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Chart battle commences: Who will come out on top as Taylor Swift's Midnights and Arctic Monkeys' The Car vie for the UK's Number 1 album?
In what's certainly set to be one of the biggest chart battles of the year, two of the most popular music acts in the world - Taylor Swift and Arctic Monkeys - will be going head-to-head to secure the UK's Number 1 album this week
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One of the biggest chart battles of the final quarter of the year (the most exciting time of the year for any music fan worth their salt) is underway.
But this is no ordinary chart battle, considering the impressive chart history of the two acts; Taylor Swift and Arctic Monkeys.
In a surprise statement at this year's MTV VMA Awards, Tay announced that her tenth studio album, Midnights, would be arriving this October 21, putting her in direct competition with Alex and Turner and co.
No big deal, right? Just two of the biggest music acts in the world right now releasing their new albums on the same date. It would already be a big deal, but it's made even more important considering the chart legacies of both Taylor Swift and AM, what both acts seek to gain (or lose) from winning the race and debuting at Number 1.
The covers for both Midnights and The Car
Let's tackle Taylor first. If Midnights debuts at Number 1 on October 28, it will be her ninth UK Number 1 album, all of which she will have achieved consecutively; Red (2012), 1989 (2014), Reputation (2017), Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020), Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021) and Red (Taylor's Version) (2021).
With her ninth UK Number 1 album, Taylor would overtake Kylie Minogue and become the female solo artist with the second-most Number 1 albums on the Official Charts, only trailing behind Madonna with 12. She would also extend her lead for the female solo artist with the most Number 1 albums in this century.
As for the Arctics, The Car would become their seventh consecutive Number 1 studio album in the UK - meaning they would have continued to reach the top of the Official Albums Chart with each of their studio LPs.
It would be bigger news for frontman Alex Turner, however, who would achieve his ninth consecutive Number 1 studio album in the UK (with all of the Arctic records and also his two chart-toppers with side project The Last Shadow Puppets with Miles Kane). This would tie Alex with The Killers' Brandon Flowers for the second-most consecutive Number 1 studio albums of any artist in UK chart history. Leading the pack is Noel Gallagher, with 10.
So who will come out on top? At this moment, it's anyone's guess. We're yet to hear any new material from Midnights, while The Car's lead single There'd Better Be A Mirrorball sounds like the Arctic embracing a Bond-esque romantic swoon.
As always, keep your eyes peeled on OfficialCharts.com for updates later in the week on what promises to be one of the most hotly-contested battles of 2022.
Article Image: Republic Records/Domino
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thierry henon
I reckon THE ARTIC MONKEYS will be number 1 this Friday but TAYLOR will take the number 1 spot the following week!
Piran
Both Arctic Monkeys & Taylor Swift are iconic acts in the UK; their respective albums chart histories prove that. :)
Best of luck to both of them! 🤞
Laurence Sully
I can't really see a problem - the Arctics will enter at the top with Taylor just behind at number 2 - next week Taylor will rise up and stay top for about 4-5 weeks while the Arctics having peaked out in week 1 will slowly but surely descend and both artists will still be top 10 at Christmas so everybody wins and there are no losers ...
🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜
that’s a good point actually, they’re both massive so it’s expected. i feel like taylor may get an advantage thanks to the collectors edition cds but best of luck to both 🤞
🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜
PLEASE let this go to taylor. she’s one of the best songwriters of all time. that new album of hers isn’t her best but it’s still amazing and i’d love to see taylor reign supreme after so many years in the industry.
A
Andy💁🏼
Interesting battle for this week's album chart.
Both incredibly talented songwriters, in Alex and Taylor, and both are delivering something new to their respective discographies.
It's shame someone has to 'lose' but I'm all for Taylor continuing to cement her legacy.
ML
Mick Lynch
Ah guys, this isnt even a battle. It's gonna be how many times Taylor outsells the Arctic Monkeys, and by friday night it'll be outselling it by 10:1, and will be outselling the rest of the Top 40 accumulated together. Hardly a contest.
J
JT
Which version is gonna outsell it? Taylor’s so desperate she has to release over a dozen different versions of the same album to inflate her sales.
ML
Mick Lynch
and why not? If there's a loophole, you cant blame her. Im sure even one version of th ealbum would have outsold Arctic Monkeys. Ed Sheeran was able to do it with Perfect a few years ago to enable he got a Christmas no. 1 also
thierry henon
I won't call ARTIC MONKEYS one of the biggest act in the world as mentioned on your article!! They are huge in the UK but virtually unknown everywhere else!! TAYLOR is indeed a superstar!! I 99% sure she will beat easily the ARTIC MONKEYS!!
J
JT
Isn’t Taylor releasing like 16 different versions of the same album? So she has a bit of an advantage unfortunately. I reckon you’ve gotten divide her sales by at least half. Hoping the Arctic Monkey’s sneak the win.
A
Andy💁🏼
Well, if we take the unbiased iTunes and Apple Music consumption so far today in the UK - the standard version of Midnights has outperformed The Car.
Look forward to comparing the sales, downloads, streams, vinyl and Top 100 album charts next Friday, see you there.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1795c07e5417c64e76eaa7528f18e6aab845490b9d2bf2ae9fd55f1c3e599f19.jpg
GagasPancakeT!ts
Hopefully Arctic Monkey's. I'm so tired of TS.
A
Andy💁🏼
Congratulations, I just decided to buy a copy of Midnights after reading your comment. I'm tired of biased album reviews based purely on who the artist is. Music shouldn't be a slave to the reputation of it's artist. Stan wars are ridiculous.
🧡 oliviasnoodles 🍜
it’s gonna be a VERY close one. both artists have a great streak of number 1 albums and even if one wins the other may knock it off eventually.
personally, im hoping that taylor gets it but arctic monkeys are pretty good too. im hoping we get something as awesome as 505 for the latter album
T
TimisD
Arctic Monkeys of course!
DM
Donald Miller
AM albums go number one in the UK. Swift's go number one across-the-board.
David Eve
Want: Arctic Monkeys
Think: Arctic Monkeys
amirightoramiwrong
ARCTIC MONKEYS
Bengy
And The Beatles Revolver is to be re-issued in October as a box set.
Hopefully not on 21st October.
Blank
I remember a time in the singles chart when one would deliberately move the release to avoid the competition. I suppose it makes a good story, but seems a long way short of Blur v Oasis or even Wamdue Project v Cliff Richard v Westlife for the Millenium Christmas #1.
Piran
Want: Taylor
Think: AM
Good luck to both acts! 🤞
thierry henon
I really hope TAYLOR cab beat Artic Monkeys! She will definitely claim the number 1 in the USA but Artic are huge in the UK so everything can go both ways!!
Courtney Puzzo
my money is on Taylor Swift though anything can happen if she debuts at #1 in the US and UK it'll be her 9th time in both Countries
AUCF
Angry UK Chart Fan
Oh no, why they release at the same week...