Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department Hits 14 Weeks at No. 1, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign Debut at No. 2 on Billboard 200

Taylor Swift's Record-Breaking Streak Continues on Billboard 200

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has once again proven its dominance on the Billboard 200 chart, marking a phenomenal 14th week at the No. 1 spot. The album earned an impressive 142,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. for the week ending August 8, according to Luminate. This represents a remarkable 98% increase in units from the previous week, highlighting the album's sustained popularity and engagement.

Historical Context and Record-Breaking Achievements

Swift’s achievement is monumental, as it places The Tortured Poets Department in the company of only a few other albums that have maintained a top position for such an extended period. The last album to spend at least 14 weeks at No. 1 was Morgan Wallen's One Thing at a Time. Wallen’s album managed to stay atop the chart for 19 weeks in total, between March 2023 and March 2024.

For female artists, the last album to achieve such a feat was Adele’s 21, which notched 24 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 back in 2011-12. Taylor Swift’s continuous success with The Tortured Poets Department underscores her unrivaled influence and the deep connection she maintains with her audience.

Top 10 Highlights and New Debuts

In the latest Billboard 200 top 10, Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign’s new collaboration, Vultures 2, made a significant impact. Debuting at No. 2 with 107,000 equivalent album units, Vultures 2 is Ye’s 13th album to reach the top two, marking a notable milestone in his career. Ty Dolla $ign also celebrated, as this marks his third top 10 album.

The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA), and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). To break it down:

• Album Sales: Each unit equals one full album sale.
• Track Equivalent Albums (TEA): One TEA unit represents 10 individual tracks sold from an album.
• Streaming Equivalent Albums (SEA): This comprises 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand streams of an album’s songs.

The new Billboard 200 chart, dated August 18, 2024, will be posted in full on Billboard’s website on August 13. For the latest updates, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Breakdown of The Tortured Poets Department Success

Of the 142,000 units earned by The Tortured Poets Department during the tracking week ending August 8, the breakdown is as follows:

• Album Sales: 84,000 units (a staggering 606% increase)
• SEA Units: 57,500 units, equating to 75.43 million on-demand streams of the album’s deluxe edition, featuring 31 songs
• TEA Units: 500 units

The album also holds the No. 2 position on the Top Streaming Albums chart and is No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart. This success is partly attributed to several strategic moves:

• Digital Album Variants: Swift released five new digital album variants through her official webstore. Each variant included one bonus track and was priced at $4.99. Some variants featured exclusive content like a “first draft phone memo” version of “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” while others included live tracks from her recent The Eras Tour.
• Promotions and Discounts: The webstore also restocked three previously available digital variants and introduced a signed CD edition. There was a limited-time sale where 16 previously available physical variants were discounted by 13%, a nod to Swift’s favorite number.

This album’s ongoing success marks Swift’s longest-leading album on the Billboard 200, adding to her record of 83 career weeks at No. 1—an impressive feat that extends her lead among solo artists (Elvis Presley holds the second-most with 67 weeks). This accomplishment also contributes to her total of 14 No. 1 albums, tying her with Jay-Z for the most No. 1s among solo artists.

Chart Movement and Notable Entries

In other notable movements on the Billboard 200:

• Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 2: With 107,000 equivalent album units, the album debuts at No. 2, marking a high-profile release. Vultures 2 is the sequel to the chart-topping Vultures 1, which previously debuted at No. 1 with 148,000 units.
• Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess: This album climbs to No. 3 with 64,000 equivalent album units, a 20% increase from its previous position. Roan's recent performance at Lollapalooza contributed to this boost.
• Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time: This album dips slightly from No. 2 to No. 4 with 63,000 units but continues to show strong performance.
• Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft: Steady at No. 5 with 57,000 units, this album experienced an 8% increase.
• Charli XCX’s Brat: The album leaps from No. 9 to No. 6, earning 56,000 units—a 39% rise, fueled by the release of the “Guess” remix featuring Eilish.
• Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene: Drops from No. 3 to No. 7 with 51,000 units, a 16% decline.
• Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album: Rises from No. 11 to No. 8 with slightly over 37,000 units, down less than 1%.
• Noah Kahan’s Stick Season: Moves up from No. 10 to No. 9 with a little more than 37,000 units, experiencing a 5% drop.
• The Twisters: The Album Soundtrack: Falls from No. 8 to No. 10 with 37,000 units, down 16%.

Data Accuracy and Chart Integrity

Luminate, the independent data provider for the Billboard charts, ensures the accuracy of the data used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. They rigorously review and authenticate data submissions, removing any suspicious or unverifiable information before final chart calculations are made and published.

Taylor Swift’s remarkable streak with The Tortured Poets Department is a testament to her incredible artistry and her deep connection with fans. With strategic releases, promotions, and an enduring popularity, Swift continues to set new benchmarks in the music industry.