Taylor Swift (album)
Encyclopedia
Taylor Swift is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift
. The album was released on October 24, 2006 by Big Machine Records
. Swift wrote songs for the album during her freshman year of high school and has writing credits on all of the albums' songs including those co-written with Liz Rose
. Swift experimented to record the album with several album producers, ultimately choosing the producer of her demo album, Nathan Chapman
. Musically, the album is country music
styled and lyrically, it speaks of romantic relationships, a couple of which Swift wrote from observing relationships before being in one.
Taylor Swift was received positively by contemporary critics, who praised Swift's talent. The album enjoyed commercial success; in the United States, it rose to number five on the Billboard 200
, topped the Top Country Albums Chart for twenty-four non-consecutive weeks, and was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). Taylor Swift marked the longest stay on the Billboard 200 by any album released in the decade. It also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Five singles were released from the album, all of which were certified platinum by the RIAA. "Tim McGraw
" was released as the lead single
from Taylor Swift; it became a top ten on Billboard
' s Hot Country Songs
. "Teardrops on My Guitar
" was released as the second single from Taylor Swift, becoming the best-charting song from Taylor Swift on the Billboard Hot 100
. "Our Song
" was released as the third single from the album and became Swift's first number-one on Hot Country Songs. "Picture to Burn
" and "Should've Said No
" were released as the fourth single and fifth single from the album, respectively, both becoming a success on the country-genre charts in the United States and the latter peaking at number eighteen on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Swift promoted Taylor Swift by performing at several venues, which included her opening for Rascal Flatts
, George Strait
, Brad Paisley
, and Tim McGraw
and Faith Hill
.
and developed an early interest in country music
and songwriting. When she was eleven, she and her family made their first visit to Nashville, Tennessee
in pursuit of a record deal, though nothing came out of it. Swift was judged and neglected by record labels for being too young. In regards to the labels which rejected her, she said,
Two years later, her family moved to Nashville; in the same year, Swift was offered a development deal with RCA Records
, which she ultimately rejected because she refused to be on an artist development deal
. In an interview with Hub!, She said that she walked away from this major record label because she got a feeling that she would not be able to record her own music. At the age of fourteen, she received a publishing contract
with Sony/ATV Music. In 2005, while performing at The Bluebird Café, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records; she eventually signed with the label.
experiences such as insecurity, young love, and teenage angst
. Most songs on the album were written during Swift's freshman year of high school.
" during her freshman year, knowing that she and her senior boyfriend, Brandon Borello, would break up at the end of the year when he left for college. Rose said Swift showed up at her after school job writing songs for Sony/ATV "with the idea and the melody. She knew exactly what she wanted." The nostalgic song describes a summer romance and Swift's hope that when Borello "think[s] Tim McGraw
" he would "think [her] favorite song" McGraw's "Can't Tell Me Nothin" and remember her. Conversely, "Picture to Burn
" describes a girl furious after a break-up. Swift says that while the song is about "just being mad" and is "completely, brutally honest"; she gave it a comedic edge. While at work after school, Swift "found [her]self just sitting there with [her] guitar going, 'I hate his stupid truck that he doesn't let me drive. He's such a redneck! Oh my God!'," a line which developed into the song's chorus. The up-tempo song is heavy with banjo
s and drums, while the chorus is marked by distorted guitars and big vocals.
The singer penned the autobiographical song "The Outside" as an outlet at age twelve, the year she began writing her own songs. Like many of the other songs she wrote early on, the song describes the unhappiness and loneliness Swift felt when her love of country music alienated her from her peers. Swift wrote "Tied Together with a Smile" the day she learned one of her best friends was bulimic, a fact which shocked her. She recalled, "How can somebody that seems so strong have such a horrible, horrible weakness? Something that is killing her." The lyrics to "Tied Together with a Smile" describe a beautiful girl trying to hide her inner turbulence and mourn that "You're tied together with a smile/But you're coming undone". Swift commented, "I always thought that one of the biggest overlooked problems American girls face is insecurity." She wrote "Should've Said No
" according to "something really, really dramatic and crazy happening to [her] and [her] needing to address it in the form of music". The song was a last minute addition to Taylor Swift: Swift had written it two days before mastering
was scheduled and booklets were about to be printed; she then called her producer and completed the song overnight.
"Mary's Song (Oh My My My)" was actually inspired by her next-door neighbors' long lasting marriage, being the opposite of what tabloids fixate on. Swift wrote "Our Song
" for her freshman year of high school talent show
with no intentions of including it on the album. She claimed she "just knew there was something about it" and chose to include it on Taylor Swift. "I wrote it about this guy I was dating, and how we didn't have a song. So I went ahead and wrote us one." The song is a narrative and describes a young couple who use the events in their lives in place of a regular song. The banjo-riddled song is placed at the end of the album due to its closing lyrics, a request to "play it again". "Invisible" is ballad describing loneliness and heartache of going unnoticed. Sean Dooley of About.com
writes, the "piano
-driven song [...] perfectly captures the awkward teenage angst we all endure—or have endured—at one time or another."
While recording her demo album, Swift worked with demo producer Nathan Chapman
, who she met in a little shed behind a publishing company she was at. Swift said, "I'd always go in there and play him some new songs, and the next week he would have this awesome track, on which he played every instrument, and it sounded like a record. We did this for a period of a year to two years before I got my record deal."
To record Taylor Swift, she had to choose which album producer she would work with: "Then, all of a sudden, it was, 'OK, we're going to use this producer' or 'We're going to use that producer.'" After experimenting with different producers, originating from Nashville, Swift chose Chapman because of the unique sound he put into songs. Big Machine Records was skeptical about hiring Chapman because he had never done a studio album prior to Taylor Swift, only demos. Swift described the songs he produced as "the right chemistry hit[ting]" and therefore, Big Machine Records accepted Chapman producing some of the album's songs. In the end, Chapman produced all but one of the tracks on Taylor Swift. Recording was executed during a four month period before 2006 was over.
with all of Swift's music video at the time ("Tim McGraw", "Teardrops on My Gutiar", and "Our Song"), behind-the-scenes footage of "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song" music videos, and a performance of "Picture to Burn", among other material. The American retail company Target
released an exclusive version of Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition, with performances of Swift during McGraw and Hill's Soul2Soul II Tour. A third and final re-release appeared on March 18, 2008 with the three new songs from the Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition and a pop version of "Teardrops on My Guitar". A karaoke
version of Taylor Swift was released on January 27, 2009, containing the first fourteen tracks from the album on both CD+G
and DVD.
praised Swift as "one of the most talented, young performers on the country charts today" and for doing "a fabulous job of blending modern country with the traditional". Jeff Tamarkin of Allmusic Swift as a "a fresh, still girlish voice, full of hope and naïveté, but it's also a confident and mature one". He said her "talent to be reckoned" was portrayed through the songs "Tim McGraw", "The Outside", and "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)". Tamarkin criticized producer Nathan Chapman for applying "a gloss that not all [songs] really require and in some cases would do better to shed". Rick Bell of Country Standard Time
gave a positive review, saying that Swift had "smart songwriting" and that "her deeply personal, self-penned songs, particularly 'The Outside' and 'Our Song'" were "stirring." He compared her sound to Cyndi Thomson
and Hilary Duff
. Chris Neal of Country Weekly
said that Swift "demonstrat[es] an honesty, intelligence and idealism with which listeners of any age will be able to connect" and added that "the more thoughtful material suggests a talent poised to last well past high school." Ken Rosenbaum of The Toledo Blade wrote Swift "deftly handles lyrics and subjects in that shadowy area between teenager and womanhood."
due to sales of 40,000 copies. After sixty-three weeks on the Billboard 200, on the week ending January 19, 2008, the album reached its peak at number five due to sales of 47,000 copies. Taylor Swift marked the longest stay on the Billboard 200 by any album released in the decade. So far the album has stayed on the chart for 248 weeks. The album topped Billboard
' s Top Country Albums Chart for twenty-four non-consecutive weeks. On the week ending August 2, 2008, Swift's EP Beautiful Eyes
replaced Taylor Swift as the chart's number one album. With Taylor Swift charting at number two, Swift became the first artist to hold the first two positions on Top Country Albums since LeAnn Rimes
charted in 1997 with Blue
(1996) and Unchained Melody: The Early Years
(1997). On August 17, 2009, the album was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for the shipment and sales of 5,000,000 copies. Taylor Swift peaked at number fourteen on the Canadian Albums Chart
and at number-one on the Canadian Country Albums Chart. Taylor Swift was certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA) for the shipment of 80,000 copies. As of April 2011, the album had sold 5,000,000 copies in the United States.
In Australia, Taylor Swift peaked at number thirty-three on the main chart and at number three on the country-genre chart. On the week ending September 5, 2009, it entered the UK Albums Chart
at number eighty-eight; the following week, it reached its peak at number eighty-one. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for the shipment of 60,000 copies. As of March 2011, Taylor Swift has sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide.
" was released as the lead single
from Taylor Swift on June 19, 2006. The song was critically appreciated for Swift's delivery. "Tim McGraw" enjoyed commercial success, peaking at number forty on the Billboard Hot 100
and at number six on Billboard
' s Hot Country Songs
; it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for the shipment of 1,000,000 copies.
"Teardrops on My Guitar
" was released as the second single from Taylor Swift. "Teardrops on My Guitar" received critical success for its memorable chorus and crossover potential, as well as commercial success by becoming the best-charting single from Taylor Swift on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number thirteen. It became Swift's first pop crossover hit, peaking at number eleven on the now-canceled Pop 100
chart. The song was certified double platinum by the RIAA for the shipment of 2,000,000 copies. "Teardrops on My Guitar" peaked at number forty-five in Canada and at number fifty-one in the United Kingdom.
"Our Song
" was released as the third single from the album. The song was critically favored, being described as "gem". "Our Song" peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA; it also became Swift's first-number one on Hot Country Songs. The song peaked at number thirty on the Canadian Hot 100
, becoming the best-charting single from Taylor Swift in Canada.
"Picture to Burn
" was released as the fourth single from Taylor Swift. "Picture to Burn" was appreciated by contemporary critics for lyrics reflecting feminism. It became a fourth consecutive top ten single for Swift on the United States' chart Hot Country Songs and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
"Should've Said No
" was released as the fifth and final single from the album. In the United States, "Should've Said No" became Swift's second number-one on Hot Country Songs and was certified platinum by the RIAA. The song made its highest international peak in the New Zealand Singles Chart, at number eighteen.
. Other songs from Taylor Swift have been performed on television programs, award shows, and festivals such as The Megan Mullally Show
, the New Faces Show, America's Got Talent
, TRL
, the 2008 CMT Music Awards, and the Academy of Country Music
. Swift spent much of 2006 promoting "Tim McGraw" and Taylor Swift in a radio tour. In regards to the extensive radio tour, Swift commented, "Radio tours for most artists last six weeks. Mine lasted six months. That's because I wanted it to. I wanted to meet every single one of the people that was helping me out."
Swift also promoted the album by performing as an opening act for several country artists' concert tours. She opened for Rascal Flatts
on several dates, from October 19 to November 3, 2006, included on the Me and My Gang Tour (2006–07), performing a total of five songs from the album. She also served as opening act on twenty dates for George Strait
's 2007 United States tour, and selected dates for Brad Paisley
's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour (2007–08); Swift served as an opening act during all 2007 legs of the tour. During mid-2007, Swift engaged as the opening act on several dates for Tim McGraw
's and Faith Hill
's joint tour, Soul2Soul II Tour (2006–07). Swift again opened for Flatts for their Still Feels Good Tour in 2008. In addition, Swift performed six songs from Taylor Swift on her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour
(2009–10).
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
. The album was released on October 24, 2006 by Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records
Big Machine Records is an Independent American record label specializing in country music artists. It was launched in 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta. The label was part of a joint venture between Borchetta and country singer Toby Keith, although Keith dropped his...
. Swift wrote songs for the album during her freshman year of high school and has writing credits on all of the albums' songs including those co-written with Liz Rose
Liz Rose
Liz Rose is an American country music songwriter best known for her work with Taylor Swift. She has co-written several of Swift's songs and singles, including "White Horse," "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "You Belong with Me," which won her and Swift a Grammy Award in 2009.-Biography:Liz Rose was...
. Swift experimented to record the album with several album producers, ultimately choosing the producer of her demo album, Nathan Chapman
Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...
. Musically, the album is country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
styled and lyrically, it speaks of romantic relationships, a couple of which Swift wrote from observing relationships before being in one.
Taylor Swift was received positively by contemporary critics, who praised Swift's talent. The album enjoyed commercial success; in the United States, it rose to number five on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, topped the Top Country Albums Chart for twenty-four non-consecutive weeks, and was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). Taylor Swift marked the longest stay on the Billboard 200 by any album released in the decade. It also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Five singles were released from the album, all of which were certified platinum by the RIAA. "Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw (song)
"Tim McGraw" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on June 19, 2006 by Big Machine Records as Swift's debut single and the lead single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
" was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from Taylor Swift; it became a top ten on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
. "Teardrops on My Guitar
Teardrops on My Guitar
"Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was co-written by Swift, alongside Liz Rose and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. "Teardrops on My Guitar" was released on February 24, 2007 by Big Machine Records, as the second single...
" was released as the second single from Taylor Swift, becoming the best-charting song from Taylor Swift on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. "Our Song
Our Song (song)
"Our Song" is a country music song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on August 22, 2007 by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
" was released as the third single from the album and became Swift's first number-one on Hot Country Songs. "Picture to Burn
Picture to Burn
"Picture to Burn" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was co-written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on January 29, 2008 by Big Machine Records as the fourth single from Swift's eponymous studio album, Taylor Swift...
" and "Should've Said No
Should've Said No
"Should've Said No" is a country song written and recorded by American country-pop singer Taylor Swift. It is the fifth and final single released from her first self-titled studio album. It has also become her second Number One single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of August...
" were released as the fourth single and fifth single from the album, respectively, both becoming a success on the country-genre charts in the United States and the latter peaking at number eighteen on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Swift promoted Taylor Swift by performing at several venues, which included her opening for Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
, George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
, Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, and Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
and Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
.
Background
Swift is from Wyomissing, PennsylvaniaWyomissing, Pennsylvania
Wyomissing is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, established on July 2, 1906. The population was 8,587 at the 2000 census, but after the January, 2002 merger with neighboring Wyomissing Hills, the combined 2000 Census estimate was 11,155 making it the most populous borough in...
and developed an early interest in country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and songwriting. When she was eleven, she and her family made their first visit to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in pursuit of a record deal, though nothing came out of it. Swift was judged and neglected by record labels for being too young. In regards to the labels which rejected her, she said,
Two years later, her family moved to Nashville; in the same year, Swift was offered a development deal with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, which she ultimately rejected because she refused to be on an artist development deal
Artist development deal
An artist development deal is often the first of a recording artist's contracts with a major record label. In lieu of high royalties or other desirable rights, the label will promise to develop the skills and public profile of the artist...
. In an interview with Hub!, She said that she walked away from this major record label because she got a feeling that she would not be able to record her own music. At the age of fourteen, she received a publishing contract
Publishing contract
A publishing contract is a legal contract between a publisher and a writer or author , to publish written material by the writer or author...
with Sony/ATV Music. In 2005, while performing at The Bluebird Café, Swift caught the attention of Scott Borchetta, CEO of Big Machine Records; she eventually signed with the label.
Themes and inspiration
Swift began working on her debut album in the same year she was signed to Big Machine Records. Swift describes Taylor Swift as "[her] diary from [her] early teens" and says she wrote the songs featured on the album "in real time", as she was experiencing them. As a result, the songs on Taylor Swift describe coming of ageComing of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
experiences such as insecurity, young love, and teenage angst
Teenage Angst
"Teenage Angst" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the fourth single from their self-titled debut album. It reached number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.-Live performance history:...
. Most songs on the album were written during Swift's freshman year of high school.
Development and music
Swift wrote "Tim McGrawTim McGraw (song)
"Tim McGraw" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on June 19, 2006 by Big Machine Records as Swift's debut single and the lead single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
" during her freshman year, knowing that she and her senior boyfriend, Brandon Borello, would break up at the end of the year when he left for college. Rose said Swift showed up at her after school job writing songs for Sony/ATV "with the idea and the melody. She knew exactly what she wanted." The nostalgic song describes a summer romance and Swift's hope that when Borello "think[s] Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
" he would "think [her] favorite song" McGraw's "Can't Tell Me Nothin" and remember her. Conversely, "Picture to Burn
Picture to Burn
"Picture to Burn" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was co-written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on January 29, 2008 by Big Machine Records as the fourth single from Swift's eponymous studio album, Taylor Swift...
" describes a girl furious after a break-up. Swift says that while the song is about "just being mad" and is "completely, brutally honest"; she gave it a comedic edge. While at work after school, Swift "found [her]self just sitting there with [her] guitar going, 'I hate his stupid truck that he doesn't let me drive. He's such a redneck! Oh my God!'," a line which developed into the song's chorus. The up-tempo song is heavy with banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s and drums, while the chorus is marked by distorted guitars and big vocals.
The singer penned the autobiographical song "The Outside" as an outlet at age twelve, the year she began writing her own songs. Like many of the other songs she wrote early on, the song describes the unhappiness and loneliness Swift felt when her love of country music alienated her from her peers. Swift wrote "Tied Together with a Smile" the day she learned one of her best friends was bulimic, a fact which shocked her. She recalled, "How can somebody that seems so strong have such a horrible, horrible weakness? Something that is killing her." The lyrics to "Tied Together with a Smile" describe a beautiful girl trying to hide her inner turbulence and mourn that "You're tied together with a smile/But you're coming undone". Swift commented, "I always thought that one of the biggest overlooked problems American girls face is insecurity." She wrote "Should've Said No
Should've Said No
"Should've Said No" is a country song written and recorded by American country-pop singer Taylor Swift. It is the fifth and final single released from her first self-titled studio album. It has also become her second Number One single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of August...
" according to "something really, really dramatic and crazy happening to [her] and [her] needing to address it in the form of music". The song was a last minute addition to Taylor Swift: Swift had written it two days before mastering
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
was scheduled and booklets were about to be printed; she then called her producer and completed the song overnight.
"Mary's Song (Oh My My My)" was actually inspired by her next-door neighbors' long lasting marriage, being the opposite of what tabloids fixate on. Swift wrote "Our Song
Our Song (song)
"Our Song" is a country music song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on August 22, 2007 by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
" for her freshman year of high school talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
with no intentions of including it on the album. She claimed she "just knew there was something about it" and chose to include it on Taylor Swift. "I wrote it about this guy I was dating, and how we didn't have a song. So I went ahead and wrote us one." The song is a narrative and describes a young couple who use the events in their lives in place of a regular song. The banjo-riddled song is placed at the end of the album due to its closing lyrics, a request to "play it again". "Invisible" is ballad describing loneliness and heartache of going unnoticed. Sean Dooley of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
writes, the "piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-driven song [...] perfectly captures the awkward teenage angst we all endure—or have endured—at one time or another."
Recording
Nathan Chapman (record producer)
Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...
, who she met in a little shed behind a publishing company she was at. Swift said, "I'd always go in there and play him some new songs, and the next week he would have this awesome track, on which he played every instrument, and it sounded like a record. We did this for a period of a year to two years before I got my record deal."
To record Taylor Swift, she had to choose which album producer she would work with: "Then, all of a sudden, it was, 'OK, we're going to use this producer' or 'We're going to use that producer.'" After experimenting with different producers, originating from Nashville, Swift chose Chapman because of the unique sound he put into songs. Big Machine Records was skeptical about hiring Chapman because he had never done a studio album prior to Taylor Swift, only demos. Swift described the songs he produced as "the right chemistry hit[ting]" and therefore, Big Machine Records accepted Chapman producing some of the album's songs. In the end, Chapman produced all but one of the tracks on Taylor Swift. Recording was executed during a four month period before 2006 was over.
Album packaging and release
Taylor Swift was released on October 24, 2006 with eleven tracks. Swift was highly involved in the album packaging, designing doodle graphics herself. She also personally capitalized specific letters in the lyrics from each song to spell out hidden messages, a feat she would also execute for her succeeding albums. On November 6, 2007, the album was re-released under the title Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition for a limited time. The deluxe edition contained three new songs: "I'm Only Me When I'm with You", "Invisible" and "A Perfectly Good Heart", the radio edits for "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song", and Swift's first phone conversation with Tim McGraw. The re-release also bared a bonus DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
with all of Swift's music video at the time ("Tim McGraw", "Teardrops on My Gutiar", and "Our Song"), behind-the-scenes footage of "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song" music videos, and a performance of "Picture to Burn", among other material. The American retail company Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
released an exclusive version of Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition, with performances of Swift during McGraw and Hill's Soul2Soul II Tour. A third and final re-release appeared on March 18, 2008 with the three new songs from the Taylor Swift Deluxe Edition and a pop version of "Teardrops on My Guitar". A karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
version of Taylor Swift was released on January 27, 2009, containing the first fourteen tracks from the album on both CD+G
CD+G
CD+G is an extension of the compact disc standard that can present low-resolution graphics alongside the audio data on the disc when played on a compatible device...
and DVD.
Critical reception
Taylor Swift received positive reviews from contemporary critics. Shelly Fabian of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
praised Swift as "one of the most talented, young performers on the country charts today" and for doing "a fabulous job of blending modern country with the traditional". Jeff Tamarkin of Allmusic Swift as a "a fresh, still girlish voice, full of hope and naïveté, but it's also a confident and mature one". He said her "talent to be reckoned" was portrayed through the songs "Tim McGraw", "The Outside", and "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)". Tamarkin criticized producer Nathan Chapman for applying "a gloss that not all [songs] really require and in some cases would do better to shed". Rick Bell of Country Standard Time
Country Standard Time
Country Standard Time is a website dedicated to country music and related genres such as Bluegrass and Rockabilly. It provides news and musical reviews pertaining to the genre. It was established in 1992 by Jeffrey B. Remz as a print magazine, which was first published only in New England but went...
gave a positive review, saying that Swift had "smart songwriting" and that "her deeply personal, self-penned songs, particularly 'The Outside' and 'Our Song'" were "stirring." He compared her sound to Cyndi Thomson
Cyndi Thomson
Cyndi Thomson is an American country music artist. Thomson wrote songs with songwriter Tommy Lee James and in 2000, she signed with Capitol Records Nashville as a recording artist...
and Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
. Chris Neal of Country Weekly
Country Weekly
Country Weekly is an American tabloid style weekly magazine established in 1994. The magazine focuses on country music stars and events, and regularly features exclusive interviews with recording artists and country music news...
said that Swift "demonstrat[es] an honesty, intelligence and idealism with which listeners of any age will be able to connect" and added that "the more thoughtful material suggests a talent poised to last well past high school." Ken Rosenbaum of The Toledo Blade wrote Swift "deftly handles lyrics and subjects in that shadowy area between teenager and womanhood."
Chart performance
On the week ending November 11, 2006, Taylor Swift debuted at number nineteen on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
due to sales of 40,000 copies. After sixty-three weeks on the Billboard 200, on the week ending January 19, 2008, the album reached its peak at number five due to sales of 47,000 copies. Taylor Swift marked the longest stay on the Billboard 200 by any album released in the decade. So far the album has stayed on the chart for 248 weeks. The album topped Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Beautiful Eyes
Beautiful Eyes is the second extended play by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The EP was released on July 15, 2008 by Big Machine Records exclusively to Wal-Mart stores in the United States and online...
replaced Taylor Swift as the chart's number one album. With Taylor Swift charting at number two, Swift became the first artist to hold the first two positions on Top Country Albums since LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
charted in 1997 with Blue
Blue (LeAnn Rimes album)
Blue is the debut album by American country singer LeAnn Rimes, released in the United States on July 9, 1996 by Curb Records. It reached #3 on Billboard 200, and #1 on Top Country Albums....
(1996) and Unchained Melody: The Early Years
Unchained Melody: The Early Years
Jose F. Promis of Allmusic gave the album two and a half out of five stars stating that it's "a tad bizarre" due to the album consisting of recordings released prior to Blue, that were recorded when Rimes was eleven years old, as a flow up to her debut album....
(1997). On August 17, 2009, the album was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for the shipment and sales of 5,000,000 copies. Taylor Swift peaked at number fourteen on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
and at number-one on the Canadian Country Albums Chart. Taylor Swift was certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA) for the shipment of 80,000 copies. As of April 2011, the album had sold 5,000,000 copies in the United States.
In Australia, Taylor Swift peaked at number thirty-three on the main chart and at number three on the country-genre chart. On the week ending September 5, 2009, it entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number eighty-eight; the following week, it reached its peak at number eighty-one. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) for the shipment of 60,000 copies. As of March 2011, Taylor Swift has sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide.
Singles
"Tim McGrawTim McGraw (song)
"Tim McGraw" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on June 19, 2006 by Big Machine Records as Swift's debut single and the lead single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
" was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from Taylor Swift on June 19, 2006. The song was critically appreciated for Swift's delivery. "Tim McGraw" enjoyed commercial success, peaking at number forty on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and at number six on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
; it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for the shipment of 1,000,000 copies.
"Teardrops on My Guitar
Teardrops on My Guitar
"Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was co-written by Swift, alongside Liz Rose and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. "Teardrops on My Guitar" was released on February 24, 2007 by Big Machine Records, as the second single...
" was released as the second single from Taylor Swift. "Teardrops on My Guitar" received critical success for its memorable chorus and crossover potential, as well as commercial success by becoming the best-charting single from Taylor Swift on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number thirteen. It became Swift's first pop crossover hit, peaking at number eleven on the now-canceled Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart. The song was certified double platinum by the RIAA for the shipment of 2,000,000 copies. "Teardrops on My Guitar" peaked at number forty-five in Canada and at number fifty-one in the United Kingdom.
"Our Song
Our Song (song)
"Our Song" is a country music song performed by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was written by Swift and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on August 22, 2007 by Big Machine Records as the third single from Swift's eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift...
" was released as the third single from the album. The song was critically favored, being described as "gem". "Our Song" peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA; it also became Swift's first-number one on Hot Country Songs. The song peaked at number thirty on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, becoming the best-charting single from Taylor Swift in Canada.
"Picture to Burn
Picture to Burn
"Picture to Burn" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was co-written by Swift and Liz Rose, and produced by Nathan Chapman. It was released on January 29, 2008 by Big Machine Records as the fourth single from Swift's eponymous studio album, Taylor Swift...
" was released as the fourth single from Taylor Swift. "Picture to Burn" was appreciated by contemporary critics for lyrics reflecting feminism. It became a fourth consecutive top ten single for Swift on the United States' chart Hot Country Songs and was certified platinum by the RIAA.
"Should've Said No
Should've Said No
"Should've Said No" is a country song written and recorded by American country-pop singer Taylor Swift. It is the fifth and final single released from her first self-titled studio album. It has also become her second Number One single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of August...
" was released as the fifth and final single from the album. In the United States, "Should've Said No" became Swift's second number-one on Hot Country Songs and was certified platinum by the RIAA. The song made its highest international peak in the New Zealand Singles Chart, at number eighteen.
Promotion
Swift's first broadcast performance of "Tim McGraw" was on October 24, 2006 on Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. Other songs from Taylor Swift have been performed on television programs, award shows, and festivals such as The Megan Mullally Show
The Megan Mullally Show
The Megan Mullally Show is an American talk show hosted by Megan Mullally that debuted in syndication on September 18, 2006, and was cancelled in January 2007 due to its low ratings. Early promotions for the program featured Mullally as herself and as her Will & Grace character, Karen Walker...
, the New Faces Show, America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
, TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, the 2008 CMT Music Awards, and the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
. Swift spent much of 2006 promoting "Tim McGraw" and Taylor Swift in a radio tour. In regards to the extensive radio tour, Swift commented, "Radio tours for most artists last six weeks. Mine lasted six months. That's because I wanted it to. I wanted to meet every single one of the people that was helping me out."
Swift also promoted the album by performing as an opening act for several country artists' concert tours. She opened for Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
on several dates, from October 19 to November 3, 2006, included on the Me and My Gang Tour (2006–07), performing a total of five songs from the album. She also served as opening act on twenty dates for George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
's 2007 United States tour, and selected dates for Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour (2007–08); Swift served as an opening act during all 2007 legs of the tour. During mid-2007, Swift engaged as the opening act on several dates for Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
's and Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
's joint tour, Soul2Soul II Tour (2006–07). Swift again opened for Flatts for their Still Feels Good Tour in 2008. In addition, Swift performed six songs from Taylor Swift on her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour
Fearless Tour
The Fearless Tour was the first concert tour by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The tour was in support of her second studio album, Fearless. On the tour, she was joined by guests Kellie Pickler and Gloriana. Teen singer, Justin Bieber joined her for the tour when she went to...
(2009–10).
Track listing
Personnel
As listed in liner notes.- Chuck AinlayChuck AinlayChuck Ainlay is a record producer. He has worked with Mark Knopfler on much of Knopfler's solo work, in addition to some Dire Straits material....
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Jeff BaldingJeff BaldingJeff Balding is an American audio engineer, mixer and record producer. Primarily known for his work with country music acts such as Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, and LeAnn Rimes, Balding has also worked with top rock acts such as Megadeth and Giant, as well as pop stars such as Amy Grant and Celine...
– mixing - Bruce Bouton – dobroDobroDobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
- Mike Brignardello – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Scott Borchetta – executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
- Nick Buda – drums
- Gary Brunette – electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Jason Campbell – production coordination
- Chason Carlson – engineer
- Nathan ChapmanNathan Chapman (record producer)Nathan Chapman is an American record producer who works in the field of country music. He is known primarily for working with Taylor Swift, having produced her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now. The former was also the first album that he produced...
– acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, bass, drums, electric guitar, engineer, harmonyHarmonyIn music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, - Aaron Chmielewski – assistant engineer
- Eric Darken – percussion
- Allen Ditto – engineer
- Dan Dugmore – pedal steel
- Shannon Forrest – drums
- Rob Hajacos – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
- Gordon Hammon – assistant engineer
- Tony Harrell – keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Jeffrey Hyde – banjo
- Scott Kidd – mixing assistant
- Greg Lawrence – mixing assistant
- Andy Leftwich – fiddle, mandolin
- Liana Manis – background vocals
- Tim Barks – bass
- Robert Ellis OrrallRobert Ellis OrrallRobert Ellis Orrall is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Signed to RCA Records in 1980, Orrall debuted that year with the album "Fixation". His first Top 40 single was "I Couldn't Say No", a duet with Carlene Carter...
– background vocals, producer - Lex Price – mandolin
- Leen Ann Ramey – graphic designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
- Joshua Whitmore – dobro, pedal steel
- Clarke Schleicher – engineer
- Steve Short – assistant engineer
- Sandi Spika – engineer
- Whitney Sutton – production coordination
- Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, harmony, lead vocals - Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar, banjo
- Wanda Vick – fiddle
- Hank Williams – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- John Willis – banjo, mandolin, hi string acoustic guitar
Charts
| Chart (2006–10) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 33 |
| Australian Country Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
14 |
| Canadian Country Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
81 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
5 |
| US Top Country Albums | 1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
5× Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
19 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
| US Billboard 200 | 5 |
| Chart (2009) | Position |
| US Billboard 200 | 24 |
| Chart (2010) | Position |
| US Billboard 200 | 62 |