Taylor Swift has set and shattered several records in one go with her 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The album was released on 27 October 2023 and made its official Billboard chart debut (dated 11 November) this week.
It has become the year’s top-selling album within a week of its release. This makes Swift the holder of the top three highest-selling albums of 2023, with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) followed by sales of Midnights (2022) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (2023).
Deadline reports that American record label Republic Records, which has been releasing Swift’s music since Lover (2019), said that she is now the “First Artist To Score Six #1 Album Debuts With Over 1 Million Units Sold” in history.
The unique feat comes days after Swift, who has 12 Grammy awards to her name, was named a billionaire by Bloomberg which estimated her net worth at USD 1.1 billion.
The records set by 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in debut week
Taylor Swift tied at third place for most No.1 albums on Billboard 200
The first of the many records she set is with the charting of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in the Billboard 200 list. The album debuted at No.1, making it the 13th Taylor Swift album to reach the peak. It was also No.1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums and Top Streaming Albums charts.
It has extended Swift’s record for the most No.1 albums among women artists in Billboard 200 history, which began its regular, weekly publication in 1956.
Swift is now tied for the third spot for the most No.1 Billboard 200 albums among all artists in history with Canadian rapper and singer Drake. The top two spots are held by The Beatles with 19 No.1 albums and Jay-Z with 14.
The No.1 debut for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) also means that all of Swift’s 13 full-length studio albums and re-recorded projects, starting from her second studio album Fearless (2008) through the most recent music release, have topped the charts. Her eponymous 2006 debut album peaked at No.5 on Billboard 200 upon its release, making it her only album or re-recording that didn’t reach the top spot.
Sales records since Adele’s 2015 album
The other records are in sales figures of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which is available in 15 collectible physical formats including two cassette editions.
Citing Luminate data, Billboard reports that the album debuted on the chart with 1.653 million equivalent album units earned in the US in the week ending 2 November 2023. Traditional album sales comprised 1.359 million of the first-week units of the album.
Billboard said that it marks the single-largest sales week for any of Swift’s albums and surpasses her previous high — 1.287 million sold in the week ending 2 November 2014 for the original 1989 album at the time of its debut.
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The units earned and first-week sales of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) are the largest for any album since Adele’s 25, which launched with 3.482 million units earned in the week ending 25 November 2015 and bowed with 3.378 million in first-week sales.
Swift’s album also makes her the sixth artist with the largest sales week for any album and is also the only act who sold at least 1 million copies in a single week with six different albums since Luminate began electronically tracking music sales in 1991.
These are the top six biggest weeks by debut:
25 (2015) by Adele — 3.378 million
No Strings Attached (2000) by *NSYNC — 2.416 million
Celebrity (2001) by *NSYNC — 1.878 million
The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) by Eminem — 1.76 million
Black & Blue (2000) by Backstreet Boys — 1.591 million
1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift (2023) — 1.359 million
Other major feats by 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Outside of Billboard 2022, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) made the “Biggest Album Debut on Spotify in 2023” with 176 million streams and “The Second Biggest Album Debut in Spotify History,” behind her own album Midnights (2022).
She also extended her record for “Most #1 Hits on US iTunes Among all Artists” on Apple Music and iTunes.
Apart from the US, the album charted at No.1 in 14 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.
BBC reports that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) sold 184,000 copies in its debut week in the UK, which is more than double the opening-week sales of the 2014 original. According to the report, it is the only album released this year to go gold in a single week.
It marks Swift’s 11th UK number one overall and is just one behind Madonna, who holds the record for most No.1 albums in UK charts for female artists with 12.
Hero and Featured images: Taylor Swift/@taylorswift13/Twitter
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Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.
