Another day, another Tay slay

Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) ends an incredible year by claiming 2022’s Official Christmas Number 1 album with #Midnights

Read the full story ➡ https://t.co/owb6I7lgxZ #XmasNo1 #TaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/cfF052r2fq

— Official Charts (@officialcharts) December 23, 2022

The 33-year-old singer’s festive victory marks the second instance in which Midnight has topped the charts. Released on 21st October 2022, the album debuted at the top spot in the UK album charts and found success in streams, particularly within the platform Spotify. The release marks the tenth studio album by Swift and followed the 2020 release Folklore and Evermore.

 With its win this week, Midnight has now accumulated three weeks at the number one position. Its first entered the charts upon its release and debuted at number one, Midnight then outsold the competition again the following week and has remained in the top three until its triumphant return this festive season. Swift’s recent chart success marks the second time she has spent three weeks at number one. Released on 24th July 2020, Folklore also spent three weeks as the UK’s number-one album.

The success found with Midnight’s charting propelled Swift into the chart of the most popular singers, the “Bad Blood” singer has accumulated the second most number one albums in UK chart history. Swift has entered the top billing with a high stat of nine albums, Madonna remains at the top with twelve UK number-one albums.

Placing at number three within the official 2022 UK album charts is Christmas by Michael Buble, the crooner’s seasonal staple was released on 24th October 2011 and has remained a favourite for shoppers and listeners. Upon its initial release, the album was given a Juno Award for Album of the Year, creating a landmark moment as it was the first holiday-themed release to be given the accolade.

Placing at number four within this year’s annual album race is SOS by SZA, the American singer’s second and most recent album was released on 9th December 2022 via Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records, peaking at number two within the UK album charts. Closing off the top five is A Family Christmas by Andrea/Matteo/Virginia Bocelli, a compilation album created by Andrea Bocelli with a heavy focus on family and the Christmas spirit.

Adele’s 2021 album release reached the number one position with 70,800 chart sales. The release’s sales figures are inclusive of 62,000 physical units sold over the last week. The Grammy award winning singer is no stranger to chart success nor Christmas chart success. Adele obtained her first Christmas number one album in 2015 with her third studio album 25.

Due to the album’s huge success, the singer is now joint first for this year’s longest-running number one album. Adele’s album shares the top spot with Oliva Rodrigo, both artists have spent five consecutive weeks at number one within the UK album official charts. Rodrigo’s debut studio album, Sour, was released on 21st May 2021 via Geffen Records and marked the meteoric rise of the 18-year-old singer.

Elsewhere within the charts this festive period, another chart-topper secures a big win. Ed Sheeran’s new album = lands at number two within the UK album charts. Sheeran is already accustomed to Christmas chart success, the singer entered two singles into this year’s seasonal chart competition. The 30-year-old singer placed at number two with “Merry Christmas”, his duet with Sir Elton John. Both artists also won this year’s Christmas number one single as a featured artist on Ladbaby’s “Sausage Rolls For Everyone”.

At number three this week is Voyage by ABBA, the iconic group’s new album was released on 5th November 2021 and was their first studio album since the 1981 release of The Visitors. This week’s album chart also sees a festive favourite place at number four, Christmas by Michael Buble has re-entered the charts. The Christmas album was originally released on 24th October 2011 and has remained one of the singer’s most beloved releases. The album sold over 479,000 copies and spent three weeks at number one within the UK charts.

Closing off the top 5 is Happy Together by Andre Rieu and Johann Strauss Or. The album was released in November 2021 by the celebrated Dutch violinist and conductor Rieu with The Johann Strauss Orchestra. The famed orchestra was founded by Rieu in 1987 and began with a small group of twelve musicians. Since its formation, the orchestra has grown to become one of music’s most popular classical acts.

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This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Official Charts number one single award. The accolade was founded in 2011 with the intention to celebrate an artist’s incredible chart success. The award’s first recipient was the 2011 single “Wherever You Are” by The Military Wives and Gareth Malone. Since its founding year, the award has become a symbol of victory within the UK chart and has evolved to include various levels of prizes. Throughout the decade the award has celebrated great music and has been bestowed to many different artists from many different genres.

The collection, of 11 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, sold 69,000 units across sales and streams to rack up a 23rd non-consecutive week at Number 1. This weeks sales are made up of, 85%, pure sales, which includes CD, vinyl and download.

The album, which was released on the 8th of December 2017, has not exited the Top 5 albums chart all year. According to the BPI, the album has officially gone 5x platinum this week.

This sees, ‘The Greatest Showman’ hold off a challenge from Michael Buble’s ‘Love’, which rebounds from 3 to 2. Meanwhile, George Ezra’s ‘Staying At Tamara’s’ completes the Top 3 Christmas albums chart.

Meanwhile, ‘The Greatest Showman’s’ mega-popular Motion Picture Cast Recording has received a new lease of life from an all-star voices. ‘The Greatest Showman – Reimagined’, which was released on the 16th of November 2018, brings together some of the world’s biggest recording artists today, to sing their own versions of the music movie’s popular hits.

The rejuvenated album sees, Keala Settle’s Oscar-nominated song ‘This Is Me’ recieve vocal additions from Kesha and Missy Elliot for its Reimagined remix, while UK Top 40 entry ‘A Million Dreams’ will be sung by P!nk. The album also sees the ‘What About Us’ singer’s daughter, Willow Sage Hart, make her singing debut on a reprise of her mum’s track.

Panic! At The Disco, whose real name is Brendon Urie, takes on ‘The Greatest Show’. While, Kelly Clarkson takes on ‘Never Enough’, which was originally sung by Loren Allred, in the film.

The newly revitalised album, features some of the biggest talent emanating from the UK today. While massively successful across the world, ‘The Greatest Showman’ original album has seen most of its success on UK shores. Having many British artists covering songs on the Reimagined edition to cater to a UK audience, was a conscious choice from Kevin Weaver, Atlantic Records’ President, West Coast.

Speaking to Variety, Weaver said: “The album just went four times platinum in the UK and spent more weeks at number one than Adele’s ‘21’ or any other record in the last 30 years. So it was important to me to really try to do something to serve the UK market, so that’s the why I put James Arthur and Anne-Marie on one of the most important songs, and why I put Jess Glynne and Years & Years on ‘Come Alive,’ and why I added a Craig David version of ‘Come Alive’ as a bonus track — to be thoughtful to the success of the album in the UK, wanting to include elements that honoured that.”

Continuing he said: “From a purely streaming perspective, the song that actually streams more than anything else is ‘Rewrite the Stars’,” says Weaver. They gave that to the duo of James Arthur and Anne-Marie.”

The Full Tracklist for ‘The Greatest Showman – Reimagined':

1. The Greatest Show – Panic! at the Disco
2. A Million Dreams – Pink
3. A Million Dreams (Reprise) – Willow Sage Hart
4. Come Alive – Years & Years and Jess Glynne
5. The Other Side – MAX and Ty Dolla $ign
6. Never Enough – Kelly Clarkson
7. This Is Me (The Reimagined Remix) – Keala Settle, Kesha and Missy Elliott
8. Rewrite The Stars – James Arthur and Anne-Marie
9. Tightrope – Sara Bareilles
10. From Now On – Zac Brown Band

Bonus Tracks:

11. The Greatest Show – Pentatonix
12. Come Alive – Craig David
13. This Is Me – Kesha
14. Rewrite The Stars (Acoustic) – Zendaya