Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has surpassed 2 million in U.S. album sales after only two weeks in release, according to Luminate. It’s her 11th album to sell at least 2 million copies. (Album sales are purchases of both digital download albums and physical albums, like CDs, cassette tapes and vinyl LPs.)
In the week ending May 2, The Tortured Poets Department sold 107,000 copies, which was down 94% compared to the previous week, its opening frame, when it bowed with 1.914 million sold. Sales of the album loom so large, the 2.021 million it has sold in its first two weeks represents 8.4% of all U.S. album sales year-to-date (24.05 million).
The Tortured Poets Department is the first album to sell at least 2 million copies in its first two weeks since Adele’s 25 sold 4.49 million in its first two frames in 2015 (3.378 million in its first week, and 1.112 million in week two).
On Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart dated May 11, The Tortured Poets Department remains at No. 1 for a second week.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
The rest of the top 10 on the Top Album Sales chart is busy with debuts and re-entries, led by the list’s top debut, Grateful Dead’s Dave’s Picks, Volume 50: The Palladium, New York, NY – 5/3/77 at No. 2. The live archival set sold 20,000 copies in its first week.
Lafey’s Bewitched re-enters the list at No. 2, a new high, with 15,000 sold – her best sales week yet. It jumps back onto the list following a deluxe reissue on April 26, dubbed Bewitched: The Goddess Edition, with four bonus tracks. The new Goddess Edition was released on six vinyl variants, a CD, cassette, digital download and a streaming album.
A trio of debuts round out the top six, as Yung Bleu bows at No. 4 with Jeremy (13,000), Luke Hemmings’ Boy starts at No. 5 (10,000) and St. Vincent’s All Born Screaming enters at No. 6 (nearly 10,000).
Swift’s chart-topping 1989 (Taylor’s Version) falls 4-7 (9,000; down 35%) and Lover drops 3-8 (8,000; down 42%). ILLIT’s Super Real Me debuts at No. 9 with nearly 8,000, while TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s former No. 1 minisode 3: TOMORROW rises 11-10 with 7,000 (down 25%).
