Taylor Swift Tops Billboard's List of Top Artists of the 21st Century

Taylor Swift has been named the No. 1 artist in Billboard’s recap of the first 25 years of the 21st century. The ranking, which covers performance on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart from 2000 through the end of 2024, solidifies Swift's position as a dominant force in the music industry.

Although Swift didn’t make her debut on the Billboard charts until July 1, 2006, with her co-written single "Tim McGraw" at just 16 years old, her career trajectory has been nothing short of extraordinary. Swift has accumulated 14 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, marking the most No. 1 albums by a female artist in history. Additionally, she has achieved 12 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.

One of Swift's most remarkable accomplishments came on the Hot 100 chart dated November 5, 2022, when she became the first artist to claim the top 10 positions. This feat was made possible by tracks from her album Midnights. Swift’s dominance continued in 2024, when she expanded this achievement by securing the top 14 spots on the May 4, 2024, Hot 100 chart with songs from her album The Tortured Poets Department.

Further underscoring her impact, Swift has led Billboard's year-end Top Artists charts four times: in 2009, 2015, 2023, and 2024. With these titles, she became the first artist to achieve four annual No. 1 rankings since the category's inception in 1981.