Taylor Swift Makes History With Most No. 1 Albums By A Female Artist

Taylor Swift now holds the record for the most No. 1 albums in history by a female artist, after the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”

“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)“, is the third installment in Swift’s series of the rerecording of her original six studio albums. Released earlier this month, the album was expected to break sales records and reach the top of the charts — it did just that, becoming Swift’s 12th album to reach the top spot on Billboard 200.

Previously, Barbra Streisand held the record, with 11 No. 1 albums.

Swift has the year’s biggest album release to date, selling 716,000 equivalent album units in the US, according to Luminate. The pop superstar topped Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time” which opened with 501,000 units during its release the first week of March.

That’s not all — the Speak Now TV rerecordings now have a bigger opening than her two previous rerecordings, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” with 605,000 and “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” with 291,000.

“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” marks Swift’s sixth studio album in three years, continuing her streak of No. 1 albums in each of the past five calendar years, according to Billboard — her previous chart-toppers being “Lover” (2019); “Folklore” (2020); “Evermore” (2020); “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” (2021); “Red (Taylor’s Version)” (2021); and “Midnights” (2022).

The 716,000 equivalent unit sale for the new “Speak Now” had a strong sales performance in the United States, including 269 million streams, 507,000 copies sold as a complete package, and 268,500 copies sold on vinyl.

The vinyl sales alone reached the second-highest weekly total for any vinyl album since 1991. The only album to sell more vinyl copies in a single week is Swift’s own Midnights, selling 575,000 copies in October 2022.

The high performance and sales of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” are a testament to Taylor Swift’s enduring popularity. The album has been praised by critics and fans alike, and it is clear the pop superstar will continue smashing charts and breaking records.

Featured Image: Beth Garrabrant