Taylor Swift takes the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s 25 Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century, and we’re going through Swift’s various accolades that have earned her her spot. From 14 No.1s on the Billboard200 to 14 Grammy Awards, we’re breaking it down for you. Which Taylor Swift era is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00With 12 No. 1s on the Hot 100 chart, 14 No. 1s on the Billboard 200, and 14 Grammy Awards,
00:06Billboard staff has named Taylor Swift as No. 2 on our Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century Countdown.
00:18Taylor started out making country music inspired by Shania Twain, Leigh-Anne Rimes, The Chicks,
00:23and had a successful start with several Top 40 hits like Our Song, Should've Said No, and Picture the Bird.
00:29Her second album, Fearless, became Taylor's first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and ruled the No. 1 spot for 11 weeks.
00:36She earned her first Top 5 hits during this era with You Belong With Me and Love Story.
00:46Fearless won Taylor her first Grammy for Album of the Year. Her third album, Speak Now, earned her her second No. 1 album.
00:53Her fourth album, Red, produced Taylor's first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,
01:00and showed that Taylor was ready to experiment with her sound.
01:12The album became her third consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and gained a second life when Taylor's version was released in 2021.
01:20But Taylor Swift's fifth album, 1989, changed everything.
01:31Establishing her as the biggest force in pop music.
01:341989 gave a style, wildest dreams, and three No. 1 hits with Shake It Off, Blank Space, and her collab with Kendrick Lamar, Bad Blood.
01:431989 earned Taylor her fourth consecutive No. 1 album and it topped the chart for 11 weeks,
01:48helping her snatch a second Album of the Year Grammy.
01:51And although 1989 put Taylor on top, the spotlight sparked public backlash.
02:03Following a social media feud with Kim and Kanye over the lyrics in Famous.
02:12Taylor took a break from music before responding with her sixth album, Reputation.
02:17Earning her fifth consecutive No. 1 album and another No. 1 song in Look What You Made Me Do.
02:22Her seventh album, Lover, became her sixth No. 1 album and yet another No. 1 song in 2023 with Kewl Summer in Aera's tour Favorite.
02:36When COVID hit, Taylor went to work and surprised Swifties when she dropped her eighth studio album, Folklore, in July 2020.
02:44The album was a departure from her pop sound and featured a more folk vibe.
02:48Folklore quickly became one of Taylor's most critically acclaimed albums. In fact, Billboard staff named it the best album of 2020.
02:55Folklore earned Taylor her seventh No. 1 album and another No. 1 song with Cardigan.
03:00And Folklore earned her a third Grammy for Album of the Year, making Taylor the first woman to win the award three times.
03:06Taylor quickly followed up Folklore with her ninth album, Evermore, in December of 2020.
03:11It became Taylor's eighth No. 1 album. Taylor shocked Swifties again when she announced her tenth album, Midnightz, at the 2022 VMAs.
03:19Midnightz became Taylor's seventh No. 1 album and the lead single, Antihero, became her longest-running No. 1 on the Hot 100 at eight weeks.
03:33Midnightz helped Taylor win her fourth Grammy for Album of the Year, making her the first artist to win the category four times.
03:40Since then, Taylor has released a couple more Taylor's version albums and has been captivating the world with the Eras Tour.
03:46Plus, her latest album, The Torture Poets Department. The lead single, Fortnite, became Taylor's twelfth No. 1 on the Hot 100.
03:53And The Torture Poets Department has become Taylor's longest-running No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 at 15 weeks.
04:00We know the Swifties are still waiting for two more re-recorded albums. And we can't wait till we get to hear more from Taylor.
04:07Who will be our No. 1? Tune in next Tuesday when we reveal the greatest pop star of the 21st century.