Taylor Swift Makes History with Four Top 10 Albums Simultaneously
Drop everything now: Taylor Swift has achieved a groundbreaking feat in the music industry. She is now the first woman and the third artist overall to have four albums in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart simultaneously. Swift’s current achievement is a result of her decision to rerecord her first six albums, which allows her to regain artistic and financial control over her work. The most recent release, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), debuted at the top spot, marking Swift’s 12th No. 1 album and surpassing Barbra Streisand’s record for the most chart-topping albums by a female artist.
According to Billboard, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) had the biggest sales week of any album this year. The album also includes six previously unreleased songs, further enhancing its appeal to fans. Joining Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in the Top 10 are three of Swift’s other albums: Midnights (2022), Folklore (2020), and Lover (2019), which are ranked fifth, 10th, and seventh, respectively. The combination of Swift’s ongoing Eras Tour, the release of the single “Cruel Summer” from her album Lover four years later, and her involvement in the soundtrack of Amazon series The Summer I Turned Pretty are cited as contributing factors to her impressive chart success.
This accomplishment places Swift in an exclusive club of artists. The last living act to have four albums in the top 10 at the same time was Herb Alpert on April 2, 1966. Prince is the only other artist to achieve this distinction, but he did so posthumously. Swift’s achievements on the Billboard charts don’t stop there. In October 2022, she became the first artist to occupy the entire Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with songs from her album Midnights.
Swift has yet to publicly acknowledge her latest milestones, but she has expressed the significance of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on social media. She wrote and recorded the album between the ages of 18 and 20 and decided to re-record it at 32. The Eras Tour, Swift’s first since 2018, has not only made an impact on her fans but has also given local economies a boost. Fans traveling to different cities for the tour are not only spending on tickets, hotels, and merchandise but also on customized outfits, beauty treatments, and even Swift-themed drinks and exercise classes. Economists predict that the tour will result in significant sales, tax revenues, and profitability for businesses in these cities.
One example of the tour’s economic impact is seen in the hotel industry. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported that Swift’s fans, known as “Swifties,” contributed to the strongest month for hotel revenue since the start of the pandemic. The influx of Swifties has provided a much-needed boost to businesses that have reported earning half of their yearly profit in just one weekend.
Taylor Swift’s chart-topping success and her Eras Tour not only solidify her position as one of the biggest names in the music industry but also demonstrate her ability to consistently innovate and captivate audiences. Her impact reaches beyond the music itself and extends to the economies of the cities she visits. Swift continues to break records and push boundaries, proving that she is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
