The return to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 was virtually ordained for Taylor Swift.
After a yr that noticed a massively profitable stadium tour, a field workplace topping film, and a tradition dominance that noticed her win the coveted Time “Particular person of the 12 months” award, it’s no shock that her album 1989 (Taylor’s Model) has returned this week to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
However whereas these successes are spectacular, the breathless and cheerleading claims to have tied Elvis Presley for many weeks as a solo artist at No. 1 is an apples to bricks comparability.
Whereas Elvis’s gross sales had been measured by experiences from retailers (an admittedly free dedication at occasions), at this time’s charts on the Billboard 200 think about gross sales from streaming, one thing that didn’t exist in Elvis’s heyday.
The Billboard 200 albums chart will depend 1,250 streams by means of a paid subscription service to at least one album unit, and three,750 streams by means of ad-supported streaming providers to at least one album unit. That’s along with conventional gross sales, that are boosted by vinyl’s revival, however nonetheless lag far behind streams.
Evaluating streams to the dedication wanted to drive to a retailer to buy an album is a matter up for debate. Does that cheapen the No. 1 standing? Not in comparison with contemporaries, however possibly traditionally.
In fact, the Beatles had albums at No. 1 for 132 weeks on the album charts. However that’s not a “solo” artist. It’s, although, a report unlikely to ever be damaged.
