Taylor Swift Shatters Vinyl Sales Record with 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Taylor Swift has once again made music history with the release of her 11th studio album, 'The Tortured Poets Department.' The 31-track double album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking Swift's 14th chart-topping album and tying her with Jay-Z for the most No. 1 albums by a solo artist.

In its first week, 'The Tortured Poets Department' sold a staggering 859,000 copies on vinyl, setting a new U.S. record for the largest vinyl sales week. This surpasses Swift's own previous record of 693,000 vinyl copies sold with her re-recorded album '1989 (Taylor's Version)' just six months ago. The vinyl sales alone would have been enough to secure the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart.

The album's overall first-week numbers are equally impressive, with 2.61 million equivalent album units earned in the U.S., including 1.914 million traditional album sales across digital downloads, CDs, vinyl LPs, and cassettes. This marks the second-largest week for an album by units earned since Adele's '25' in December 2015.

Why this matters: Taylor Swift's record-breaking success with 'The Tortured Poets Department' demonstrates her unparalleled star power and the enduring appeal of physical music formats in the streaming era. The album's massive vinyl sales highlight the resurgence of the format and its importance to both artists and fans.

'The Tortured Poets Department' also achieved the largest streaming week ever for an album, generating 891.34 million on-demand official streams. It broke all-time streaming records on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, becoming the first album to surpass 300 million streams in a single day and the first to reach one billion streams in a single week on Spotify.

Reacting to the album's success, Swift expressed her gratitude to fans, saying, "I'm completely floored by the love you've shown 'The Tortured Poets Department.' I can't thank you enough for making this the biggest first week of my entire career. I'm so proud of this album and can't believe how much you've embraced it."

With 'The Tortured Poets Department,' Swift continues to dominate the music industry, solidifying her status as one of the most successful and influential artists of her generation. The album's record-breaking vinyl sales and streaming numbers are a testament to her ability to connect with fans across multiple platforms and formats.

Key Takeaways

• Taylor Swift's 11th album 'The Tortured Poets Department' debuted at #1, tying Jay-Z's record.
• The album set a new U.S. record for largest vinyl sales week, surpassing Swift's own previous record.
• The album earned 2.61 million equivalent album units in the U.S., the 2nd-largest week since Adele's '25'.
• The album broke all-time streaming records on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
• The album's success demonstrates Swift's unparalleled star power and the resurgence of physical music formats.