As if the records set by MIDNIGHTS (2022) weren’t enough, Taylor Swift has now cracked two more positions: she is the first artist to top the Billboard Radio Songs Chart in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. In addition, their record is the only production since the 1980s to record more vinyl than CD sales.
In no time, her work shot to the top of the charts in practically every country important to her market (except Japan, where it reached number seven). This made Swift the only artist in history whose five albums sold more than a million copies in their first week, as she sold nearly 1.6 million copies on the first go. That number grew to six million in two months, recently breaking another sales record.
The first new record: The radio song charts
The singer reached her seventh number one on the Radio Songs chart with “Anti-Hero” and is now the fourth most played track, led by Maroon 5, Katy Perry and Usher. Rihanna currently leads the charts with 13 number one songs, followed by Mariah Carey with eleven and Bruno Mars with nine. Despite making “only” her seventh time on the radio songs chart, Swift is the first to top the charts in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, on the news: “Taylor is a multidimensional creative force whose achievements place her among the most successful artists in music history. We are thrilled and honored to be working with her on so many aspects of her career.”
New record number 2: The sales success of vinyl vs. CD
MIDNIGHTS was released in five color-coded CD and vinyl editions, some limited not by the number of copies pressed but by the length of sale. What was known so far: The production is not only the fastest-selling vinyl release since data collection began in 1991, but also the best-selling vinyl album of the 21st century. The new record states: It is also the first time since 1987 that an album has sold more copies on vinyl than on CD.
In a statement released by The Guardian, Kim Bayley, executive director of the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), said that the monumental sales would represent “a turning point for the entire music industry”. She said of vinyl’s continued rise and recapture of the format, “After CD came along and pretty much wiped out the vinyl business, few of us would have believed such a renaissance possible.” When asked what that supposedly meant inferior format means, Bayley said, “Will the CD go away? Of course, its prospects are not good at the moment, but it offers a consistency, robustness and quality that is unique. Considering how wrong we were about vinyl, it would be foolish to write off the CD forever.”
What other records could Swift break?
MIDNIGHTS is forecast to sell a total of 5.5 million vinyl LPs by the end of 2022, marking the 15th consecutive year of sales growth of Swift’s career. It remains exciting.
Listen to the award-winning work here: