Taylor Swift Dominates Australia’s Charts With ‘Midnights’

Taylor Swift is the queen of Australia’s music charts, as Midnights (via Universal) darts to No. 1 with the biggest volume week of any album in five years.

Midnights bows atop the latest ARIA Chart, with more combined sales than any title since Swift released Reputation, also No. 1 back in 2017. It’s her 10th No. 1 ARIA Album.

With Midnights setting the albums chart alight, records tumble. Swift enjoys a record-setting haul on the national singles survey, capturing nine of the top 10 positions, led by “Anti-Hero” at No. 1, with “Lavender Haze” and “Snow On The Beach,” featuring Lana Del Rey, respectively completing the top 3.

According to Universal Music Australia, Midnights is the most-streamed album in a week in ARIA history, and the biggest-ever vinyl sales debut, shifting over 10,000 vinyl units in week one.

The song that ruins TayTay’s chance at a top 10 sweep is Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ former leader “Unholy” (Capitol/Universal), which dips 1-7 on the ARIA Singles Chart. With the exception of Smith and Petras’ collaboration, Swift locks down every ARIA chart position from No. 1 through to No. 14. Remarkably, she’s in possession of the only debuts on the latest singles frame — 13 of them.

“Anti-Hero” is Swift’s ninth No. 1 ARIA Single, and fourth in the past two years, most recently with “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021.

The U.S. pop star is shortlisted for the fan-voted best international artist category at the 2022 ARIA Awards, having won the pointed trophy in 2019 and 2021.

Parking at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart, published Oct. 28, is Arctic Monkeys’ The Car (Domino Recordings/EMI). Though the Sheffield, England alternative rock band misses out on the crown, Alex Turner and Co. keep alive a streak that has seen all seven studio albums placed in the top 5, with three reaching the zenith.

Meanwhile, Australia’s pop royalty Kylie Minogue returns to the chart with Impossible Princess, which enjoys the reissue treatment for its 25th anniversary through Warner Music. Impossible Princess drops in at No. 3.

The top five is completed by two new classical crossover albums, Andrea, Matteo and Virginia Bocelli’s A Family Christmas (Decca/Universal), and Anthony Callea’s Forty Love (BMG), respectively.

Also new to the top 10 this week is Architects‘ tenth album Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit (Epitaph Record/RKT), at No. 8. The British metalcore band will support the album in these parts with a national tour in February 2023.