After 12 weeks of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, topping the Billboard 200 — holding onto the spot despite competition from Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Zach Bryan, and more — Eminem has finally dethroned the pop star with his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), taking the No. 1 spot.
Eminem’s 12th studio album — and his first in four years — The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) arrived on July 12th, 2024, following the release of singles “Houdini,” “Tobey,” and “Somebody Save Me.” Now, having earned the No. 1 spot, it marks Eminem’s 11th consecutive release to top the Billboard 200, continuing a trend that began with The Marshall Mathers LP in 2000.
His track record partially explains how Eminem was able to pull-off what so many others couldn’t: dethroning Swift from No. 1. The first serious contender was Billie Eilish, who released her third album Hit Me Hard and Soft in May. Then, Charli XCX’s Brat, Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene, and other records tried to take the spot, but The Tortured Poets Department held on.
During that time, though, Swift wasn’t afraid to play hardball — around the releases of Eilish and Charli’s albums, she debuted slightly-altered versions of TTPD, prompting an influx of new sales, which helped keep the album at No. 1. Alas, Eminem has proven to be a commercial success that even Swift couldn’t fend off.
Perhaps sensing that her reign at No. 1 was coming to an end, Swift expressed her gratitude for the album’s chart success in an Instagram post over the weekend. “I also wanted to say to everyone who’s supported The Tortured Poets Department, I am completely blown away by what you’ve done – it stayed at #1 for the first 12 weeks of its release and that’s never happened to an album of mine before, not even close!! You’re just the greatest.”
With 12 weeks at No. 1, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department surpassed Whitney Houston’s 1987 album Whitney to become the only album by a woman to spend so many weeks in the top position. Aside from TTPD, only two other albums have spent at least their first 12 weeks weeks of release at No. 1: Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time (12) Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life (13).
Swift’s historic “Eras Tour” will come to a close this upcoming December. Grab dates for her upcoming shows here.