Music
‘Game of Thrones’, Taylor Swift, and One Direction Break Guinness World Records
Game of Thrones not only breaks ratings records, but it also breaks world records.
The HBO drama will be a part of the 2016 edition of the Guinness World Records. The series aired the largest simultaneous broadcast of a television drama. The second episode of the fifth season, “The House of Black and White,” was simulcast to 173 countries and territories around the world, starting at 2 a.m. on April 20th. The previous record was set by CSI.
Maisie Williams, who portrays Arya Stark on the drama, accepted the show’s certificate on behalf of the cast and crew.
“I’m so pleased for Game of Thrones to be a part of Guinness World Records, I’m going to tell my step brother as he gets the book every year for Christmas,” Williams said. “I can’t wait to see the look on his face!”
In music, Taylor Swift broke records as usual. This time, she earned the most million-selling weeks on the US albums charts. She is the only artist to have three million-selling weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart since the beginning of the Nielsen SoundScan era. Her last three albums, Speak Now, Red, and 1989, have all sold at least one million copies in its first week of release.
One Direction secured six records this year, including the most followers on Twitter for a music group with 23,393,106 followers, the most popular dance game track with 36,817,975 views for “What Makes You Beautiful” on Just Dance 4, and the highest debut by a UK group on the US singles chart for “Live While We’re Young,” which hit No. 3 during its first week.
Other celebrities who are a part of the book include Shakira, who become the first person to reach 100 million “likes” on an official Facebook page, Sofia Vergara, who is the highest earning actress in a current TV series for the third time, Ashton Kutcher, who is the highest earning actor in a current TV series, and Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks who is the first player with 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in a game, which he did on October 19, 2014 in a game against the St. Louis Rams.
The 2016 Guinness World Records book will hit stores September 10th.