Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” Makes Historic Debut, Tying Jay-Z for Most No. 1 Albums

Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has taken the music world by storm with its historic debut. According to Billboard, the album has achieved a monumental feat by securing the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart, making it Taylor Swift’s 14th chart-topping album. This achievement puts her in a tie with Jay-Z for the most No. 1 albums among soloists.

“The Tortured Poets Department,” which was released on April 19, features over two dozen tracks that are believed to delve into Swift’s personal relationships, including those with The 1975 singer Matty Healy, actor Joe Alwyn, and current beau Travis Kelce. The album has also broken records for the largest streaming week for an album ever, with a staggering 891.34 million official streams of its 31 songs.

In addition to its streaming success, the album saw 2.61 million equivalent album units earned by the end of last week. Vinyl sales alone accounted for 859,000 album units, marking the largest sales week for an album on vinyl in the modern era. “The Tortured Poets Department” has also surpassed Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” as the top-selling album of 2024, with over 1.9 million sales compared to “Cowboy Carter’s” 228,000 copies sold.

With every one of Swift’s full-length studio albums since “Fearless” in 2008 debuting at No. 1, she has solidified her status as one of the music industry’s biggest stars. Swift and Jay-Z now stand alongside The Beatles for the most No. 1 albums, with Swift being one of only two women to have achieved this milestone. As fans continue to flock to streaming platforms to listen to “The Tortured Poets Department,” it’s clear that Taylor Swift’s reign as a chart-topping powerhouse shows no signs of slowing down.