Taylor Swift passes Elvis Presley record

Sarah Gambles
·2 min read
6
Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour” on Aug. 7, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour” on Aug. 7, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. | Chris Pizzello, Invision, Associated Press
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Taylor Swift is at it again with breaking records, and this time she came for the king of rock ’n’ roll.

This week, the musical artist officially beat Elvis Presley for the most weeks spent on top of the Billboard 200 chart for a solo artist. After tying with Presley’s record last week, Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” maintained the No. 1 spot for one more week, and broke the record, like experts expected, Forbes reported.

Elvis Presley performs in Providence, R.I. on May 23, 1977. | Associated Press
Elvis Presley performs in Providence, R.I. on May 23, 1977. | Associated Press

The record is considered one of Presley’s most notable Billboard chart records. Swift has now dominated the Billboard charts for a total of 68 weeks during her career, per Billboard.

Which artists spent the most weeks at the top of the Billboard 200?

For the most weeks spent on top of the Billboard 200 chart for any artists, that spot belongs to the Beatles, who spent 132 weeks on top, according to Variety.

Swift and Presley also lead the pack, in second and third place, respectively. Here are the other contenders for the record, per Billboard:

  • Garth Brooks — 52 weeks.

  • Michael Jackson — 51 weeks.

  • Whitney Houston — 46 weeks.

  • Adele — 40 weeks.

  • Elton John — 39 weeks.

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs on her 30th birthday at Z100’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2019 at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, in New York. | Evan Agostini, Invision, Associated Press
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs on her 30th birthday at Z100’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2019 at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, in New York. | Evan Agostini, Invision, Associated Press

How to compare Taylor Swift vs. Elvis Presley’s record

The way the chart data is measured has changed for obvious reasons since Presley’s career. Due to listening habit changes and technological advances, the chart data is determined by number of streams versus traditional album purchase sales.

According to Deadline, the Billboard 200 albums chart counts:

  • “1,250 streams through a paid subscription service to one album unit.”

  • “3,750 streams through ad-supported streaming services to one album unit.”

So which artist’s record is a bigger deal? Depends on how you look at it. It obviously takes more effort and commitment to get to the store and spend your money to purchase Presley’s vinyl. On the other hand, there are many more artists and music available to stream, so Swift has a larger pool to compete with to get listeners. Ultimately, it is kind of an apples and oranges comparison.