Taylor Swift Soars: The Tortured Poets Department Claims Record-Breaking 12th Week at No. 1
Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, has set a new personal and industry record, capturing its 12th consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart as of July 20. This milestone surpasses her previous record held by both 1989 and Fearless, each with 11 weeks at the top spot.
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Breaking Records and Making History
The The Tortured Poets Department earned an impressive 163,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. for the week ending July 11, marking a significant 43% increase — its first gain in seven weeks. The album initially debuted at No. 1 on the May 4 chart and has maintained its position ever since, refusing to relinquish the throne.
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Setting New Benchmarks for Female Artists
With this achievement, The Tortured Poets Department has also broken Whitney Houston’s record. Houston’s 1987 album Whitney held the previous record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 by a female artist, spending 11 weeks at the top from its debut. Swift’s latest work now stands alone as the only album by a woman to spend its first 12 weeks at No. 1.
