You don’t need us to tell you how much of an impact American pop star Taylor Swift has had on the public consciousness as a whole. Shaping an entire generation of music fans across 11 albums that span hits that have defined an era, her accolades, and stratospheric commercial success throughout every era have earned her bona fide legend status. Here are some of the incredible records that Taylor Swift has set and broken over the years that prove her brilliance as a music icon.
Taylor Swift has chalked up an incredible 14 Grammy wins and over 100 million monthly Spotify listeners, demonstrating her enormous appeal and enduring popularity. In 2023, she secured her position as the most-streamed artist of the year on the site. Furthermore, Swift created history by winning the coveted Album of the Year award four times at the Grammy Awards, a feat unrivalled by any other artist. Currently, Swift’s Eras Tour reigns supreme as the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, proving her power to engage crowds and command enormous global success. She recently made history by becoming the first woman to have 10 solo singles get more than 1 billion streams on Spotify. However, these achievements hardly scratch the surface of her illustrious career. Despite experiencing criticism and controversy along the road, Swift has stayed steadfast in her pursuit of perfection, developing as a formidable force in the music industry.
Now that her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department is finally here, it’s an ideal moment to revisit the biggest records held by Taylor Swift. From Grammy wins to record-breaking tours, her legacy reflects her tremendous talent, resilience, and uncompromising commitment to her profession. With each milestone achieved, Swift continues to push the boundaries of success, leaving an everlasting impact on music history for future generations.
Most prominent records set and broken by Taylor Swift
Youngest artist in history to have written and performed a No. 1 song on the Hot Country Songs chart
Taylor achieved the top spot on the Hot Country Songs Chart with her song “Our Song” from her debut album, becoming the youngest artist in history to have written and performed a no 1 song on the chart. Swift became the youngest artist in history to reach this milestone at the age of 17. The song also charted well on the Billboard Hot 100, setting the stage for the years of record-breaking success to come.
Youngest person to win Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards
Swift made history at 19 by becoming the youngest artist ever to win the prestigious title of Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards in 2009.
Most-awarded album in country music history
Swift started her musical career as a country singer-songwriter. She released her self-titled debut studio album in 2006 and her second studio album, Fearless, became the most award-winning record in country music history, sealing her status as a country music powerhouse.
She was the youngest artist ever to receive the Album of The Year
Swift won her first Album of The Year at the Grammy Awards in 2010 for her second studio album Fearless. She took home the trophy at the tender age of 20, becoming the youngest artist in history at the time to win the accolade. Billie Eilish now holds this honour after winning the same award in 2020, for her album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? at only 18.
Only woman to replace herself at No. 1 on the Hot 100
She said “I’ll be the man” and she proved it. Swift’s “Blank Space” dethroned her own song “Shake It Off” at the top of the Hot 100 list in 2014, and she became the first female artist to achieve this feat.
She replaced herself on the chart once again when “Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” terminated “Cruel Summer”‘s two-week reign at No. 1. The Beatles, Boyz II Men, Puff Daddy, Ja Rule, Nelly, OutKast, Usher, T.I., Black Eyed Peas, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Drake, and BTS are the only other acts who have ever replaced themselves at number one.
First woman to receive the Album of the Year twice at the Grammys
Swift’s first pop album 1989 won the Album of the Year Grammy in 2016, making her the first female artist to win the coveted award twice. Swift also won the award for Best Music Video for “Bad Blood” and Best Pop Vocal Album for 1989 that night.
Swift has won the most number of AMAs
Swift has an incredible 40 wins from 49 nominations at the American Music Awards, cementing her place as one of the most decorated musicians in AMA history. She surpassed Michael Jackson’s record in 2019, who previously held the record with 24 AMA wins.
She bagged the Artist of the Decade in the AMAs in 2019
Taylor has received more American Music Awards than any other singer in history, so it’s only logical that she was named Artist of the Decade in 2019. Her tremendous impact on the music scene is evident from her achievements and her huge following.
The first-ever recipient of Billboard’s Woman of the Decade Award
Taylor Swift was the first winner of Billboard’s Woman of the Decade Award, and she accepted it at the 2019 Women in Music Event. Taylor Swift gave a gripping 15-minute speech criticising toxic male privilege and discussing how the industry is different for a woman.
She received the accolade on the fateful eve of her 30th birthday, and said her twenties were defined by trying to cope with her haters’ criticism, stating that shortly after releasing her second album Fearless in 2008, she quickly learned that ‘as a female in this industry, some people will always have slight reservations about you’. She went on to discuss her ongoing feud with manager Scooter Braun for the rights to own her music and called out other musicians who stood by him. “Let me just say that the definition of the toxic male privilege in our industry is people saying, ‘Well, he’s always been nice to me,’ when I’m raising valid concerns about artists and their rights to own their music. Of course, he’s nice to you. If you’re in this room you have something he needs.”
Most No. 1 hits on Billboard’s US Digital Song Sales chart
Swift holds the Guinness World Record for the most No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales list. Taylor Swift’s 26th (latest) No.1 hit on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart was “Hits Different” on June 10, 2023. On February 6, 2010, “Today Was a Fairytale” led her to the peak for the first time.
First woman to win Album of the Year three times
Swift’s quarantine alternative album Folklore won the Album of the Year Grammy in 2021, making her the only woman to receive the award three times. Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Simon are the only other artists to have received this award three times.
Longest song in history to reach No. 1
If you’re a Swiftie, you can probably guess the song. For nearly 50 years, the longest song that reached #1 on the Hot 100 was Don McLean’s “American Pie (Parts I & II)”, which spans 8 minutes and 37 seconds. Eventually, in 2021, Taylor Swift’s 10-minute-and-13-second song “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” shattered the record and became the new longest No. 1. It’s an extended version of her own song “All Too Well,” which was released on Red in 2012, and fans were searching for it since they learned about its existence.
Most Video of the Year wins at VMAs
Taylor Swift took home a total of nine victories at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks, setting a new record for the songstress, was named video of the year. This was her fourth victory in the category, and now she holds the title for most Video of the Year winner on the VMAs. She previously won for “Bad Blood” (with Kendrick Lamar in 2015), “You Need to Calm Down” (2019), and “All Too Well: The Short Film” (2022). Swift became the first artist in VMA history to win back-to-back awards in this category, increasing her streak for the most victories — no one else has won more than two.
First and only artist in history to claim all top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 in a single week
Taylor Swift boasts one of the most historic weeks in the 64-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 list, becoming the first artist to dominate its entire top 10 in a single week. “Anti-Hero” is Swift’s ninth Hot 100 No. 1 single. All ten tracks on the Hot 100’s highest ranking are from Swift’s 2023 album Midnights.
Most Song of the Year nominations at the Grammys
Taytay was nominated for six Grammy awards in 2024, including Song of the Year for “Anti-Hero.” This was Swift’s seventh nomination for Song of the Year, which is the most of any artist. She has never won the honour, but earned nominations for “You Belong With Me,” “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Lover,” “Cardigan,” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).”
Most No. 1 Albums on the Billboard 200 by a female artist
She has 13 number-one albums on the Billboard 200, including re-recorded albums. In chronological order, she has topped the charts with Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), reputation (2017), Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2021), Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021), Midnights (2022), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (2023), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2023).
The first musician to become a billionaire solely on music earnings
Taylor Swift joined Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Diddy as billionaire musicians. Forbes has officially declared her as a billionaire and she is the first musician to accomplish the achievement “solely based on her songs and performances.” Last year, Forbes revised Taylor Swift’s net worth to USD 1.1 billion on their website. Her enormous Eras tour contributed significantly to her entire wealth, and by the end of the tour in 2024, her net worth will see a staggering boost.
The most-streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history
Swift re-established the record of being the most-streamed artist in a single day of Spotify’s history but now for her new album TTPD.
Before TTPD, according to a post on X by Spotify, Taylor Swift set a streaming record on the day of the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), becoming the artist with the most streams in a single day and the album becoming the most-streamed album on a single day in 2023 in the streaming service’s history.
The previous year, Taylor Swift’s 2022 album Midnights surpassed Drake’s Certified Lover Boy as the most streamed album in a single day on Spotify. Midnights received nearly 31 million more streams on release day than Certified Lover Boy, with 184 million to 153 million.
Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour is the highest-grossing concert tour of all time
Taylor Swift has been generating headlines and shattering records since the start of her highly anticipated Eras Tour. According to Guinness World Records, the tour is now the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, having earned more than USD 1 billion in revenue. The tour, which began in March 2023 and will end in December 2024 after 151 shows globally, has made USD 1.04 billion as of the end of 2023, according to Pollstar. This breaks the record set by Elton John’s farewell tour, which lasted five years and grossed USD 939 million across 328 shows before ending of 2023.
First artist to win Album of the Year four times
Swift made history at the 2024 Grammy Awards, winning the top accolade for her tenth studio album, Midnights, being the first and only person to do so four times. She previously garnered the accolade for her albums Fearless, 1989, and Folklore.
The first woman to have 10 singles achieve more than 1 billion streams on Spotify
Taylor Swift is the first female artist in Spotify history to have 10 single tracks with more than one billion streams each. “Cruel Summer” is her most popular tune on the streaming site, and she currently ranks as the world’s second-most popular artist, following only The Weeknd, with 104 million monthly streams.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is the highest-grossing concert movie ever
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023) is the highest-grossing concert film of all time, grossing USD 261.7 million worldwide. The preceding record was held by Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011).
Furthermore, AMC confirmed that tickets for the Eras Tour movie were the highest advance sales in the company’s 103-year history, and the film made USD 26 million in ticket revenue, setting a new record for ticket sales for a single title on one day at AMC surpassing Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The first artist to score six No. 1 album debuts, with over 1 million units sold in history
1989 (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her 1989 album, became the top-selling album in America for 2023 in less than a week. It topped the Billboard 200, vinyl albums, and streaming albums charts in its debut week, selling nearly 1.6 million units in the United States and 3.5 million worldwide. With the last achievement, she becomes the first artist in history to have six No. 1 album debuts with more than one million sales. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) topped 1989’s first-week sales in 2014, becoming the first Taylor Version to outperform the original.
Highest number of weeks spent among the top 10 on the Billboard 200 list
Taylor Swift now has the most weeks spent in the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing The Beatles. Her 10 albums have spent a total of 384 weeks on the list, dethroning the band, who had 382 weeks with 32 top 10 albums. Swift has not only outdone the Beatles but also spent the most weeks in the top ten of the Billboard 200 list in the last 60 years.
Most pre-saves in Spotify history
Even before the official release of the album, Taylor Swift’s latest album The Tortured Poets Department broke records for the most pre-saves in Spotify history. The audio streaming platform also introduced a countdown page for TTPD and updated it with merch links and cryptic lyrics to keep the Swifties occupied.
Most single-week vinyl sales
Swift loves her vinyl and so do Swifties. In the first week of its release, TTPD sold 700,000 of those vinyl copies breaking her own record for selling 693,000 copies of 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
The most-streamed song and album in a single day of Spotify’s history
On April 19th, after TTPD dropped, the first single of the album “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)” became the most-streamed song in a single day on the streaming platform while TTPD became the most-streamed album in a single day.
Fastest Album to reach 1 Billion Streams on Spotify
Within only five days of its release, TTPD hit the 1 billion mark on Spotify becoming the fastest album to get this feat.
No 1 debut on Billboard Hot 200
TTPD made a spectacular debut in its first week, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 list and also setting a record for the highest streaming week ever for an album since the chart began tracking by units. The first-week total for the album was 2.61 million.
Grabbing all top 14 spots of Billboard Hot 100
With Midnights, Swift became the first artist in history to hold all ten of the Billboard Hot 100’s top ten positions at the same time. With TTPD, she broke her own record by being the first to hold all 14 top-charting positions at once, with “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone at No. 1.
Her star power
Taylor Swift’s star power goes beyond awards and statistics; it’s a force that influences entire businesses and economies. Swift has one of the world’s most devoted and largest fanbases, known as Swifties, and her influence goes far beyond the boundaries of music.
Ticket Sales for Swift’s Eras Tour: When tickets for Swift’s Eras Tour went on sale, Ticketmaster stated that 2.4 million tickets were sold in a single day, setting a new record for a single artist.
Economic Impact: According to Forbes, the Eras Tour has the potential to create USD 4.6 billion for local economies around the world. Attendees, who averaged roughly 54,000 per show during the tour’s first leg in the United States, spent a lot of money in host towns on hotels, transportation, food, and merchandise. According to studies, the typical Eras Tour attendee spends USD 1,327.74.
Local Tourism Boost: Swift’s concerts have revived local tourism in several cities. After three concerts in Chicago, Illinois, the state smashed its hotel revenue record. Similarly, ahead of Swift’s six Los Angeles concerts, the California Centre for Jobs & the Economy predicted a USD 320 million rise in Los Angeles County GDP, as well as an increase in local employment and incomes.
International Economic Impact: Swift’s visit to Tokyo was expected to inject USD 228 million into the Japanese economy, with a large amount going straight to the host city. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally requested that Swift add tour stops, recognising the economic benefits of her concerts. She acceded to his request.
Exclusivity Deals: Singapore capitalised on Swift’s tremendous success by getting an exclusivity agreement, providing significant sums per show in exchange for being the sole ASEAN tour stop. Despite the uproar among its neighbouring countries, Swift’s concerts improved Singapore’s tourism and economy, as expected.
Super Bowl Influence: Swift’s presence at 13 Super Bowl LVIII games to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce, a Kansas City Chiefs player, inspired Swifties to watch the NFL, catapulting the sport to international fame. The Super Bowl finale, in which the Chiefs won, drew a record-breaking 123.4 million viewers, largely thanks to Swift and her supporters.
(Main and featured image: Kevin Mazur/AMA2019 /Getty Images)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What records has Taylor Swift set?
Taylor Swift holds many accolades to her name, some of her biggest records are:
- She is the only artist with four Album of The Year wins at the Grammys.
- First female artist to have 10 singles with more than 1 Billion streams each.
- Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the highest-grossing music tour ever.
Who is the number one Swiftie?
Bilal Ilyas Jhandir, a Pakistani Swiftie, currently holds the record for the most Taylor Swift songs recognised from their lyrics in one minute, earning his status as the world’s greatest Swiftie. You can witness his prowess here.
How many No. 1s does Taylor Swift have?
As of now, Taylor Swift has 11 No. 1s on Billboard Hot 100.
Did Taylor break any Grammy records?
Yes, some of Taylor Swift’s biggest records were set at the Grammy Awards. She is the only artist to win Album of The Year four times, is the most nominated artist in the Song of The Year category, and is also the first female musician to win Album of The Year three times.
This article first appeared here.
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After graduating from Calcutta University, Pallabi started her writing career as a freelancer. "She's so pieces" is the phrase that describes her the best. Pallabi is another typical introvert who loves to hide behind written words. Music is her comfort language. Binge-watching and eating delicious foods is her favourite pastime.
