charts discussion US Top 10 Albums by calendar year (1991-2023): Taylor breaks record for 2023

[Green]

These are the top 10 selling albums in the US by calendar year since 1991 (based on Soundscan/Luminate year-end reports)

 

Between 1991-2014 is based on pure album sales

Between 2015-2023 is based on SPS units

 

 

1991
1. Garth Brooks, “Ropin’ the Wind”: 4 million 
2. Mariah Carey, “Mariah Carey”: 3.38 million
3. Garth Brooks, “No Fences”: 3.37 million
4. Natalie Cole, “Unforgettable”: 3.26 million
5. Metallica, “Metallica”: 3.2 million
6. Michael Bolton, “Time, Love and Tenderness”: 3.17 million
7. C+C Music Factory, “Gonna Make You Sweat”: 3.15 million
8. Guns N’ Roses, “Use Your Illusion II”: 2.81 million
9. R.E.M., “Out of Time”: 2.78 million
10. Vanilla Ice, “To the Extreme”: 2.45 million 

 

 

1992
1.    Billy Ray Cyrus, “Some Gave All”  4.7 million
2.    Garth Brooks, “Ropin’ the Wind,” 4 million 
3.    Pearl Jam, “Ten,” 3.4 million
4.    “The Bodyguard” soundtrack, 3.3 million
5.    Kris Kross, “Totally Krossed Out,” 3.2 million
6.    Garth Brooks, “No Fences,” 3.1 million
7.    Garth Brooks, “The Chase,” 3.1 million
8.    Nirvana, “Nevermind,” 2.7 million
9.    Def Leppard, “Adrenalized,” 2.7 million
10.    Metallica, “Metallica,” 2.6 million

 

 

1993
1. Soundtrack — The Bodyguard: 5,500,000
2. Janet Jackson — Janet: 4,300,000
3. Pearl Jam — Vs.: 3,800,000
4. Kenny G — Breathless: 3,800,000
5. Mariah Carey — Music Box: 3,300,000
6. Dr. Dre — The Chronic: 2,900,000
7. Eric Clapton — Unplugged: 2,900,000
8. Garth Brooks — In Pieces: 2,800,000
9. Stone Temple Pilots — Core: 2,700,000
10. Meat Loaf — Bat Out of Hell II: 2,600,000

 

 

1994
1. Soundtrack — The Lion King: 4,900,000
2. Ace of Base — The Sign: 4,900,000
3. Boyz II Men — II: 4,300,000
4. Counting Crows — August & Everything After: 3,800,000
5. Green Day — Dookie: 3,400,000
6. Tim McGraw — Not a Moment Too Soon: 3,200,000
7. Stone Temple Pilots — Purple: 3,100,000
8. Kenny G — Miracles: The Holiday Album: 3,000,000
9. Offspring — Smash: 2,900,000
10. Mariah Carey — Music Box: 2,700,000

 

 

1995
1. Hootie & the Blowfish — Cracked Rear View: 7,000,000
2. TLC — CrazySexyCool: 4,800,000
3. Alanis Morissette — Jagged Little Pill: 4,200,000
4. Mariah Carey — Daydream: 3,900,000
5. Garth Brooks — The Hits: 3,800,000
6. Live — Throwing Copper: 3,500,000
7. Boyz II Men — II: 3,400,000
8. The Beatles — Anthology I: 2,900,000
9. Eagles — Hell Freezes Over: 2,800,000
10. Shania Twain — The Woman In Me: 2,800,000

 

 

1996
1. Alanis Morissette — Jagged Little Pill: 7,400,000
2. Celine Dion — Falling Into You: 6,000,000
3. Fugees — The Score: 4,500,000
4. No Doubt — Tragic Kingdom: 4,400,000
5. Mariah Carey — Daydream: 3,000,000
6. 2Pac — All Eyez On Me: 3,000,000
7. Metallica — Load: 3,000,000
8. Toni Braxton — Secrets: 2,900,000
9. Shania Twain — The Woman In Me: 2,800,000
10. Oasis — (What's the Story) Morning Glory: 2,600,000

 

 

1997
1. Spice Girls — Spice: 5,300,000
2. Jewel — Pieces of You: 4,300,000
3. Puff Daddy & the Family — No Way Out: 3,400,000
4. Garth Brooks — Sevens: 3,300,000
5. Hanson — Middle of Nowhere: 3,200,000
6. The Notorious B.I.G. — Life After Death: 3,100,000
7. The Wallflowers — Bringing Down the Horse: 3,100,000
8. Celine Dion — Falling Into You: 3,000,000
9. Soundtrack — Space Jam: 2,900,000
10. LeAnn Rimes — You Light Up My Life: 2,900,000

 

 

1998
1. Soundtrack — Titanic: 9,300,000
2. Celine Dion — Let's Talk About Love: 5,900,000
3. Backstreet Boys — Backstreet Boys: 5,700,000
4. Shania Twain — Come On Over: 4,900,000
5. 'N Sync — 'N Sync: 4,400,000
6. Soundtrack — City of Angels: 4,100,000
7. Garth Brooks — Double Live: 3,900,000
8. Will Smith — Big Willie Style: 3,700,000
9. Savage Garden — Savage Garden: 3,200,000
10. Soundtrack — Armageddon: 3,200,00

 

 

1999
1. Backstreet Boys — Millennium: 9,400,000
2. Britney Spears — ...Baby One More Time: 8,400,000
3. Ricky Martin — Ricky Martin: 6,000,000
4. Shania Twain — Come On Over: 5,600,000
5. Limp Bizkit — Significant Other: 5,000,000
6. Santana — Supernatural: 4,700,000
7. Kid Rock — Devil Without A Cause: 4,300,000
8. TLC — Fanmail: 4,200,000
9. Christina Aguilera — Christina Aguilera: 3,700,000
10. Dixie Chicks — Wide Open Spaces: 3,500,000

 

 

2000
1. 'N Sync — No Strings Attached: 9,900,000
2. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP: 7,900,000
3. Britney Spears — Oops!...I Did It Again: 7,900,000
4. Creed — Human Clay: 6,600,000
5. Santana — Supernatural: 5,900,000
6. The Beatles — 1: 5,100,000
7. Nelly — Country Grammar: 5,100,000
8. Backstreet Boys — Black & Blue: 4,300,000
9. Dr. Dre — 2001: 4,000,000
10. Destiny's Child — The Writing's On the Wall: 3,800,000

 

 

2001
1. Linkin Park — Hybrid Theory: 4,810,000
2. Shaggy — Hotshot: 4,520,000
3. 'N Sync — Celebrity: 4,420,000
4. Enya — A Day Without Rain: 4,410,000
5. Staind — Break the Cycle: 4,240,000
6. Alicia Keys — Songs In a Minor: 4,100,000
7. Destiny's Child — Survivor: 3,720,000
8. Creed — Weathered: 3,580,000
9. Soundtrack — O Brother, Where Art Thou?: 3,460,000
10. Various Artists — NOW 6: 3,130,000

 

 

2002

1. Eminem — The Eminem Show: 7,608,000
2. Nelly — Nellyville: 4,916,000
3. Avril Lavigne — Let Go: 4,121,000
4. Dixie Chicks — Home: 3,690,000
5. Soundtrack — 8 Mile: 3,498,000
6. P!nk — M!ssundaztood: 3,145,000
7. Ashanti — Ashanti: 3,099,000
8. Alan Jackson — Drive: 3,055,000
9. Shania Twain — Up: 2,090,000
10. Soundtrack — O Brother Where Art Thou: 2,736,000

 

 

2003
1. 50 Cent — Get Rich or Die Tryin': 6,536,000
2. Norah Jones — Come Away With Me: 5,137,000
3. Linkin Park — Meteora: 3,478,000
4. Evanescence — Fallen: 3,365,000
5. OutKast — Speakerboxxx/The Love Below: 3,090,000
6. Beyonce — Dangerously in Love: 2,527,000
7. R. Kelly — Chocolate Factory: 2,440,000
8. Hilary Duff — Metamorphosis: 2,406,000
9. Toby Keith — Shock N Y'all: 2,324,000
10. Coldplay — A Rush of Blood to the Head: 2,184,000

 

 

2004
1. Usher — Confessions: 7,979,000
2. Norah Jones — Feels Like Home: 3,843,000
3. Eminem — Encore: 3,517,000
4. Kenny Chesney — When the Sun Goes Down: 3,072,000
5. Gretchen Wilson — Here for the Party: 2,931,000
6. Tim McGraw — Live Like You Were Dying: 2,787,000
7. Maroon 5 — Songs About Jane: 2,708,000
8. Evanescene — Fallen: 2,614,000
9. Ashlee Simpson — Autobiography: 2,577,000
10. Various Artists — NOW 16: 2,560,000

 

 

2005
1. Mariah Carey — The Emancipation of Mimi: 4,969,000
2. 50 Cent — The Massacre: 4,853,000
3. Kelly Clarkson — Breakaway: 3,496,000
4. Green Day — American Idiot: 3,360,000
5. The Black Eyed Peas — Monkey Business: 3,037,000
6. Coldplay — X&Y: 2,615,000
7. Rascall Flatts — Feels Like Today: 2,511,000
8. Gwen Stefani — Love Angel Music Baby: 2,505,000
9. Kanye West — Late Registration: 2,414,000
10. The Game — The Documentary: 2,276,000

 

 

2006
1. Soundtrack — High School Musical: 3,719,000
2. Rascal Flatts — Me and My Gang: 3,480,000
3. Carrie Underwood — Some Hearts: 3,016,000
4. Nickelback — All the Right Reasons: 2,688,000
5. Justin Timberlake — FutureSex/LoveSounds: 2,377,000
6. James Blunt — Back to Bedlam: 2,137,000
7. Beyonce — B'Day: 2,010,000
8. Soundtrack — Hannah Montana: 1,988,000
9. Dixie Chicks — Taking the Long Way: 1,856,000
10. Hinder — Extreme Behavior: 1,817,000

 

 

2007
1. Josh Groban — Noel: 3,699,000
2. Soundtrack — High School Musical 2: 2,957,000
3. Eagles — Long Road Out of Eden: 2,608,000
4. Alicia Keys — As I Am: 2,543,000
5. Daughtry — Daughtry: 2,497,000
6. Soundtrack — Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus: 2,487,000
7. Linkin Park — Minutes to Midnight: 2,099,000
8. Fergie — The Dutchess: 2,064,000
9. Taylor Swift — Taylor Swift: 1,951,000
10. Kanye West — Graduation: 1,892,000

 

 

2008
1. Lil' Wayne — Tha Carter III: 2,874,000
2. Coldplay — Viva La Vida: 2,144,000
3. Taylor Swift — Fearless: 2,112,000
4. Kid Rock — Rock N Roll Jesus: 2,018,000
5. AC/DC — Black Ice: 1,915,000
6. Taylor Swift — Taylor Swift: 1,597,000
7. Metallica — Death Magnetic: 1,565,000
8. T.I. — Paper Trail: 1,522,000
9. Jack Johnson — Sleep Through the Static: 1,492,000
10. Beyonce — I Am...Sasha Fierce: 1,459,000

 

 

2009
1. Taylor Swift — Fearless: 3,217,000
2. Susan Boyle — I Dreamed a Dream: 3,104,000
3. Michael Jackson — Number Ones: 2,355,000
4. Lady Gaga — The Fame: 2,238,000
5. Andrea Bocelli — My Christmas: 2,207,000
6. Soundtrack — Hannah Montana: The Movie: 1,823,000
7. The Black Eyed Peas — The E.N.D.: 1,787,000
8. Eminem — Relapse: 1,735,000
9. Jay-Z — The Blueprint 3: 1,515,000
10. Kings of Leon — Only By the Night: 1,398,000

 

 

2010
1. Eminem — Recovery: 3,415,000
2. Lady Antebellum — Need You Now: 3,089,000
3. Taylor Swift — Speak Now: 2,960,000
4. Justin Bieber — My World 2.0: 2,319,000
5. Susan Boyle — The Gift: 1,852,000
6. Lady Gaga — The Fame: 1,591,000
7. Sade — Soldier of Love: 1,300,000
8. Drake — Thank Me Later: 1,269,000
9. Usher — Raymond v Raymond: 1,183,000
10. Ke$ha — Animal: 1,143,000

 

 

2011
1. Adele — 21: 5,824,000
2. Michael Buble — Christmas: 2,452,000
3. Lady Gaga — Born this Way: 2,101,000
4. Lil Wayne — Tha Carter IV: 1,917,000
5. Jason Aldean — My Kinda Party: 1,576,000
6. Mumford & Sons — Sigh No More: 1,420,000
7. Drake — Take Care: 1,247,000
8. Justin Bieber — Under the Mistletoe: 1,245,000
9. Jay-Z & Kanye West — Watch the Throne: 1,232,000
10. Lady Antebellum — Own the Night: 1,204,000

 

 

2012
1. Adele — 21: 4,414,000
2. Taylor Swift — Red: 3,107,000
3. One Direction — Up All Night: 1,616,000
4. Mumford & Sons — Babel: 1,463,000
5. One Direction — Take Me Home: 1,340,000
6. Justin Bieber — Believe: 1,324,000
7. Carrie Underwood — Blown Away: 1,203,000
8. Luke Bryan — Tailgates and Tanlines: 1,105,000
9. Lionel Richie — Tuskegee: 1,071,000
10. Jason Aldean — Night Train: 1,024,000

 

 

2013
1. Justin Timberlake — The 20/20 Experience: 2,427,000
2. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP 2: 1,727,000
3. Luke Bryan — Crash My Party: 1,521,000
4. Imagine Dragons — Night Visions: 1,402,000
5. Bruno Mars — Unorthodox Jukebox: 1,399,000
6. Florida Georgia Line — Here's To The Good Times: 1,350,000
7. Drake — Nothing Was the Same: 1,344,000
8. Beyonce — BEYONCE: 1,301,000
9. Blake Shelton — Based On a True Story: 1,109,000
10. Jay-Z — Magna Carta...Holy Grail: 1,099,000

 

 

2014
1. Taylor Swift — 1989: 3,661,000
2. Soundtrack — Frozen: 3,527,000
3. Sam Smith — In the Lonely Hour: 1,207,000
4. Pentatonix — That's Christmas To Me: 1,139,000
5. Soundtrack — Guardians Of the Galaxy: 898,000
6. Beyonce — Beyonce: 878,000
7. Barbra Streisand — Partners: 856,000
8. Lorde — Pure Heroine: 841,000
9. One Direction — FOUR: 814,000
10. Eric Church — The Outsiders: 811,000

 

 

2015
1 ADELE 25 8,008,000 
2 TAYLOR SWIFT 1989 3,105,000 
3 JUSTIN BIEBER PURPOSE 2,225,000 
4 ED SHEERAN X 2,206,000 
5 THE WEEKND BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS 2,045,000 
6 DRAKE IF YOU'RE READING THIS,IT'S TOO LATE 1,919,000 
7 MEGHAN TRAINOR TITLE 1,795,000 
8 SAM SMITH IN THE LONELY HOUR 1,741,000 
9 SAM HUNT MONTEVALLO 1,378,000 
10 FETTY WAP FETTY WAP 1,295,000

 

 

2016
1 DRAKE VIEWS 4,140,000 
2 ADELE 25 2,369,000 
3 BEYONCE LEMONADE 2,187,000 
4 RIHANNA ANTI 1,966,000 
5 TWENTY ONE PILOTS BLURRYFACE 1,732,000 
6 JUSTIN BIEBER PURPOSE 1,678,000 
7 CHRIS STAPLETON TRAVELLER 1,421,000 
8 ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST HAMILTON 1,327,000 
9 VARIOUS ARTISTS SUICIDE SQUAD:THE ALBUM 1,126,000 
10 ARIANA GRANDE DANGEROUS WOMAN 1,070,000

 

 

2017
1. Ed Sheeran — ÷: 2,764,000
2. Kendrick Lamar — DAMN.: 2,747,000
3. Taylor Swift — reputation: 2,336,000
4. Drake — More Life: 2,227,000
5. Bruno Mars — 24K Magic: 1,626,000
6. Post Malone — Stoney: 1,564,000
7. Migos — Culture: 1,438,000
8. The Weeknd — Starboy: 1,408,000
9. Soundtrack — Moana: 1,254,000
10. Khalid — American Teen: 1,220,000

 

 

2018
1. Drake — Scorpion: 3,905,000
2. Post Malone — Beerbongs & Bentleys: 3,251,000
3. Soundtrack — The Greatest Showman: 2,499,000
4. Cardi B — Invasion of Privacy: 2,055,000
5. Travis Scott — ASTROWORLD: 1,985,000
6. XXXTentacion — ?: 1,637,000
7. Migos — Culture II: 1,599,000
8. Ed Sheeran — Divide: 1,481,000
9. Soundtrack — Black Panther: 1,459,000
10. Post Malone — Stoney: 1,388,000

 

 

2019
1 Post Malone, Hollywood's Bleeding 3,001,000 
2 Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? 2,518,000 
3 Taylor Swift, Lover 2,191,000 
4 Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next 2,056,000 
5 Khalid, Free Spirit 1,587,000 
6 Post Malone, beerbongs & bentleys 1,380,000 
7 Lil Nas X, 7 1,306,000 
8 Drake, Scorpion 1,249,000 
9 Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (Soundtrack) 1,213,000 
10 Travis Scott, Astroworld 1,201,000

 

 

2020
1 LIL BABY My Turn 2.632 million 
2 TAYLOR SWIFT folklore 2.205 million 
3 POP SMOKE Shoot for the Stars Aim For The Moon 2.198 million 
4 THE WEEKND After Hours 2.032 million 
5 JUICE WRLD Legends Never Die 1.990 million 
6 POST MALONE Hollywood’s Bleeding 1.895 million 
7 LIL UZI VERT Eternal Atake 1.860 million 
8 RODDY RICCH Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial 1.792 million 
9 HARRY STYLES Fine Line 1.522 million 
10 LUKE COMBS What You See Is What You Get 1.475 million

 

 

2021
1. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album (3.226 million)
2. Olivia Rodrigo, Sour (2.856 million)
3. Drake, Certified Lover Boy (1.970 million)
4. Adele, 30 (1.936 million)
5. Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon (1.533 million)
6. Doja Cat, Planet Her (1.510 million)
7. The Kid LAROI, F*ck Love (1.505 million)
8. Justin Bieber, Justice (1.473 million)
9. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia (1.403 million)
10. The Weeknd, After Hours (1.342 million)

 

 

2022
1. Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti (3.400 million)
2. Taylor Swift, Midnights (3.294 million)
3. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album (2.405 million)
4. Harry Styles, Harry’s House (2.204 million)
5. The Weeknd, The Highlights (1.879 million)
6. Soundtrack, Encanto (1.839 million)
7. Future, I Never Liked You (1.460 million)
8. Olivia Rodrigo, Sour (1.438 million)
9. Lil Durk, 7220 (1.357 million)
10. Drake, Certified Lover Boy (1.317 million)

 

 

2023
1. Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time (5,362,000)
2. Taylor Swift, Midnights (3,209,000) 
3. SZA, SOS (3,172,000)
4. Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2,885,000) 
5. Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album (2,179,000)
6. Taylor Swift, Lover (1,893,000) 
7. Travis Scott, Utopia (1,782,000)
8. Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (1,776,000)
9. Taylor Swift, Folklore (1,612,000)
10. Metro Boomin, Heroes & Villains (1,574,000)

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

For the 2023 year-end chart Taylor Swift makes history placing 5 albums in the Top 10, a record in the Soundscan/Luminate era (1991-2023)

 

[BtDecember]

Evermore

[byzantium]

This is quite a nice compilation of information!.

Its also wild to think that Debut and Evermore are the only two Taylor albums to not make it to the top 3 for any particular year. 

[IBeMe]

This would be next level wow! Hoping Midnights can reach #2 on the YEC since it’s so close to SZA and slowly outselling it but idk 

[Cheers]

2015-2016 produced so many iconic eras omg!

 

Mariah and Celine’s 90’s domination whew. Taylor absolutely destroying everyone this decade. 

[fridayteenage]

20 minutes ago, BtDecember said:

Evermore

well at least it made the billboard year end at #4

[Anti-Hero]

Not lover selling 1.5M units in 2023. Truly a smash, Reputation found in the garbage bin 

[Maroonx]

1 hour ago, BtDecember said:

Evermore

her best album lost :(

[Frozen99]

thx for this compilation! the fact mariah never topped the YED until emancipation... madonna not even with ROL... is the bad bunny new album flopping that hard?  poor evermore...

 

4 hours ago, Green said:

9. Soundtrack — Space Jam: 2,900,000

wow

[chiliam]

Billie Ray Cyrus top a year, oh woa oh woa, i never known he was that big. 

Evermore baby where are u

 

And where is RED TV in 2021, what is the cut off.

[Chartman]

Only 3 artists managed to have a bigger album in 2023 than Taylor‘s 4th biggest album this year.

[LastKiss]

1989 and Speak now smashing in the 2010's and ALSO the 2020's

[Stepfon]

Mariah STOMPING like that in the 90's

 

TLC Hilary Duff

 

Cardi being the FIRST female rapper on these lists.

[Green]

Folklore is very close to pass Bad Bunny    (there's only a 35k gap)

 

 

10 BAD BUNNY | UN VERANO SIN TI RIMAS (THE ORCHARD)			1,513,065
11 ZACH BRYAN | AMERICAN HEARTBREAK WARNER (WMG)			1,479,684
12 TAYLOR SWIFT | FOLKLORE REPUBLIC (UMG)			1,477,976

 

With 3 weeks left Taylor could place 5 albums in the top 10 

[Gagaast]

45 minutes ago, Green said:

Folklore is very close to pass Bad Bunny    (there's only a 35k gap)

 

 

10 BAD BUNNY | UN VERANO SIN TI RIMAS (THE ORCHARD)			1,513,065
11 ZACH BRYAN | AMERICAN HEARTBREAK WARNER (WMG)			1,479,684
12 TAYLOR SWIFT | FOLKLORE REPUBLIC (UMG)			1,477,976

 

With 3 weeks left Taylor could place 5 albums in the top 10 

5 in Year end List 

[fridayteenage]

Ended with half of the top ten

 

Midnights joins 1989 and fearless with multiple top three years

Edited January 2 by fridayteenage

[TensionThingz]

Evermore you'll always be famous! 

[Soda Pop Queen]

lol damn, what the hell happened in 2014? Not even half of the albums passed the million mark. I'm guessing it was a transitional period since the digital sales age was coming to an end?

Edited January 3 by Soda Pop Queen

[Hunter_13]

 

[Green]

Updated the 2023 Taylor-end chart

[Gaia]

Is 21 the only album to spend two years at #1?

 

 

[lustforyou]

14 hours ago, Soda Pop Queen said:

lol damn, what the hell happened in 2014? Not even half of the albums passed the million mark. I'm guessing it was a transitional period since the digital sales age was coming to an end?

It's definitely this; 2014 is the last year on this list that used only pure sales and incorporates zero streams. Streaming wasn't huge then, but it was big enough that its absence makes the albums' numbers and impacts seem smaller than they actually were.

 

Especially for artists that trended for younger audiences, like Beyonce, Lorde, One Direction (+Taylor even though she already did huge numbers, 1989 would look even bigger, and other artists like Miley who was "smashing" as much as you could back then on Spotify). That's also why albums that catered more to an older (like 30+ audience) that year have way bigger numbers and maybe somewhat of an overinflated impact appearance, such as Barbara Streisand, Eric Church, Pentatonix, Sam Smith (his was huge regardless, but he got pure sales from soccer moms that other artists got in streams from younger ppl), and the Frozen soundtrack (bought by parents for little kids). 

 

I don't have the facts to back this up lol, but I'd bet that if streams were included, Lorde, Beyonce, and One Direction all crack a million and Lorde and One Direction hit the top 5

[RobynYoBank]

7 hours ago, Gaia said:

Is 21 the only album to spend two years at #1?

 

 

If you go by sales, 1989 did with TV. By units, 21 is the only one in the Soundscan Era.

 

Other albums that did it before Soundscan: West Side Story Soundtrack, Thriller.

[ithinkheknowsoutsold]

On 1/3/2024 at 11:04 AM, Soda Pop Queen said:

lol damn, what the hell happened in 2014? Not even half of the albums passed the million mark. I'm guessing it was a transitional period since the digital sales age was coming to an end?

Pure sales only, I'm surprised so many albums ended up selling that close to a million considering over the summer you could go top ten with 15,000 sales only.

[Cruel Summer]

Five of the top ten albums in a calendar year  That’s the kind of domination that I don’t think will ever be replicated. Taylor’s basically peaking at the perfect moment to completely maximize her position on every commercial list and chart, especially in the US.