Taylor Swift topples The Beatles’ effort to top UK album chart

Taylor Swift beats The Beatles to the top of the UK album chart.

The popstar has dashed The Beatles' hopes of erasing a historic blip in their chart record.

In an attempt to have one of their albums top the UK album chart, the Fab Four reissued their greatest hits albums, Red and Blue, last week.

With her pop masterpiece 1989 (Taylor's Version) holding the top spot for a third week, Swift proved she wasn't ready to let go.

When the Red and Blue albums were originally released in 1973, the Beatles were in a similar spot. They were beaten to the top spot at the time by David Bowie's Young Americans.

The two records wind up exactly where they did fifty years ago on the charts this week.

At number three is The Beatles 1962–1966 Red Album, and at number two is The Beatles 1967–1970 Blue Album.

But with fifteen UK number one albums overall, The Beatles continue to be the group with the most of all time.

The original Red and Blue compilations were dubbed "eight of the most-perfect album sides ever devised" by Rolling Stone.

Remastered versions of their greatest hits are included, along with a "new" song called Now And Then, which is based on a demo recorded by John Lennon in the 1970s.

Twenty more tracks, including Twist and Shout, Taxman, Dear Prudence, and Blackbird, have been added to the albums.