charts discussion US: Taylor Swift has now sold 16M+ album units in 2024 → 1.7% industry market share

[Feanor]

That means she sold about 250k units weekly for the past 4 weeks. Depending on how big 'THE ANTHOLOGY' physicals end up, she could be headed for almost 18M units by the end of the year at this pace.

 

Edited Thursday at 12:31 PM by Feanor

[AmericanIdol]

Just that?

 

I thought it would be like 30M or something. Very underwhelming.

[roso]

The Prophecy's impact

[Badgalbriel]

15 million albums sold in one year

At this pace we can already announce her as the biggest solo artist of all time

[xxxlamb]

8 minutes ago, AmericanIdol said:

Just that?

 

I thought it would be like 30M or something. Very underwhelming.

That's US only

[Green]

30 minutes ago, xxxlamb said:

That's US only

 

Even if it was worldwide 15 million is huge for anyone in 2024

[bielneira]

Biggest artist alive!

[45seconds]

30 minutes ago, Badgalbriel said:

15 million albums sold in one year

At this pace we can already announce her as the biggest solo artist of all time

There are three prominent recording artists that make this not true at all. 

Edited October 21 by 45seconds

[Badgalbriel]

6 minutes ago, 45seconds said:

There are three prominent recording artists that make this not true at all. 

Of course not right now. Let's give her 6 or 7 more years 

[kyoshi]

Now we wait for those Anthology sales 

 

[NoOneDiesFromLove]

Thank you, Fresh Off The Slammer 

[Arrows]

1 hour ago, AmericanIdol said:

Just that?

 

I thought it would be like 30M or something. Very underwhelming.

It's the second biggest year for any artist in recorded US history, only after her own 2023

[awesomepossum]

18 minutes ago, Arrows said:

It's the second biggest year for any artist in recorded US history, only after her own 2023

bigger than michael jackson? or the beatles?

[Doctor Dick]

1 hour ago, Badgalbriel said:

15 million albums sold in one year

At this pace we can already announce her as the biggest solo artist of all time

What Taylor is doing is huge and amazing. Let's start there. 

 

But no. Michael Jackson's peak sales or Elvis' and Madonna's were not tracked in half of Europe and Africa and Asia and Latin America since there were no organizations like the IFPI and most of the consumption in those continents was illegal and driven by bootlegged versions of albums at a cheaper price. Taylor's are all from legimitate sources and she's peaking at a time when the IFPI can track legal sales from all those continents. And when taking into account that Michael's LEGAL units from HALF of the world still outsold CURRENT Taylor it's safe to say she is simply not. With all due respect to her super impressive achievements. 

[Badgalbriel]

4 minutes ago, Doctor Dick said:

What Taylor is doing is huge and amazing. Let's start there. 

 

But no. Michael Jackson's peak sales or Elvis' and Madonna's were not tracked in half of Europe and Africa and Asia and Latin America since there were no organizations like the IFPI and most of the consumption in those continents was illegal and driven by bootlegged versions of albums at a cheaper price. Taylor's are all from legimitate sources and she's peaking at a time when the IFPI can track legal sales from all those continents. And when taking into account that Michael's LEGAL units from HALF of the world still outsold CURRENT Taylor it's safe to say she is simply not. With all due respect to her super impressive achievements. 

biggest solo artist with tracked sales

[anastaciabby]

5 minutes ago, Doctor Dick said:

What Taylor is doing is huge and amazing. Let's start there. 

 

But no. Michael Jackson's peak sales or Elvis' and Madonna's were not tracked in half of Europe and Africa and Asia and Latin America since there were no organizations like the IFPI and most of the consumption in those continents was illegal and driven by bootlegged versions of albums at a cheaper price. Taylor's are all from legimitate sources and she's peaking at a time when the IFPI can track legal sales from all those continents. And when taking into account that Michael's LEGAL units from HALF of the world still outsold CURRENT Taylor it's safe to say she is simply not. With all due respect to her super impressive achievements. 

haven't you been trying to minimize her with this argument many times now in different threads?  people don't get tired on here 

[byzantium]

9 minutes ago, awesomepossum said:

bigger than michael jackson? or the beatles?

We largely only have detailed numbers and tracking from 1991 onwards so people can argue until they are blue in the face and there will never be a resolution. However, she has had the two biggest years of the last 33 years and there is a reason why MJ and the Beatles are the benchmarks she is being compared to.  And in the US I think she is only behind the Beatles and Garth Brooks for total sales.  

[Doctor Dick]

10 minutes ago, anastaciabby said:

haven't you been trying to minimize her with this argument many times now in different threads?  people don't get tired on here 

Minimizing?  I'm not minimizing just because I'm giving factual arguments. It sounds like if anyone says Taylor isn't the biggest artist of all time it's hating on her. 

 

As I said, she's impressive but it's beyond disrespectful to write off a huge name like Michael Jackson's record-breaking achievements just to optimize your fave's accomplishments. 

Edited October 21 by Doctor Dick

[Doctor Dick]

5 minutes ago, byzantium said:

We largely only have detailed numbers and tracking from 1991 onwards so people can argue until they are blue in the face and there will never be a resolution. However, she has had the two biggest years of the last 33 years and there is a reason why MJ and the Beatles are the benchmarks she is being compared to.  And in the US I think she is only behind the Beatles and Garth Brooks for total sales.  

Yeah it's totally unfair but I do think she's at Madonna's level in the US. I still think MJ and The Beatles had all of Taylor's demos but also had a large straight male following which Taylor (or any other female) just doesn't have and that gives them the logical edge. 

[Cruel Summer]

The biggest artist of all time in the US having the biggest year in US music history since we started getting real numbers, I know that's right 

[Doctor Dick]

1 minute ago, Cruel Summer said:

The biggest artist of all time in the US having the biggest year in US music history since we started getting real numbers, I know that's right 

She kinda rivals Madonna in terms of being the biggest female of all time in US music history. I don't think anyone else compares. 

[Lemon]

25 minutes ago, anastaciabby said:

haven't you been trying to minimize her with this argument many times now in different threads?  people don't get tired on here 

They definitely don't get tired. 

Because dedication to things they don't find appealing is... impressive. 

[byzantium]

37 minutes ago, Doctor Dick said:

Yeah it's totally unfair but I do think she's at Madonna's level in the US. I still think MJ and The Beatles had all of Taylor's demos but also had a large straight male following which Taylor (or any other female) just doesn't have and that gives them the logical edge. 

We are aware you don't think that.  You flip out every time one of these threads comes around.  

[awesomepossum]

1 hour ago, byzantium said:

We largely only have detailed numbers and tracking from 1991 onwards so people can argue until they are blue in the face and there will never be a resolution. However, she has had the two biggest years of the last 33 years and there is a reason why MJ and the Beatles are the benchmarks she is being compared to.  And in the US I think she is only behind the Beatles and Garth Brooks for total sales.  

i didn't realize recorded history in this case only went back to 1991. usually when people say 'recorded history' they mean like the history of the US

Edited October 21 by awesomepossum

[byzantium]

29 minutes ago, awesomepossum said:

i didn't realize recorded history in this case only went back to 1991. usually when people say 'recorded history' they mean like the history of the US

Welcome to the Nielsen Soudscan Era.  

Edited October 22 by byzantium