Fall Out Boy, Falling in Reverse Cover Their Way to Top of Alternative Digital Song Sales Chart
Written by djfrosty on July 6, 2023
Remakes take the top two spots on Billboard’s Alternative Digital Song Sales chart dated July 8.
Falling in Reverse’s “Last Resort (Reimagined),” the band’s rendition of Papa Roach’s song, debuts at No. 1, while Fall Out Boy’s updated version of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” begins at No. 2.
“Last Resort” leads the list with 5,000 downloads earned in the June 23-29 tracking week, according to Luminate, despite being released four days into the tracking period on June 26.
It’s Falling in Reverse’s second No. 1 on the survey, following the one-week reign of “Watch the World Burn” in February.
In addition to its sales, the song earned 2 million official U.S. streams. In all, those metrics are hefty enough to send the song to a No. 21 debut on the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally.
The song is a largely orchestral take on Papa Roach’s 2000 original. It became a breakthrough hit for the Jacoby Shaddix-led band, crowning the Alternative Airplay chart for seven weeks beginning in August 2000 and peaking at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Concurrently, the original “Last Resort” sports a 3% boost in streams to 2.5 million June 23-29.
Meanwhile, Fall Out Boy’s rendition of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” bows on Alternative Digital Song Sales with 4,000 downloads.
While a cover in melody and via its chorus, Fall Out Boy’s version updates Joel’s verses to reference world happenings that occurred since the 1989 release of the original, a two-week No. 1 on the Hot 100 in December 1989.
Fall Out Boy’s cover racked up 767,000 streams in addition to its sales. All told, the song starts at No. 44 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, with a higher position likely following its first full week of tracking running June 30-July 6 (after the song was released June 28).
Joel’s original, meanwhile, scored a 5% jump in streams to 1.8 million.