chocolate / We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist”. Healy is a heavy smoker and has previously shared his admiration for Charlie Puth – the first line could also be a reference to The 1975’s hit, ‘Chocolate’.

Whereas other tracks are said to make more subtle allusions to the outspoken rocker, such as “Guilty as Sin?”, as song about a lustful relationship that begins with a reference to Scottish band The Blue Nile, which Healy has said are his favourite group of all time.

The news of Healy possibly writing about his time with Swift is a surprise, since he said before in an interview with Doomscroll that he has no desire to write any music about his short-term relationships.

“Last year I became a way more well-known public figure for loads of different reasons,” he said on the podcast in November, hinting at being the subject of Swift’s album. “I think that a lot of artists, they become very interested in their lore, or they become interested in the things that have happened outside of their art that people know about and they want to address that, and fair enough.”

“Honestly, I would kind of just be lying if I made a record about, I don’t know, all the stuff that was said about me or my casual romantic liaisons – or whatever it may be that I’ve kind of become known for just because I was famous.”

Healy himself is currently loved up with his fiancée, Gabbritte Bechtel. He and the US actress/model were first linked in September 2023, shortly after his breakup with Swift. Bechtel is a musician herself, having been the lead singer for Nasty Cherry, a punk band curated by Charli XCX in 2018.

Meanwhile, Taylor is still going strong with her partner, American football player Travis Kelce. After recent pictures showed her with a new ring, it’s said that an engagement between the two could be on the way.

A singer who’s never been shy of controversy, Healy was recently involved in an online fued with rapper Azealia Banks over X/Twitter, with both musicians trading barbs and threats. Healy has since apologized, whereas Banks has threatened legal action and sought financial compensation – you can read our coverage on their spat here.

It’s music’s world and we’re all living in it! Streaming and the vinyl revival have led music revenues to an all-time high that’s the best result for music since the CD era with sales exceeding £239m!

Read the full story here: https://t.co/lQozs6oru7pic.twitter.com/eiAlRVNU7f

— ERA (@ERALTD) January 8, 2025

ERA CEO Kim Barkley was featured on the company’s article revealing the figures:

“2024 was a banner year for music, with streaming and vinyl taking the sector to all-time-high records in both value and volume. This is the stunning culmination of music’s comeback which has seen sales more than double since their low point in 2013. We can now say definitively – music is back.”

And music is back, but the era of streaming doesn’t necessarily exclude great sales of CDs, vinyls and cassettes. CEO Kim Barkley in fact believes that the two go together, and says:

“With nearly 14% of revenues still coming from physical, music shows the benefits of having a mixed physical-digital ecology, we continue to believe that digital and physical channels are complementary and vital for the health of the entertainment market overall.”

1. Ed Sheeran – ‘Mathematics Tour Collection’

Sheeran does it again, releasing a collection of his biggest hits included in the set list of his record-breaking ‘Mathematics’ Tour which will resume this January in Asia and make its way back to Europe in the summer. The album debuted at number five and has spent 14 weeks in the UK top ten, peaking at number one for the first time this week. It marks Sheeran’s eight album to achieve this milestone, fourteen years after ‘+‘ had first reached the position.

2. Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Short n Sweet‘

We’re now used to seeing Carpenter dominating charts after she created new records with the singles off ‘Short n Sweet‘, which have altogether spent more than twenty weeks at number one. ‘Short n Sweet‘, released last August, has spent nineteen weeks charting and has never left the top three! It debuted at number one, where it spent two non-consecutive weeks. It is Carpenter’s first album to achieve the UK top ten and her sixth studio album overall.

3. SZA – ‘SOS‘

SZA’s highly anticipated second studio album, ‘SOS‘ was released in December 2022 and debuted at number two. It has spent 108 weeks in the top 100, recently making a big comeback in the top 10 thanks to the deluxe version ‘Lana‘ being released. It’s a big accomplishment for a second album, considering her debut ‘CTRL‘ had only peaked 45, and ‘SOS‘ will perhaps climb to number one once the physical copies of the deluxe are released: it will make the artist’s first ever number one album.

4. Chappell Roan – ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess‘

The album spends another 29th week in the UK top ten, charting for an overall of 38. It previously peaked at number one, and it’s Chappell Roan’s first album to do so as well as her first ever album to chart in the UK. The album was originally released in September of 2023, and Official Charts included the artist as one of those whose slow-burn career turned out to be worth it in 2024.

5. Charli xcx – ‘BRAT‘

Another slow-burn career, and the artists behind mxdwn UK’s best song of 2024. ‘BRAT’ debuted at number two and it took the album a good while to achieve the number one position but it eventually did. It has spent an overall of 30 weeks in the top 100 since its debut back in June of last year. It is the artist’s second number one album and her longest charting yet.

6. Elton John – ‘Diamonds‘

The collection of hits has spent 373 weeks in the top 100 since its debut in 2017, peaking at number two in 2023 for two consecutive weeks. British legend Elton John currently has eight albums peaking at number one, and, including ‘Diamonds‘, he has so far spent 1433 weeks charting in the UK top 100.

7. Billie Eilish - ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft‘

The album first appeared on charts in May 2024, with a strong debut at number one. Ever since, it has spent 25 weeks in the top ten and 33 in the top 100. It is Eilish’s third album to peak at number one, her first was back in 2019 when the artist was only 17 and broke the record for the youngest female artist in UK history to achieve a number one album.

8. The Weeknd – ‘The Highlights‘

Another collection album, which has spent 204 weeks charting and has peaked at number two, spending there many non-consecutive weeks. It is the artist’s sixth album to reach the UK top ten, three of which have achieved the number one position.

9. Taylor Swift – ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

Swift’s twelfth album to peak at number one and the biggest album of 2024 in the UK. It has spent 37 weeks on charts, ten of which at number one, since its release in April of last year.

10. Fleetwood Mac – ‘Fifty Years – Don’t Stop’

Peaking at number 5 and spending 320 weeks charting, it is the band’s 13th album to reach the UK top ten. It was released to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the band’s creation and includes their biggest hits, including UK number one ‘Albatross’.

EMI (Electric and Musical Industries) was a renowned British record label founded in 1931. It played a significant role in the global music industry, producing and distributing music across various genres. EMI was home to legendary artists and bands, including The Beatles (signed to EMI’s Parlophone subsidiary), Queen, Pink Floyd, and David Bowie. Today, the EMI name continues to exist under Universal Music Group, representing a legacy label that shaped the modern music landscape

EMI Records have been so soo good to us this year. So grateful for them :’)

— georgia (@georgiabull__) December 4, 2024

For the third consecutive year, EMI secured the top position with a 10.5% market share in combined consumption. This achievement was driven by successful releases from artists like Taylor Swift, whose album ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ sold 783,820 units.

RCA Records came in second for combined consumption in 2024, holding a 10% market share. RCA was particularly strong in track streams, leading with a 10.8% share. The label’s success was bolstered by domestic breakthrough artist Myles Smith, whose single ‘Stargazing’ sold over a million units, and Beyoncé’s album ‘Cowboy Carter’, which sold 137,499 units.

Polydor Records was third on combined consumption. With a 9.9% market share, Polydor’s success was attributed to artists like Sabrina Carpenter, whose album ‘Short n’ Sweet‘ sold 372,956 units, and her chart-topping singles ‘Espresso’, ‘Please Please Please’, and ‘Taste’. Polydor Records may get recognition for Sabrina Carpenter’s success with ‘Short n’ Sweet‘ due to its role in distribution and international marketing, even though Sabrina is primarily signed to Island Records. Both Polydor Records and Island Records are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group (UMG) and artists signed to one label under UMG can have their work promoted by other UMG labels in specific territories. In Sabrina’s case, Polydor took charge of her European releases, while Island focused on her U.S. promotions.

Forth was Island Records, known for its diverse roster, Island Records saw success with artists such as Noah Kahan, Hozier, and Chappell Roan, contributing to its strong market presence. Parlophone benefited from releases like Coldplay’s ‘Moon Music‘, enhancing its position in the market. Warner Records achieved notable success with Dua Lipa’s third album ‘Radical Optimism‘ and Warner Music’s Atlantic label enjoyed success with Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’.

The increased support for women in the music industry has had a profound effect on recorded music consumption. Their artistic output has driven innovation and boosted the industry’s growth, further emphasizing the importance of diversity and representation in music. These labels have played a pivotal role in shaping the UK’s music landscape in 2024, supporting a range of artists and contributing to the industry’s growth.

Taylor Swift‘s ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ was first released in late April, with a surprise extended edition containing fifteen extra tracks dropping on the same day. The album peaked at number one in its debut week, maintaining the position for ten non-consecutive weeks throughout the year; since its release, ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ has earned 783,800 chart units and has become the most streamed and best-selling album of the year. With her latest album, Swift made history as the fastest accumulation of number 1 albums ever; while this is Taylor’s biggest album of the year, it is not the only one that made Official Chart’s top 40 list: ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’, ‘reputation’, ‘folklore’, ‘midnights’ and ‘Lover‘ also made the list.

The second biggest album of 2024 was The Weekend‘s ‘The Highlights‘. Despite the record never reached the number one position, it charted almost every week of the past year in the UK’s top ten. Originally released in 2021, the album has spent 143 weeks in the UK top ten since its release. The collection of Greatest Hits by the Canadian artist was crowned the biggest album of 2023 by Official Charts, and its legacy this year is really a testament to The Weeknd’s talent.

At number three, Sabrina Carpenter is on the podium with ‘Short n Sweet‘, released in the summer. The album spent two non-consecutive weeks at the number one position, charting for a total of 18 weeks since its release in the UK’s top five. With three number one songs and a few broken records in 2024, Carpenter finally achieves well-deserved worldwide fame after her previous album ‘Emails I can’t Send‘ peaked at number 41 in 2022. ‘Short n Sweet‘ is now headed for a sold-out arena tour which will take Carpenter to London’s O2 Arena in March, as well as a sold-out headliner spot at Hyde Park’s BST.

Talking about BST Headliners, Noah Kahan will also be taking the London stage in the upcoming summer while his 2021 album ‘Stick Season‘ is the fourth biggest album of the year. The title track off the album was crowned the UK’s biggest song of the year, and this year ‘Stick Season‘ spent one week as number one and 53 charting in the top 100. Earlier this year, the Vermont-born singer sold out Wembley Arena and, over the summer, he played various sold-out shows across the UK and Europe. In February, the final edition of ‘Stick Season‘ titled ‘Forever‘ was released, and it included every special edition or duet off the album and all its versions, as well as a new exclusive song.

At Number five, Billie Eilish earns her third UK number one album with ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft‘, which marked the biggest debut of Eilish’s career back when first released. The album contains ten tracks, five of which have charted in the UK’s top 100, and debuted at number one, spending one week at the top spot of charts and another 24 in the top ten, charting for an overall of 32 weeks in the top 100.