Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has been making waves on the Billboard 200 chart, holding the No. 1 spot for eight consecutive weeks. This impressive streak shows no signs of slowing down, thanks to its strong streaming numbers and various album variants boosting sales. With no major competing releases expected until mid-August, Swift’s reign at the top could continue for some time.
The big question is, how long can Swift maintain this streak? And are there any records she might break before “The Tortured Poets Department” eventually slips from the top spot?
A look at Billboard chart history reveals several records Swift could potentially break if her album continues to dominate. If no major artists release surprise albums in the next few weeks, some of these milestones seem within reach.
Post Malone’s “F-1 Trillion,” set for release on August 16, and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet,” coming out on August 23, are the most likely contenders to challenge Swift’s No. 1 streak. Both artists are friends and collaborators of Swift, and their albums are distributed by Republic Records, the same label as Swift’s. However, there’s still plenty of time for Swift to achieve significant milestones before these releases.
Swift hasn’t publicly stated whether she’s aiming to break any records with her current streak. However, the release of multiple physical and digital variants during the week Billie Eilish’s latest album dropped suggests she might be aiming for a long run of consecutive weeks at No. 1.
Here are six milestones Swift could reach if her streak continues:
1. If the streak reaches 11 weeks, Swift will surpass Adele’s record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 by a female artist this century. Adele’s “21” held the top spot for 10 straight weeks in 2012. “The Tortured Poets Department” needs just three more weeks to break this record.
2. At 12 weeks, Swift will break her own record for the most time spent at No. 1 by one of her albums. Currently, “Fearless” and “1989” are tied with 11 weeks each. This record doesn’t require consecutive weeks, so Swift could achieve it even if her streak is interrupted.
3. If the streak reaches 13 weeks, Swift will surpass Morgan Wallen’s record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 from an album’s debut this century. Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time” spent its first 12 weeks at No. 1 in 2023. Swift needs five more weeks to claim this record.
4. At 14 weeks, Swift will break the all-time record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 from an album’s debut, previously set by Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life.” This album held the top spot for 13 weeks in 1976-77. “The Tortured Poets Department” needs to stay at No. 1 until the end of July to achieve this.
5. If the streak reaches 16 weeks, Swift will break Carole King’s record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 by a female artist. King’s “Tapestry” held the top spot for 15 weeks in 1971. Swift would need to maintain her streak until August 8 to break this record.
6. At 21 weeks, Swift would break Harry Belafonte’s record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 by any artist. Belafonte’s “Calypso” held the top spot for 20 weeks in the late ’50s. While this seems unlikely, it’s not impossible for Swift to achieve.
Swift has already set a significant record for the most weeks at No. 1 by a solo artist, with her albums collectively spending 77 weeks at the top. She surpassed Elvis Presley’s record of 67 weeks earlier this year. The next major milestone would be the Beatles’ record of 132 weeks at No. 1. If Swift continues her prolific output and maintains her popularity, breaking this record could be a realistic lifetime goal.
While Swift may not be focused on breaking records held by Adele, Carole King, or Stevie Wonder, her ultimate goal could be to surpass the Beatles. If she continues to release successful albums and capture the public’s imagination, she could achieve this within the next decade. For now, Swift’s focus seems to be on maintaining her current streak and enjoying her success.
