By Steven J. Horowitz
Senior Music Writer
Taylor Swift has broken yet another record with her new album “The Tortured Poets Department,” as she becomes the first artist to claim the top 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Swift breaks her previous record for most songs to claim the top spots on the chart, which she achieved with 10 tracks from 2022’s “Midnights” that dominated the tally.
“Fortnight,” her duet with Post Malone, leads the pack at No. 1 and becomes her 12th topper on the chart. She ties for the sixth-most No. 1s, and levels up from 49 to 59 career top 10s, which is the most among female artists. Additionally, “Fortnight” secured 76.2 million streams, and became her ninth No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart, the most among women. All 31 songs have landed in the Hot 100, and she earns an additional inclusion with “Cruel Summer” holding onto the chart.
After “Fortnight,” she rounds out the top 10 with “Down Bad,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” “The Tortured Poets Department,” “So Long, London,” “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” “But Daddy I Love Him,” “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + the Machine, “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” and “Guilty as Sin?”
Popular on Variety
Swift has now eclipsed Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder for the most toppers on the Hot 100, with 12 reaching the summit. She is now tied with the Supremes and Madonna, and sits behind Michael Jackson, Drake, Rihanna, Mariah Carey and the Beatles, who have the most No. 1s with 20.
The latest record-breakers come after “The Tortured Poets Department” debuted atop the Billboard 200 with 2.61 million album-equivalent units, the second-biggest debut of all time (behind Adele’s “25”). She also set the record for highest streaming numbers ever in a week with 891.37 million on-demand streams.
Swift enthusiastically reacted to her album sales on social media. “My mind is blown. I’m completely floored by the love you’ve shown this album. 2.6 million ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS?? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed. I was already so fired up to get back to the tour but you doing THIS?? May 9th can’t come soon enough.”
A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast
The Business of Entertainment
