1 11/2/14 Taylor Swift - 1989 1,287,000
2 10/28/12 Taylor Swift - Red 1,208,000
4 10/31/10 Taylor Swift - Speak Now 1,047,000
2014
Top 10 Weekly Sales of 2014 (so far)
1 11/2 Taylor Swift - 1989 1,287,000
2 11/9 Taylor Swift - 1989 402,000
4 11/16 Taylor Swift - 1989 312,000
Top 10 Weekly Sales of the Decade (so far)
1 8/19/12 Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together 623,000
2 12/30/12 Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble 582,000
5 8/24/14 Taylor Swift - Shake It Off 544,000
The timing is nothing to do with the current debate about Spotify. Billboard wanted to incorporate streaming as it has grown a lot in the US in the last 2 years. Billboard waited until the Billboard Year ended, as they did not want to change it up during the current Billboard Year, as doing so wouuld render their Year's End Chart a complete mess.
They will incorporate this new change for the new Billboard Year, which begins in December.
Also streaming is not the same as Spotify. That is just one company that streams. There are others too, notably youtube which is launching a paid streaming service, currently being trialed to invited members. iTunes will incorporate Beats Streaming from next year, plus will bundle a Beats Streaming App with every iPhone/iPad next year. It is expected that a subscription fee to Beats will be included as part of an iPhone contract next year. So streaming is going to increase next year. Spotify will find itself with lots of tougher competition going forward though.
Taylor's issue is not with streaming, but with free streaming. You can stream Taylor's music on paid streaming services. The exception is that 1989 is unavailable as Taylor is using a windowing strategy, where the release to streaming is delayed by a few months.
I know Taylor is against only free streaming and Billboard's movement is preplaned. I just don't agree the timing because there's a conflict between Spotify and Taylor's team and with Billboard's rule change Taylor will be seen defeated. Maybe 1989 will also benefit from this change but it will be limited without Spotify. The new services of Apple and Google may rule the market in couple of years but now the market's big boy is Spotify and Taylor boycotts them.
Also this rule change will strengthen the hands of streaming companies against musicians who Taylor sided with her comments for getting fair pays. Taylor is now a symbol in this conflict and surely we'll see the affects of it on her.
You guys are forgetting that she increases her sales by not streaming. Any extra chart points from Spotify could very well be negated by losses from sales. It's probably a wash for her atm.
Isn't it only on-demand streams that will be counted toward BB200 though? Wasn't Shake It Off the most streamed song in a week with 4M streams? That equals to what? 2.7k album sales. That's like nothing for someone like Lord who's a monster album seller. She'll actually benefit from that rule seeing she sells more singles than anyone else too. Chill.
American pop idol Taylor Swift, 24, who was in Japan last week, will appear on NHK’s hit music television show “Songs” on Nov 29.
Swift has become popular in Japan this year, providing the theme song for the popular Fuji TV program “Terrace House.”
The singer’s new single “Blank Space” will be released in Japan very soon.
During Swift’s visit to Japan last week, self-proclaimed Taylor Swift fan, 25-year-old actress Riisa Naka, chatted with her and said she was the fashion idol of every Japanese girl. “Your style is always pitch perfect,” Naka said.
Swift will be back in Japan next spring for two concert dates May 5 and 6 at Tokyo Dome.
S&S deserves the top spot though! 
She'll actually benefit from that rule seeing she sells more singles than anyone else too. Chill.
