Taylor Swift breaks her own record with best-selling album of 2025

Swift’s 12th studio album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’, secured the top spot across multiple album charts

Taylor Swift’s latest offering, The Life Of A Showgirl, has been officially crowned the best-selling album globally for 2025 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The achievement marks another significant milestone for the 36-year-old artist, who continues to dominate the music industry.

Released in October last year, Swift’s 12th studio album secured the top spot across multiple IFPI charts, including the general albums chart, the sales chart for physical releases and paid downloads, and the vinyl sales chart. In a remarkable feat, Swift broke her own record for the most physical records sold for the fourth consecutive year, underscoring her enduring appeal and commercial power.

In the fiercely competitive general albums chart, the US pop superstar outpaced country singer Morgan Wallen, whose album I’m The Problem landed at number two. The soundtrack to the Netflix animated film Kpop Demon Hunters secured the third position.

Completing the top five were Bad Bunny’s Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, which claimed album of the year and best musica urbana album at the 2026 Grammy Awards, at number four, and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short ‘N’ Sweet, released in August 2024, at number five.

Swift released her 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl in October (Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/PA) (PA Media)

Victoria Oakley, chief executive of the IFPI, commented on Swift’s unparalleled success: "Taylor Swift topping the IFPI global album rankings once again is a clear reflection of the strength of her connection with fans around the world. This year’s results also show how truly global today’s music market is, with success being driven across streaming and physical formats by artists from a wide range of countries and genres."

The remainder of the albums chart top 10 featured a diverse array of artists: K-pop act Stray Kids with Karma (six), SZA’s SOS (seven), Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft (eight), Lady Gaga’s Mayhem (nine), and Japanese rock band Mrs Green Apple’s 10 (10).

Separately, Bruno Mars’s single APT, a collaboration with K-pop star Rose, was named the best-selling track of 2025 globally.

Swift’s 2025 album arrived amidst a busy period for the artist, following her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce in August and her announcement in May that she had regained control of her back catalogue.

Earlier this year, she also released the music video for her single Opalite, which soared to number one on the UK singles chart, featuring appearances from fellow Graham Norton Show guests including the presenter himself, Cillian Murphy, Lewis Capaldi, and Domhnall Gleeson.