Taylor Swift is closing in on Madonna’s record, but no matter the sales, the Queen of Pop remains untouchable
Taylor Swift is officially rewriting the record books, edging past Madonna as the highest-selling female artist of all time.
As of September 2025, Swift has sold around 248 million albums, and with her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, dropping October 3, she’s on track to overtake Madonna’s legendary 252 million.
Madonna’s numbers are still insane. The Queen of Pop racked up over 250 million albums in the era of vinyl, CDs, and early digital downloads – long before streaming became a thing.
Imagine if she’d had Spotify and Apple Music back in the day!
It’s almost impossible to compare the two eras fairly.
Swift is thriving in the streaming age, but Madonna’s legacy?
Untouchable. No matter the numbers, she’s still the queen.
