Taylor Swift has reached a significant milestone in her career, topping the Billboard 200 albums chart for a record-breaking 12th consecutive week with her album “The Tortured Poets Department.” This achievement marks the longest-running number-one album of Swift’s career and sets a new precedent as the first album by a female artist to maintain the top spot for its first 12 weeks.
Swift’s success comes amidst a notable surge in album performance, with “The Tortured Poets Department” experiencing a 43% increase, achieving 163,000 equivalent album units. This boost was fueled by Swift’s strategic restocking of various album variants on her webstore, coupled with the release of three additional digital versions featuring exclusive bonus tracks.
Country singer Zach Bryan‘s album “The Great American Bar Scene,” which garnered 137,000 album units, secured the number-two spot but fell short of Swift’s unprecedented hold on the chart. Bryan now joins a growing list of artists—including Billie Eilish, Gunna, Dua Lipa, and Gracie Abrams—who have found themselves edged out of the top position by Swift’s formidable presence.
In other chart movements, Morgan Wallen‘s “One Thing at a Time” slid to number-three with 69,000 units, while “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish maintained its fourth-place position with 58,000 units. Chappell Roan‘s “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” continued its strong showing at number-five, amassing 54,000 units.
Swift’s ongoing dominance raises anticipation about future releases and the potential impact on the Billboard 200, leaving fans and industry watchers eager to see what surprises she may unveil next.