Eminem Dethrones Taylor Swift To Claim No 1 Album Spot On Billboard 200 Chart, Ends Her 12-Week Reign

Eminem’s latest album, The Death of Slim Shady, has dethroned Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poet’s Department, ending her 12-week dominance at the top of the Billboard 200.

By Seema Sinha

Updated on Jul 22, 2024 | 03:38 PM IST | 51.2K

Eminem (L) Taylor Swift (R) (Instagram / Getty Images)

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Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady tops Billboard’s album sales chart
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poet’s Department

Taylor Swift’s 12-week reign atop the Billboard 200 albums chart has come to an end, as recorded via Billboard on their July 27 listing. The pop star’s latest record, The Tortured Poets Department, released on April 19, was replaced by Eminem’s 12th studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which arrived on Friday, July 12.

While Swift’s TTPD sold 82,000 units in its 13th week, Eminem’s new album sold 281,000 units in its debut week, marking it as the rapper’s 11th album to reach the top of the chart.

As the former took the fourth spot on the Billboard 200 chart, spots 3 and 2 went to K-pop group Enhypen and Zach Bryan, respectively.

Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady tops Billboard’s album sales chart

Eminem’s latest Billboard 200 entry ties the rapper with musicians like Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, and Kanye West for the fifth-most No. 1 album rankings of all time. Ahead of the pack are The Beatles, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, and Drake, with 19, 14, and 13 No. 1 albums, respectively.

Em’s album also topped the UK album sales chart, tying him with U2 and David Bowie, who have 11 No. 1s each. The rap god previously reached No. 1 in the UK in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2020 with his previous LPs.

The Death of Slim Shady is also a top seller in Australia.

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poet’s Department

Since its April release, TTPD restricted releases from artists like Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Gracie Abrams, and Charli XCX from taking the top album sales spot. Taylor’s TTPD, per Luminate, is by far the most successful record of 2024, with 4.44 million units sold to date.

The Tortured Poets, which was anticipated to be about Swift's breakup with Joe Alwyn, surprised fans when they discovered that the pop titan’s 30-track double album was mostly about Matty Healy of The 1975. The duo were briefly linked after the Cruel Summer crooner ended her seven-year-long relationship with the British actor.

Swift enticed her fans into buying Tortured Poets by releasing a dozen versions of the album, each repackaged with its own live performances of tracks like loml, The Alchemy, and My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.

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