Mariah Carey Beats Taylor Swift With Her New Album — But Not For Long

For decades, Mariah Carey has been cited as not just a successful musician, but a true icon. She has claimed more No. 1 songs than any soloist, and her albums, while not quite as successful in terms of numbers of leaders, have managed to make her a historic figure.

Carey’s latest album Here for It All returns her to the Billboard charts this frame. The set starts inside the top 10 on every ranking on which it arrives, including the most important albums list in the country, the Billboard 200.

Though Here for It All doesn’t make a play for No. 1, it does start inside the loftiest tier. The chanteuse breaks out of a tie with Taylor Swift thanks to her new full-length and makes history — if only for a few days.

Where Did Here for It All Debut on the Billboard 200?

Here for It All launches at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The project is Carey’s twenty-fifth set to make it to the Billboard 200 and her nineteenth to find space inside the top 10. Billboard notes that as the full-length debuts, Carey advances on an all-time ranking and claims the third-most top 10 titles among female soloists in U.S. history.

Mariah Carey Pulls Ahead of Taylor Swift — For Now

Before Here for It All debuted, Carey was on the same level as Taylor Swift. Both women had accrued 18 top 10s, but now Carey has pulled ahead. Her edge will be short-lived, though, as Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl is headed straight for No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in just a few days. The project will open with one of the largest debuts of all time, earning Swift her fifteenth leader and nineteenth top 10 on the competitive tally.

Barbra Streisand and Madonna Still Hold the Record

Only two women have scored more top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 than either Carey or Swift. Barbra Streisand continues to hold the all-time record with 34 appearances inside that tier, and Madonna comes second with 23.

How Many No. 1 Albums Does Mariah Carey Have?

Included among Carey’s 19 top 10s are half a dozen No. 1s. The longest-running of the bunch is her self-titled debut, which arrived in June 1990 and had to wait until the following March to finally make it to No. 1. Mariah Carey went on to spend 11 weeks ruling, which continues to hold as her longest stay at the summit.

Carey has also commanded the Billboard 200 with Music Box, Daydream, E=MC², The Emancipation of Mimi, and Butterfly. Those sets led the charge for eight, six, two, two, and one week apiece, respectively.

How Did Here for It All Sells in Its First Week?

Luminate reports that Here for It All opens with 47,000 equivalent album units shifted in its first week. That figure is made up almost entirely of actual purchases, as 39,000 fans bought the set between physical and digital editions. Another 7,000 units come from streaming activity, as the project racked up just under 10 million on-demand streams in its first seven-day period of availability.

Here for It All Earns Two More No. 1s for Mariah Carey

Here for It All opens lowest on the Billboard 200 this week, but Carey manages to start her new project at No. 1 on both the Top R&B Albums and Top Album Sales charts. Throughout her career, she’s racked up four leaders on the genre-specific list and half a dozen on the ranking of the bestselling titles of any style.

Here for It All Adds Two Top 10s to Mariah Carey’s Catalog

Here for It All also performs well on another two rankings, as the full-length opens at No. 3 on both the Vinyl Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Coincidentally, Carey collects her third top 10 with Here for It All on the vinyl-only list, while she’s snagged an impressive 19 top 10s on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums tally.