Taylor Swift’s eleventh studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has officially become the biggest album of 2024 in the UK. Since its release in May, the album has dominated the Official Chart, spending seven out of its ten weeks at Number 1, with the remaining three weeks at Number 2.
According to data from the Official Charts Company, “The Tortured Poets Department” has amassed over 542,200 chart units in less than two months, including 251,000 physical sales, making it the most physically-purchased album of the year so far.
Upon its record-breaking debut at Number 1 in the UK, “The Tortured Poets Department” marked Taylor Swift’s 12th UK Number 1 album, tying her with Madonna for the most UK Number 1 albums by a female artist. The album also boasted the biggest opening week sales of Taylor’s career and the largest opening week for any artist since Ed Sheeran’s “Divide” in 2017.
Proving her enduring popularity, five of Swift’s previous albums are also in the Top 20: “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” at Number 7, “Lover” at Number 12, “Midnights” at Number 14, “folklore” at Number 15, and “reputation” at Number 18.
The Weeknd’s greatest hits collection “The Highlights” holds the Number 2 spot, followed by Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” at Number 3. The Top 5 is rounded out by Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS” at Number 4 and Billie Eilish’s third album, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,” at Number 5, which gave Eilish the biggest opening week of her career.
Other notable entries include Ariana Grande’s seventh studio album “eternal sunshine” at Number 11 and Beyoncé’s country-inspired “COWBOY CARTER” at Number 16, both of which topped the Official Albums Chart, earning each artist their fifth UK chart-topper.
Additional 2024 albums making an impact are Dua Lipa’s “Radical Optimism” at Number 26, The Last Dinner Party’s debut album “Prelude To Ecstasy” at Number 37, and Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign’s collaboration “VULTURES 1” at Number 40.
