Taylor Swift named most successful artist of 2014

Taylor Swift was named the IFPI Global Recording Artist of 2014. It is awarded by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the global recording music industry, for the most popular artistacross music downloads, streaming and physical format sales worldwide.

Swift’s fifth album 1989, released last October, sold 1.28 million copies in its first week in the U.S. (the highest debut sales week since Eminem’s The Eminem Show in 2002) and had sold 4 million copies there by mid-January. It was the best selling album in 2014 in the U.S.

1989 was the second best seller in Australia last year. This week it is at #3 on the ARIA chart – the lowest placing for it in this country, after spending the previous 16 weeks in the Top 2 since early November. She ends her world tour in Australia at the end of the year.

It was also a chart topper in the U.S (where it stayed at #1 for eleven non-consecutive weeks). the UK, Belgium, Canada, Holland, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway and Scotland. Lead off single Shake It Off, was a Top 5 hit in over 20 countries, while its video scored 350 million YouTube views.

The second best selling album of 2014 worldwide was One Direction’s FOUR, followed by Ed Sheeran’s x,which went to #1 in 12 countries and Top 5 in 11 further territories. It was also Spotify’s most streamed album for 2014.

Another huge success in 2014 was the Frozen soundtrack album, which has sold 5 million worldwide.If it had been recorded by a single artist, it would have topped the 2014 global chart. But as the chart is compiled based on artist releases, it was ineligible for inclusion.

The Top 10 global recording artists of 2014 according to IFPI were:

(1) Taylor Swift

(2) One Direction

(3) Ed Sheeran

(4) Coldplay

(5) AC/DC

(6) Michael Jackson

(7) Pink Floyd

(8) Sam Smith

(9) Katy Perry

(10) Beyonce