Taylor Swift has officially surpassed one of the biggest icons in music history. On Thursday, Billboard announced that Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, has now spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, overtaking Madonna’s 11-week reign with her 2000 album Music.
The achievement sparked immediate celebration across social media, with Swifties taking to X (formerly Twitter) to express their joy. One fan wrote, “Taylor just beat THE Madonna, this is HUGE”
A New Record for Taylor Swift on the Billboard 200
Billboard shared the milestone on its official X account, noting that Swift’s 2024 release has now dominated the chart for 12 weeks—making it one of the longest-running No. 1 albums in recent years.
The project has generated over 3.2 million equivalent album units in the U.S. alone and racked up more than 1.8 billion global streams, making it a streaming powerhouse.
The album, which features hits like “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone, has connected deeply with fans due to its introspective lyrics and varied soundscape. Swift marked the occasion on Instagram, writing, “This album means the world to me, and seeing it connect with you all is everything.”
One fan on X echoed the sentiment, posting: “Taylor’s consistency is unreal—she’s rewriting the record books.”
Swift vs. the Icons: Where She Stands Now
With this latest win, Taylor Swift now holds 12 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, pulling ahead of Madonna’s 11. Among female artists, only Barbra Streisand, with 14 chart-toppers, remains ahead. Overall, The Beatles still hold the record with 19 No. 1 albums.
In the U.K., Swift has also matched another music legend—tying Elvis Presley with 13 No. 1 albums, according to Billboard’s February report.
Madonna’s Music, released in 2000, was a Grammy-winning success and featured hits like “Don’t Tell Me” and “What It Feels Like for a Girl.” While Madonna dominated radio and physical sales in her prime, Swift’s modern dominance is bolstered by a massive streaming presence and a fiercely loyal fanbase.
