Rewinding the Charts: In 2008, Taylor Swift Scored Her First Billboard 200 No. 1 With ‘Fearless’
Prior to pop prominence, Swift was Nashville's darling.
On Nov. 29, 2008, Taylor Swift‘s second LP, Fearless, arrived as her first No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.
The set also started at No. 1 on Top Country Albums as her third leader, following her self-titled debut and EP Beautiful Eyes. Fearless led Top Country Albums for 35 weeks, the second-longest run by a woman and the fifth-lengthiest overall. Shania Twain’s 50-week No. 1 Come On Over remains the longest ruler.
Swift and Nathan Chapman co-produced Fearless, with all 13 tracks solo- or co-written by Swift. Lead single “Love Story” spent its second of two weeks atop Hot Country Songs as the album debuted and four more top 10s followed: “White Horse” (No. 2), “You Belong With Me” (No. 1, two weeks), “Fifteen” (No. 7) and the title track (No. 10).
On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, “Love Story” became Swift’s first top 10 (of 22 to-date), reaching No. 4. It also became the first country crossover hit to top the Pop Songs airplay chart, in February 2009.
Before segueing fully to pop with 2014’s 1989, Swift banked five Top Country Albums No. 1s and seven Hot Country Songs leaders.
Swift’s latest album, 2017’s reputation, became her fifth Billboard 200 No. 1. Fearless, her first, and 1989, have led the longest: 11 weeks each. Fearless is her top-selling album, at 7.2 million in the U.S. to-date, according to Nielsen Music, while Swift’s career album sales stand at 32.1 million, making her the 23rd-best-selling album artist since Nielsen began tracking sales in 1991.
After spending her entire career with Big Machine Records, Swift, 28, recently signed with Universal Music Group.
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