Taylor Swift’s record-breaking first-week vinyl sales over the years

Taylor Swift Breaks Records with Massive Vinyl Sales for Latest Album

This week, Taylor Swift made history with the release of her newest album, The Tortured Poets Department. Apart from various milestones achieved, the most astonishing record set by the singer was the first-week vinyl sales for the album, reaching an impressive 859,000. This figure shattered previous records, making it the largest sales week for a vinyl album in recent times, surpassing the second-best week by over 160,000 units.

Her previous record, set by the debut of her last release, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), was notable with 693,000 vinyl copies sold in the week ending Nov. 2, 2023. With this achievement, Swift now holds the top four biggest vinyl sales weeks in history, with six of the top eight also under her belt. This not only reflects the overall surge in vinyl format popularity but also highlights Swift’s evolving strategy focusing on physical media and fan-centric collectibles.

For The Tortured Poets, Swift strategically released six different vinyl variations, in addition to multiple CD and cassette versions. Four of these were widely available, while two were exclusive editions, one being a signed version through her website and another through Target. Each of the four widely accessible editions included a unique bonus track, resulting in impressive individual sales numbers leading the vinyl sales charts for the week: Manuscript edition (342,000); Bolter edition (85,000); Black Dog edition (79,000); and Albatross edition (62,000).

This strategy has been a trademark of Swift since her pandemic albums, Folklore and Evermore. It underscores how artists have been leveraging the resurgence of vinyl not only as a physical art piece but also as a sought-after merch item. The vinyl format has continued to gain momentum, witnessing an increase in sales for 18 consecutive years, reaching 43.2 million U.S. sales in 2023 and generating $1.35 billion in revenue, according to the RIAA.

Back in 2012, Swift’s Red marked a significant milestone in her pop career, coinciding with a considerable surge in the vinyl business, adding nearly $100 million in value within two years, totaling $213.3 million. The shift continued with the release of 1989, where the standard vinyl format sold 11,000 copies in the first week, indicating another $100 million annual increase in the vinyl industry by then. Reputation in 2017 followed suit with 9,000 sales in its technically second week of availability.

The release of Folklore in 2020 faced challenges amid a global pandemic, resulting in supply chain disruptions within the vinyl industry. Despite selling 9,000 copies in the first week, the delayed vinyl availability impacted the overall sales reporting process. Swift’s innovative approach with seven alternate covers for Folklore and subsequent releases like Evermore contributed to the upward trend in vinyl sales, eventually achieving a record 102,000 vinyl sales in Evermore’s debut week.

Following the success of these releases, a series of re-releases of Swift’s older albums and new drops were accompanied by similar strategies, leading to remarkable sales figures. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) both saw significant numbers in their first weeks on shelves, showcasing the impact of Swift’s innovative vinyl offerings in the market.

Since 2020, the U.S. vinyl sales industry has witnessed substantial growth, increasing from $820 million to a peak of $1.35 billion in revenue by 2023. While this trend is industry-wide, Taylor Swift’s unique approach and consistent success undoubtedly played a critical role in propelling vinyl sales to new heights.