Taylor Swift claims biggest chart opening of the year for rerecorded album 1989

By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

Taylor Swift has claimed the biggest opening week for any album released this year with the rerecording of her 2014 album 1989, according to the Official Charts Company.

The 33-year-old American singer has bagged her 11th number one album and is dominating the single charts, with three tracks sitting in the top five.

Swift’s 21-track opus has shifted 184,000 chart units, more than double the number of units from the original 1989’s opening week sales.

Prior to this, Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi had held the title for biggest opening of the year with the release of his album Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent – which had accumulated 95,000 chart units during its first week on sale.

The release of the rerecorded album comes shortly after the launch of Swift’s concert film of her Eras Tour in cinemas, which has broken box office records.

Swift’s other chart-topping albums include Red (2012), 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017), Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020) and Taylor’s new version of Fearless (2021), Red (2021), Midnights (2022) and Speak Now (2023).

The Pennsylvania-born star has been rerecording her back catalogue so that she can regain control of her masters.

1989 (Taylor’s Version), which is number one on this week’s official vinyl charts, has also scooped the title of fastest-selling vinyl album of 2023 so far, having sold 62,000 copies.

✨🫶 My name is Taylor and I was born in 1989 🫶✨https://t.co/klomIqGx38 pic.twitter.com/sWofWRjpvN

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) October 27, 2023

Elsewhere in the albums chart, Bauhaus Staircase by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) has debuted at number two whilst The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds has shifted from the top spot to number three.

There is also a new entry from Duran Duran called Danse Macabre which is positioned at number four, one above James Blunt’s latest offering – Who We Used To Be.

In the singles charts, Swift’s new version of Is It Over Now? takes the top spot, whilst her recording of track Now That We Don’t Talk is positioned at number two.

There is also her new version of the song Slut, which has debuted at number five.

Sitting at number three in the singles chart is Prada by Casso, Raye and D-Block Europe – while Strangers by Kenya Grace takes the number four spot.