Morgan Wallen Makes History at Nos. 1, 2 & 3 on Hot Country Songs Chart
Written by djfrosty on December 13, 2022
Morgan Wallen becomes the first artist to rank at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously on Billboard‘s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Dec. 17), since the survey began as an all-encompassing genre ranking in 1958.
“You Proof” hits 17 weeks atop the tally, tying Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man” (2015-16) for the 10th-longest reign. Just ahead is Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.” (18 weeks, 2016), while FGL and Bebe Rexha’s crossover smash “Meant To Be” dominated for a record 50 weeks in 2017-18.
“You Proof” corralled 28.3 million all-format airplay audience impressions and 12.6 million official U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads Dec. 2-8, according to Luminate.
Plus, Wallen debuts three songs on Hot Country Songs in the top 10: “One Thing at a Time” (No. 2), “Tennessee Fan” (No. 5) and “Days That End in Why” (No. 7) – while his former 11-week No. 1 “Wasted on You” holds at No. 3, granting him his unprecedented triumph in the top three.
On Country Digital Song Sales, “Thing,” “Tennessee” and “Days” – all released Dec. 2 – arrive at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 with 13,000, 12,000 and 10,000 sold through Dec. 8, respectively. Wallen ups his career count to 17 top 10s on Hot Country Songs, and eight No. 1s among 19 top 10s on Country Digital Song Sales.
All three new Wallen songs are slated to appear on his next album. Wallen is the second act to infuse the Country Digital Song Sales top three with debuts, after Taylor Swift did so twice, in November 2010 and November 2011.
Wallen, thus, owns five of the Hot Country Songs top 10 – a feat that only he has achieved. The record is six songs in the tier, set on the Jan. 23, 2021, chart as Dangerous: The Double Album began its 81-week-and-counting command on Top Country Albums. He also claimed half the Hot Country Songs top 10 the following two weeks.
Meanwhile, “You Proof” rebounds from No. 2 to top Country Airplay for a seventh week (23.9 million, down 7%). It joins five other titles for the second-longest reign since the chart started in 1990. The record is eight, shared by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (2003) and Lonestar’s crossover ballad “Amazed” (1999). “You Proof” now solely boasts the longest No. 1 stay of the 2020s, surpassing Dustin Lynch’s “Thinking ‘Bout You,” featuring MacKenzie Porter (starting last December), and Luke Combs’ “Forever After All” (starting in June 2021).
“You Proof” is additionally the first Country Airplay No. 1 with multiple other leaders amid its command. After it ruled for five weeks (Oct. 15-Nov. 12), Tyler Hubbard’s “5 Foot 9” topped the Nov. 19 chart, followed by Thomas Rhett’s “Half of Me,” featuring Riley Green (Nov. 26), and – after “You Proof” led again on the Dec. 3 tally – Bailey Zimmerman’s “Fall in Love” (Dec. 10).
“We are finding that the smash hits are hanging on much longer than the labels anticipate or want,” muses Charlie Cook, Cumulus Media vp of programming. “Research indicates that big songs are rarely finished when they peak on the chart.”
Among songs enduring past their Country Airplay peaks, Cole Swindell’s “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” up 3-2, spends a 10th week in the top five following its four-week reign, rewriting two longevity records: the most weeks totaled in both the top three (14) and the top five (17).
Kane & Katelyn Climb
Elsewhere, Kane Brown and Katelyn Brown’s “Thank God” hits the Country Airplay top 10 (12-10, 18.1 million, up 6%). The former adds his 10th top 10, with eight of his nine prior top 10s having hit No. 1. Wife Katelyn claims her first top 10 in her initial chart appearance.