Taylor Swift just broke a Billboard chart record held by Whitney Houston for 37 years

 

Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poet's Department" has seen steady success since its release, and it just recently secured a record.

"The Tortured Poet's Department" reached its 12th week at number one on the Billboard 200 (which ranks albums by popularity), beating out Whitney Houston's self-titled 1987 album. "Whitney" spent only 11 weeks at number one, making Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poet's Department" the first album by a woman to spend its first 12 weeks at number one.

Previously, both Swift's "1989" and "Fearless" similarly spent 11 consecutive weeks at number one following their debut.

It's not the first time Swift has beaten one of Houston's records. Swift's "Folklore" weeks at number one earned the pop star the most cumulative weeks at number one for a woman in 2020. Although at the time that was a difference of 47 and 46, Taylor Swift has now garnered an accumulated 81 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. This record is only bested by The Beatles, with an impressive 132 weeks at number one.

Still, Taylor Swift is the soloist with the most weeks at number one, beating Elvis Presley by 14 weeks.

Although "The Tortured Poet's Department" has seen no shortage of success, some believe Eminem's "The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)" could usurp the album at number one, at least long enough to break Swift's consecutive streak. Eminem boasts a streak of 10 consecutive charting albums since the beginning of the millennium, beginning with 2000's "The Marshall Mathers LP."