Ask Billboard
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the United States. Or, message @gthot20.
Let’s open the latest mailbag.
Hi Gary,
With Jimin debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Aug. 3) with “Who,” I immediately thought of two “who”-titled hits that have peaked at that position: “Who Are You” by none other than The Who and “Who Is It” by Michael Jackson.
Trending on Billboard
I didn’t know at the time of its release that The Who’s mesmerizing hit didn’t make the Hot 100’s top 10, but the recording always caught my attention, both for its musicality and the cursing that was allowed. For Jackson, his Dangerous album, from which “Who Is It” was released as a single, followed Bad and Thriller. The sets produced four, six and seven top 10s, respectively, with each generating seven top 40 hits.
I figured I’d ask Billboard – who else? – for a list of other charted songs starting with “who.”
(Should we count anything by Owl City?)
Pablo Nelson, that’s whoOakland, Calif.
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Hi Pablo,
This “Ask Billboard” answers the question of who’s had all the biggest Hot 100 hits whose titles start with “who,” with Jimin’s “Who” joining 50 others that have reached the top 40. Conversely, it does the opposite of what any good mailbag should do, as it’ll leave all of the titles unanswered. There’s simply no field in Billboard’s computerized chart archives to search for who let the dogs out, who that girl is, who it can be now, who is in the strawberry patch with Sally or who your daddy is. (There are other ways to find out that last one, if needed.)
Below is a look at all the top 40-peaking Hot 100 entries whose titles begin with “who,” making for a true who’s who of “who” hits, including one by, as noted, The Who (although not any by The Guess Who).
Upon its debut, Jimin’s “Who” is in the company of numerous memorable similarly titled hits.
Top 40-Peaking Hot 100 Hits Whose Titles Begin With ‘Who’
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No. 1, 1987, “Who’s That Girl,” MadonnaThe title cut to the Madonna-starring film became the sixth of her 12 career Hot 100 No. 1s.
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No. 1, 1982, “Who Can It Be Now?,” Men at WorkThe only other Hot 100 leader whose title starts with “who” introduced Men at Work, which landed its second No. 1 with follow-up and fellow ‘80s classic “Down Under.” “It doesn’t really happen, to hardly anybody,” Colin Hay, who fronted the band, told Billboard in 2023 of its breakthrough. “It was massive. Having said that, we were always very ambitious.”
No. 3, 1986, “Who’s Johnny,” El DeBargeNo. 3, 1975, “Who Loves You,” The 4 Seasons
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No. 4, 1981, “Who’s Crying Now,” JourneyThe song ranks as Journey’s second-highest-charting Hot 100 hit, outpaced only by “Open Arms,” which peaked at No. 2 for six weeks in 1982.
No. 5, 1999, “Who Dat,” JT Money feat. SoleNo. 5, 1968, “Who’s Making Love,” Johnnie TaylorNo. 6, 1985, “Who’s Holding Donna Now,” DebargeNo. 7, 1987, “Who Will You Run To,” Heart
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No. 7, 1985, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who,” Aretha FranklinThe Queen of Soul added her 16th Hot 100 top 10 with the track. She earned one more, and her second No. 1 – after “Respect,” in 1967 – with “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” with George Michael, in 1987.
No. 7, 1961, “Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp),” Barry MannNo. 8, 1995, “Who Can I Run To,” Xscape
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No. 9, 2024, “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,” Taylor SwiftWho has the most Hot 100 top 10s in a single week, and from a single album? Swift swept the region thanks to her 2022 LP Midnights and repeated the feat this May via The Tortured Poets Department.
No. 9, 2007, “Who Knew,” P!nkNo. 11, 1996, “Who Will Save Your Soul,” Jewel
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No. 14, 2024, “Who,” JiminThe song starts with 14.7 million official U.S. streams and 70,000 sold in its first week. Its proper promotion to pop radio is set to begin the week of Aug. 12.
No. 14, 1993, “Who Is It,” Michael JacksonNo. 14, 1978, “Who Are You,” The WhoNo. 15, 1989, “Who Do You Give Your Love To?,” Michael MoralesNo. 15, 1974, “Who Do You Think You Are,” Bo Donaldson and the HeywoodsNo. 16, 1987, “Who Found Who,” Jellybean feat. Elisa Fiorillo
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No. 16, 1984, “Who Wears These Shoes?,” Elton JohnJohn’s two earlier 1984 hits – “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” and “Sad Songs (Say So Much),” which rose to Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, on the Hot 100 – are likely better known, but this track gave him a third top 20 entry that year, the first in which he logged such a triple since 1976.
No. 17, 2021, “Who Want Smoke??,” Nardo Wick feat. G Herbo, Lil Durk & 21 SavageNo. 17, 2009, “Who Says,” John MayerNo. 17, 1996, “Who Do U Love,” Deborah CoxNo. 18, 1976, “Who’d She Coo?,” Ohio PlayersNo. 19, 1968, “Who Will Answer?,” Ed Ames
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No. 21, 2011, “Who Says,” Selena Gomez & The SceneWith her ninth charted song, Gomez scored her highest Hot 100 peak to that point. She has since collected nine top 10s, including the 2019 No. 1 “Lose You To Love Me.”
No. 21, 1984, “Who’s That Girl,” EurythmicsNo. 21, 1966, “Who Am I,” Petula ClarkNo. 22, 2002, “Who’s Your Daddy?,” Toby KeithNo. 22, 1977, “Whodunit,” Tavares
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No. 23, 2006, “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” Bon JoviThe single, boosted by Jennifer Nettles’ guest turn, also brought Bon Jovi to No. 1 for two weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart.
No. 25, 1964, “Who Do You Love,” The SapphiresNo. 27, 1973, “Who’s in the Strawberry Patch With Sally,” Tony Orlando & DawnNo. 28, 2001, “Who I Am,” Jessica AndrewsNo. 29, 2011, “Who Dat Girl,” Flo Rida feat. AkonNo. 29, 1980, “Who’ll Be the Fool Tonight,” Larsen-Feiten BandNo. 30, 2003, “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me,” Keith UrbanNo. 31, 1996, “Who You Are,” Pearl JamNo. 33, 1968, “Who Is Gonna Love Me?,” Dionne Warwick
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No. 33, 1964, “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me),” Tony BennettBennett charted six top 40 Hot 100 hits from the survey’s start in 1958 through 1965. In 2011, he returned with the No. 87-peaking “Body and Soul,” with Amy Winehouse.
No. 34, 1965, “Who’ll Be the Next in Line,” The KinksNo. 35, 1992, “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” U2No. 37, 2005, “Who You’d Be Today,” Kenny ChesneyNo. 39, 1981, “Who’s Making Love,” Blues Brothers
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No. 40, 2000, “Who Let the Dogs Out,” Baha MenEnduring more impressively than its peak would suggest, the song has drawn 288 million on-demand U.S. streams to date, according to (who, who, who, who, who?) data tracker Luminate.
No. 40, 1998, “Who Am I,” Beenie ManNo. 40, 1981, “Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’,” Donna SummerNo. 40, 1975, “Who’s Sorry Now,” Marie OsmondNo. 40, 1975, “Who’s Your Baby?,” The Archies
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the United States.
Or, message @gthot20.
Let’s open the latest mailbag.
Identical Chart ‘Positions’
Hi Gary,
Trending on Billboard
Isn’t it interesting that while we’re in this Eternal Sunshine/pre-Cowboy Carter period, Ariana Grande and Beyoncé have exactly the same tallies of No. 1s, top 10s and overall Billboard Hot 100 entries (as of the chart dated March 23)?
Best,
Pablo NelsonOakland, Calif.
Hi Pablo,
Fun observation that the two superstars are neck-and-neck when it comes to career Hot 100 stats, reflecting each’s sustained chart success.
Ariana Grande: nine No. 1s / 22 top 10s / 85 overall hits
Beyoncé: nine No. 1s / 22 top 10s / 85 overall hits
(Déjà vu, to quote Beyoncé.)
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Meanwhile, both Grande and Beyoncé have siblings who have hit Billboard’s charts, and each has family members from different generations who have reached rankings – and made history regarding their ages.
First, Frankie Grande, Ariana’s brother, and Solange, Beyoncé’s sister, have each made surveys.
Plus, Grande’s grandmother, Nonna, 98 years young, this week becomes the oldest living artist ever to have hit the Hot 100. Conversely, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, became the youngest artist ever billed on a Billboard chart when Jay-Z’s “Glory,” featuring a then-minutes-old “B.I.C.” debuted on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 2012.
Among other coincidences, Grande and Beyoncé have each charted Hot 100 hits consisting of numbers and no words: Grande with “34 + 35” and Beyoncé with both “1+1” and “7/11.”
Further, and fittingly, given their numerous accomplishments, Beyoncé sent “Run the World (Girls)” onto the Hot 100 in 2011. In 2019, Grande charted as featured on 2 Chainz’s “Rule the World.”
(To get extra playful, both Grande and Beyoncé have hit the Hot 100 with songs named after games. Grande boarded the chart with “Monopoly” in 2019, while Beyoncé buzzed in with “Family Feud,” the survey said in 2017.)
As for another chart-topping achievement on the Hot 100 for Beyoncé, prior to Grande’s latest coronation, and spotlighting other acts with impressive longevity …
No. 1, Topped 40
Hi Gary,
Beyoncé led the Hot 100 for two weeks beginning on the chart dated March 2 with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” at age 42. A week later, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) reached No. 1 with his collaborative hit “Carnival,” at age 46.
In the youth-centered music industry, it’s rare for artists to rule the Hot 100 in their 40s, or later. Billboard has previously covered some of the few that have achieved the feat, including such legends as Louis Armstrong, Cher, Eminem, Aretha Franklin, Madonna and Paul McCartney.
Has an artist 40 or older ever replaced another at No. 1 on the Hot 100 before this week?
(That’s excluding the recent holidays, when Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee twice switched off atop the Hot 100, with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” respectively. Both are over 40 now, but were well under that age when those songs were originally released.)
Thanks,
Jesse RifkinWashington, D.C.
Thanks, Jesse.
Beyoncé and Ye – and Ty Dolla $ign – mark just the third set of soloists over age 40 (again, not counting the holiday hits above, given when they were recorded) leading the Hot 100 back-to-back.
Here’s a look at all three such instances.
March 16, 2024: “Carnival” by Ye, 46, and Ty Dolla $ign, 41 (feat. Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti), replaced “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé, 42
May 27, 2017: “Despacito” by Daddy Yankee, then 40 (with Luis Fonsi and feat. Justin Bieber), replaced “I’m the One” by DJ Khaled, then 41 (feat. Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne).
Dec. 27, 1980: “(Just Like) Starting Over” by the late John Lennon – who was 40 when the song was released, just weeks earlier, prior to his Dec. 8 passing – replaced “Lady” by Kenny Rogers, then 42.
Ye, Ty Dolla $ign and Beyoncé, thus, mark the first grouping of as many as three solo artists all over 40 topping the Hot 100 consecutively.
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With age comes invaluable experience and perspective. In unveiling the cover art for her new LP, Cowboy Carter, on Instagram March 19, Beyoncé shared, “This album has been over five years in the making. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history.
“I feel honored to be the first Black woman with the number one single on the Hot Country Songs chart,” she added. “That would not have happened without the outpouring of support from each and every one of you. My hope is that years from now, the mention of an artist’s race, as it relates to releasing genres of music, will be irrelevant.”
Bubbling Under the Hot 100 (and Bubbling Under the Bubbling Under Chart)
Hi Gary,
I’ve noticed a few current songs that haven’t made the Hot 100 yet – or even the Hot 100’s Bubbling Under chart. Some are on American Top 40 With Ryan Seacrest and SiriusXM’s Hits 1 The Weekend Countdown, as I follow those charts closely.
Among them:
“Kissing Strangers,” Usher
“Make You Mine,” Madison Beer
“Not My Fault,” Renee Rapp & Megan Thee Stallion
“Not the 1975,” Knox
“Paradise,” Justin Timberlake feat. *NSYNC
“Pick Up the Phone,” Henry Moodie
“Yes I’m a Mess,” AJR
Hope to see them on the Hot 100, as well!
Thanks,
Robert Wien
Thanks, Robert.
Two of those songs are currently on the Hot 100’s Bubbling Under chart, which ranks the top 25 tracks yet to make the all-genre, multimetric Hot 100: “Not My Fault,” at No. 19 (after reaching No. 2), and “Make You Mine,” at No. 24 (after hitting No. 9). Plus, “Kissing Strangers” rose to No. 5 in February.
Per your musical tastes, all seven songs above have either hit Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart or made inroads at top 40 radio, on which the list is based. “Not My Fault” ascends to No. 16 on the latest chart, followed by “Not the 1975” (No. 25), “Kissing Strangers” (No. 32) and “Make You Mine,” a debut No. 36. “Yes I’m a Mess” reached No. 24 in January, while “Pick Up the Phone” and “Paradise” – the latter newly released (March 15) on Justin Timberlake’s album Everything I Thought It Was – are building support.
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Says Larry Blackford, who discovered Knox on Instagram, noting the opening line in “Not the 1975,” “With lyrics like ‘Vodka soda and baggy jeans/ Using none of that art degree,’ how could [radio] not love it?”
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
Or, tweet @gthot20.
Let’s open the latest mailbag.
That’s a Long ‘Time’
Dear Gary,
As of last week’s charts (dated June 3), Morgan Wallen spent an eighth week topping the Billboard 200 albums chart and Billboard Hot 100 songs chart simultaneously with his latest LP, One Thing at a Time, and its biggest song, “Last Night,” respectively.
Do those eight weeks mark a record for an album and any of its songs ruling the two charts simultaneously? Or has anyone – maybe Michael Jackson, with Thriller, “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” in 1983 – had longer such runs?
Thanks,
Raditya GunardisuryaSerpong, Indonesia
Hi Raditya,
Both Wallen and Taylor Swift have recently logged notable double dominations atop Billboard’s premier album and song charts.
Wallen has amassed the longest such rule since Drake’s Views and its smash “One Dance” simultaneously topped the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, respectively, for nine weeks in 2016.
Overall, Wallen claims the sixth-most impressive such run. Here’s a recap, since the Billboard 200 became a weekly chart measuring both stereo and mono albums in August 1963, after the Hot 100 had begun in August 1958.
As noted above, Jackson’s Thriller and its two Hot 100 No. 1s combine to place third on the ranking below.
Most Weeks for Albums & Their Songs Topping the Billboard 200 & Hot 100 Simultaneously:
13: Soundtrack, Saturday Night Fever; “Stayin’ Alive” (4; Bee Gees), “Night Fever” (8; Bee Gees), “If I Can’t Have You” (1; Yvonne Elliman), 1978
12: Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard soundtrack; “I Will Always Love You,” 1992-93
10: Michael Jackson, Thriller; “Billie Jean” (7), “Beat It” (3), 1983
9: Drake, Views; “One Dance,” feat. WizKid & Kyla, 20169: Usher, Confessions; “Yeah!” (5; feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris), “Burn” (4), 2004
8: Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time; “Last Night,” 2023
7: Taylor Swift, 1989; “Shake It Off” (2), “Blank Space” (5), 2014-157: Adele, 21; “Rolling in the Deep” (4), “Someone Like You” (1), “Set Fire to the Rain” (2), 2011-12
6: Adele, 25: “Hello,” 2015-166: 50 Cent, The Massacre; “Candy Shop” (feat. Olivia), 20056: Mariah Carey, Daydream: “Fantasy” (3), “One Sweet Day” (3; with Boyz II Men), 1995-966: The Police, Synchronicity; “Every Breath You Take,” 1983
5: Taylor Swift, Midnights, “Anti-Hero,” 20225: Soundtrack, Encanto; “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” Carolina Gaitan, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast, 20225: Drake, Scorpion; “Nice for What” (1), “In My Feelings” (4), 2018 5: Janet Jackson, janet.; “That’s the Way Love Goes,” 19935: George Michael, Faith; “Father Figure” (2), “One More Try” (3), 19885: John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy: “(Just Like) Starting Over” (John Lennon), 1980-815: Donna Summer, Bad Girls: “Hot Stuff” (1), “Bad Girls” (4), 19795: Carole King, Tapestry; “It’s Too Late”/“I Feel the Earth Move,” 19715: Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water; “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” 19705: The Beatles, Meet The Beatles!; “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” 1964
Clearly, some of the most prominent names in pop music history have earned their way onto the above list, starting with The Beatles.
Meanwhile, of all the acts with an album to have topped the Billboard 200 while any of its songs concurrently led the Hot 100 for at least five weeks, Wallen is the first country artist to achieve the feat – although a shoutout to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” written by Dolly Parton.
Notably, two soundtracks top the recap of the 22 albums above: Saturday Night Fever and the Houston-centric The Bodyguard. (The only other soundtrack also included: Encanto.)
Plus, the only acts with multiple albums above? Adele, Drake and Swift, each with two.
Swift’s Midnights, meanwhile, nearly moved up the tally above this week. The set led the Billboard 200 for five weeks as its lead single “Anti-Hero” topped the Hot 100 late last year. With new versions of the LP released May 26, along with a remix of its current single, “Karma,” adding Ice Spice, the set returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated June 10, while the song surges 27-2 on the Hot 100.
Speaking (now) of Swift …
How about a review of Swift’s show at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., May 21, the third of three nights of her New England stop of the Eras Tour?
This recap is courtesy of the most avid Swiftie I know, and to whom I happen to be related. Having luckily made it through to buy tickets as soon as they went on-sale (leaving her brother to figure out a less expensive, though less impressive, birthday present), Molly Trust has written up her second review of a Swift show at the venue, following her Billboard.com debut … fittingly, 13 years ago.
Back then, as 16-year-old Justin Bieber was one of the night’s openers (and Tom Brady, who then called Gillette home, was three Super Bowl wins down with three more to go as a Patriot), Swift drew the following praise: “After hearing her sing live for just a few minutes, it’s obvious: The 20-year-old is one of the most talented female musicians today. Her songs are beautifully written, her voice unique and pure, and she is a phenomenal performer. In concert, she exudes seemingly inhuman energy.”
In 2023, the above could be said about the Eras Tour, although Swift’s songs have 13 more years of meaning behind them.
‘A Journey Through Every One of Our Personal Eras’
“There’s nothing like this,” Taylor Swift sings in her opening song of the Eras Tour, “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” No, there certainly is not. There is nothing like attending the Eras Tour.
I attended my first Taylor Swift concert at Gillette Stadium in 2010 – a stop on her Fearless tour, at the tender age of 20. Yes, I, too, was born in 1989. I could talk for hours about the night I realized my favorite singer was also the best performer I’d ever seen, but for now I will simply say it was without a doubt the best night of my life.
Thirteen years later, I returned to Gillette to spend the night with my girl Tay again. Her 10 studio albums have guided me through every heartbreak. Somehow she knew I hadn’t quite cried enough. [Editor’s note: big hug.]
My best friend and I showed up at Gillette Stadium on the sunny afternoon of May 21 in our carefully-crafted outfits (mine a combination of Lover and 1989 and hers strictly Lover) with the tickets I will never forget: section 111, row 5, seats 17 and 18. Some people can rattle of their social security numbers without thinking; I can rattle off my Eras Tour seat numbers.
When her tour kicked off in March, I vowed to do the unimaginable: avoid obtaining any details of the concert by avoiding TikTok and Instagram until the day of my show. I knew no matter what, the show would be worth the large percentage of my monthly mortgage I spent on tickets, but the memory of that first night at Gillette with Taylor so many years ago kept creeping into my mind, and I wanted to hold onto some of the magic of seeing her for the first time. And to do that, I realized I needed the entire show to be a surprise to me.
Despite a few photos spoiling her costumes, I entered the stadium knowing nothing of what I was about to see, prepared to sing and dance and have no voice for at least 48 hours.
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on May 19, 2023.
Scott Eisen/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
I will say, my discipline between the start of her tour and my show on May 21 (yes, I narrowly escaped the “rainiest rain show that ever rain showed,”) paid off. Her opening music, a dreamy mashup of all of her album title tracks folded into “Miss American and the Heartbreak Prince,” is meant to be heard for the first time live.
As the night unfolded, I realized very quickly how this show would be different than the last time I saw her. Like every fan who had first heard Taylor’s music as a child and attended the Eras Tour as an adult, I was sneakily being guided through a therapy session. I danced to “You Belong With Me” with the freedom and innocence of my college-aged self, screamed the lyrics to “I Knew You Were Trouble.” as though I were confronting every bad boy I’d met, and even shed a tear while swaying to “Cardigan.”
“Don’t Blame Me” even provided me with a religious experience in which I was able to release some of my deepest inner demons. I highly suggest throwing your head back and screaming, “don’t blame me, love made me crazy,” into the sky along with 70,000 other people and the woman who wrote the lyrics to relieve yourself of any guilt you may have lingering in your subconscious.
Did I succeed in trying to recreate my first flawless experience seeing Taylor Swift sing live? Truthfully, the Eras Tour, much like Taylor herself, isn’t a recreation of anything, but rather its own entity. It’s so much more than a moment in time, as most concerts are. Because a journey through Taylor’s musical eras is also a journey through every one of our personal eras, whatever those may be.
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
Or, tweet @gthot20.
Let’s open the latest mailbag (and Instagram feed …)
The Weeknd Matches Michael Jackson for Hot 100 History
The Weeknd is correct! With “Die for You” soaring to No. 1 on the latest, March 11-dated Billboard Hot 100, he joins Jackson as the only male soloists with multiple leaders on the chart from three albums.
(The feat is based on counting “Die for You” from Starboy, on which it was originally released in 2016, six-plus years before its new remix, with Ariana Grande, sparked its coronation. For Billboard’s charts, all versions of the song roll up into one chart listing.)
Overall, the club of acts with multiple Hot 100 No. 1s originally released on three, or more, albums, is exclusive – just seven members, with The Weeknd its newest since 2001. Two of those acts have notched multiple leaders from more than three albums each: Mariah Carey, the leader with six, and The Beatles, with four.
Let’s recap each act’s impressive haul of multiple Hot 100 No. 1s from three or more albums each (with details, similar to the journey of “Die for You,” regarding songs with notable release histories beyond the albums listed below).
The Weeknd
Starboy: “Starboy” (feat. Daft Punk), 2017; “Die for You” (with Ariana Grande), 2023
After Hours: “Heartless,” 2019; “Blinding Lights,” 2020; “Save Your Tears” (with Grande), 2021
Beauty Behind the Madness: “Can’t Feel My Face,” “The Hills,” 2015
Janet Jackson
All for You: “Doesn’t Really Matter,” 2000 (originally released on the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps soundtrack); “All for You,” 2001
janet.: “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “Again,” 1993″
Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814: “Miss You Much,” 1989; “Escapade,” “Black Cat,” 1990; “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” 1991
Mariah Carey
The Emancipation of Mimi: “We Belong Together,” 2005; “Don’t Forget About Us,” 2005-06 (added to the album’s Ultra Platinum Edition rerelease)
Rainbow: “Heartbreaker” (feat. Jay-Z), 1999; “Thank God I Found You” (feat. Joe & 98 Degrees), 2000
Butterfly: “Honey,” 1997; “My All,” 1998
Daydream: “Fantasy,” 1995; “One Sweet Day” (with Boyz II Men), 1995-96; “Always Be My Baby,” 1996
Music Box: “Dreamlover,” 1993; “Hero,” 1993-94
Mariah Carey: “Vision of Love,” “Love Takes Time,” 1990; “Someday,” “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” 1991
Whitney Houston
I’m Your Baby Tonight: “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” 1990; “All the Man That I Need,” 1991
Whitney: “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” 1987; “So Emotional,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” 1988
Whitney Houston: “Saving All My Love for You,” 1985; “How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love of All,” 1986
Michael Jackson
Bad: “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” (with Siedah Garrett), “Bad,” 1987; “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Dirty Diana,” 1988
Thriller: “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” 1983
Off the Wall: “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” 1979; “Rock With You,” 1980
The Beatles
Let It Be: “Get Back” (first released as a non-album single), 1969; “Let It Be,” “The Long and Winding Road,” 1970
Hey Jude: “Paperback Writer,” 1966; “Hey Jude,” 1968 (both first released as non-album singles)
Magical Mystery Tour: “Penny Lane,” “Hello Goodbye,” 1967 (both first released as non-album singles)
Help!: “Ticket to Ride,” “Help!,” 1965
The Supremes
The Supremes Sing Holland–Dozier–Holland: “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” 1966; “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone,” 1967
More Hits by The Supremes: “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Back in My Arms Again,” 1965
Where Did Our Love Go: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” 1964 (all first released as non-album singles)
The Weeknd doesn’t only become the latest artist with at least two Hot 100 No. 1s from three or more albums. As previously reported, “Die for You” also makes him and Grande the sixth pair of artists with two No. 1s together.
There’s even more to The Weeknd and Grande’s latest success …
An Achievement to ‘Die For’
Hi Gary,
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande score a first on the latest Hot 100: Thanks to “Die for You” and “Save Your Tears,” they are the first artists in the elite category of acts with two shared No. 1s each with top billing on both of their hits. All the others – Drake and Future; Drake and Rihanna; Eminem and Rihanna; Nelly Furtado and Timbaland; and Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule – included featured billings on their No. 1s together.
Meanwhile, here are a few star collaborators that have nearly each pulled off a pair of Hot 100 chart-toppers, each missing by just one position:
Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney: “The Girl Is Mine” (No. 2, 1982) and “Say Say Say” (No. 1, 1984)
Beyoncé & Jay-Z: “Crazy in Love” (No. 1, 2003) and “Drunk in Love” (No. 2, 2014)
Rihanna & Jay-Z: “Umbrella” (No. 1, 2007) and “Run This Town (No. 2, 2009)
Drake & 21 Savage: “Jimmy Cooks” (No. 1) and “Rich Flex” (No. 2, both 2022)
Also, a darkly fun coincidence: No. 1 on the Hot 100 is “Die for You” and No. 100 is “Die 4 Me,” by Halsey. Honestly, what are the chances? I don’t know, for the life of me.
Pablo NelsonOakland, Calif.
Thanks Pablo. Plus, the titles at Nos. 2 and 99 on the latest Hot 100: “Flowers” and “The Color Violet.”
Also, the debuts at Nos. 89 and 88: “Joe” and “Dirt.” If we have a callback to an early 2000s film in “Kill Bill,” why not another?
An ’80s Hit That ‘Ties’ Into This Week
Hi Gary,
With “Die for You” hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100 after a six-year-plus wait, the second-longest from a debut on the chart, I thought of a song that should be noted among those that took long routes to the top: “At This Moment” by Billy Vera & The Beaters. The ballad peaked at No. 79 its first time out, as a live version, in 1981 and, thanks to a newer studio recording, hit No. 1 over five years and four months later, in January 1987.
Take care!
Ron Raymond, Jr.
Thanks, Ron. Great observation. The song hit No. 1 at last sparked by its synch in NBC’s Family Ties. “I am grateful to have written a standard that will live long after I’m gone,” Vera said in an in-depth 2021 interview that chronicles the song’s comeback.
The only reason that it isn’t considered among the songs with the longest climbs to No. 1 on the Hot 100 from a debut is that when it returned to the chart, it was treated as a debut, not a re-entry, as it was, as you point out, an entirely new recording, as opposed to a remix, and on a different label (Rhino Records, marking its first leader) than when it was first released.
The song also wasn’t the only one to return in a new form, and as a debut on the Hot 100, during that era. The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” likewise charted as a new entry, thanks to a re-recording, on Curb Records (as a cassette single), and hit No. 19 in November 1990.
Meanwhile, the duo’s original version, on Verve/Polydor (on vinyl), re-entered, after reaching No. 4 in 1965, and rose to No. 13 in October 1990.
So, two versions of the classic charted on the Hot 100 simultaneously. Or, put another way, and to reference a movie from the early ’90s this time, ditto.
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
Or, tweet @gthot20.
Let’s open the latest mailbag.
Miley Cyrus’ Career Streaming, Airplay & Sales Totals
Hi @gthot20 to celebrate @MileyCyrus ‘Flowers,’ could you update Miley’s best-selling albums and most-streamed songs and most-heard hits on radio? Thank you so much!
Miley Cyrus Charts@CyrusOnStats
As of the latest Billboard Hot 100, dated Feb. 18, “Flowers” is Miley Cyrus‘ newly crowned longest-leading No. 1, surpassing the three-week command of “Wrecking Ball” in 2013.
Just four weeks into its Hot 100 run, “Flowers” is also already surging up the ranks of her biggest career hits, in both streaming and radio airplay.
Let’s recap Cyrus’ top songs in those metrics. As for her best-selling albums, three have each passed 1 million in U.S. sales, according to Luminate (through Feb. 9): 2008’s Breakout (1.6 million), 2009’s EP Time of Our Lives (1.5 million) and 2013’s Bangerz (1.2 million).
Miley Cyrus’ Most-Streamed Songs (on-demand, official) in the U.S.:970 million, “Party in the U.S.A.” / 898 million, “Wrecking Ball” / 759 million, “We Can’t Stop” / 468 million, “Malibu” / 463 million, “23” (Mike WiLL Made-It feat. Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & Juicy J)
363 million, “The Climb” / 356 million, “Midnight Sky” / 316 million, “Adore You” / 233 million, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” (Mark Ronson feat. Cyrus) / 220 million, “When I Look at You”
203 million, “Prisoner” (feat. Dua Lipa) / 196 million, “Slide Away” / 182 million, “Flowers” / 169 million, “Mother’s Daughter” / 167 million, “Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angel)” (with Ariana Grande & Lana Del Rey)
Miley Cyrus’ Most-Heard Radio Songs in the U.S. (audience impressions):3.6 billion, “Party in the U.S.A.” / 3 billion, “The Climb” / 2.5 billion, “Wrecking Ball” / 1.2 billion, “See You Again” / 943 million, “We Can’t Stop”
774 million, “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” (Billy Ray Cyrus with Miley Cyrus) / 422 million, “Malibu” / 365 million, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” / 360 million, “23” / 297 million, “Midnight Sky”
233 million, “Flowers” / 221 million, “Prisoner” / 216 million, “Adore You” / 162 million, “Can’t Be Tamed” / 155 million, “7 Things”
Thus, just a month after its release, “Flowers” is already Cyrus’ 11th biggest hit in total radio airplay audience and her 13th biggest in on-demand streaming.
Could Valentine’s Day give the song an extra boost? Some stats from a source that we don’t regularly cite: the Society of American Florists, the U.S. floral industry trade association, reported last year that the day is the top holiday for buying flowers (ahead of Christmas/Chanukah and Mother’s Day, each in second place). “Flowers” could even impact the breakdown of who is given Valentine’s bouquets, as, per a 2022 poll, “spouse” was the top choice for recipients, followed by “mother” and “significant other.” Next up? “Self.” “Women even treat themselves on Valentine’s Day,” the report noted, previewing Cyrus’ own purchase this year.
Speaking of her collab “23” …
23 More No. 23 Hits for ’23
@gthot20 Can I shout out a 24th No. 23 hit for ’23? Although Kid Rock is pretty polarizing these days, his last big hit “All Summer Long” is always neat to look back on whenever one can. (as well as a certain sound-alike cover that laughably charted higher than the KR original!)— Jake Rivera (@jjr4897) January 2, 2023
Thanks, Jake! Good memory: “Absence of Kid Rock’s radio hit in the digital space opens the door for knock-off version” by Hit Masters, Billboard pointed out when the latter debuted on the Hot 100. That cover hit No. 5 on the Digital Song Sales chart, while Rock’s original climbed to No. 3 on Radio Songs (with top five peaks at pop, country and adult formats). On the Hot 100, they reached Nos. 19 and 23, respectively, in 2008.
For New Year’s Day, we looked at 23 enduring No. 23-peaking Hot 100 hits for 2023, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run,” No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” and Taylor Swift’s “15.”
In addition to those and yours, how about 23 more? From The Beach Boys to The Beatles, and Rihanna to more Swift, here are another 23 No. 23-peaking Hot 100 hits that remain prominent in ’23.
“In My Room,” The Beach Boys, 1963One of the iconic group’s 35 top 40 Hot 100 hits, a list extended by “Little Saint Nick” this past holiday season.
“Rain,” The Beatles, 1966“Sun” broke through after “Rain”: “Here Comes the Sun,” written by the band’s George Harrison, was released in 1969 (and, despite its classic status, was not made a single from Abbey Road and has never hit the Hot 100).
“Mustang Sally,” Wilson Pickett, 1966Not only was the song a hit in 1966, but that year’s Ford Mustang remains the best-selling of any year for the sleek car.
“Tell Mama,” Etta James, 1968The beloved singer’s legend likely outshines her Hot 100 history: she tallied nine top 40 hits, with “Tell Mama” her highest-charting.
“Rocky Mountain Way,” Joe Walsh, 1973The song brought Walsh to the Hot 100, where he went on to hit a No. 12 high as a soloist in 1978 with “Life’s Been Good.” Plus, The Eagles, with Walsh as a member, notched three No. 1s in 1977-79, including “Hotel California,” punctuated by Walsh and Don Felder’s famed dual-guitar outro.
“Follow You Follow Me,” Genesis, 1978The single became the band’s first top 40 Hot 100 hit, and 16 more followed “Follow.” In 1981, frontman Phil Collins scored his first of 21 top 40 entries as a soloist.
“Come Together,” Aerosmith, 1978The second John Lennon-Paul McCartney composition on this list, after “Rain.” “Come Together” was released from the soundtrack to the kitschy film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring, among others, the Bee Gees, George Burns, Peter Frampton and Steve Martin.
“Stranger in My House,” Ronnie Milsap, 1983One of Milsap’s 49 top 10 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart, it won the Grammy Award for best country song. It was written by Mike Reid, a former NFL Pro Bowler who went on to notch his own No. 1 on the survey as a recording artist with “Walk on Faith” in 1991. (Having also co-penned songs including Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” Reid received the NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award in 1996.)
“Moonlighting (Theme),” Al Jarreau, 1987TV theme songs boast their own built-in promotion: Moonlighting, starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis, was the ninth-most watched show of 1987.
“When We Was Fab,” George Harrison, 1988Following two Beatles songs above, this song, as evident in its title, recounts the Fab Four’s early days.
“Rock and a Hard Place,” The Rolling Stones, 1989The second single from Steel Wheels marks the band’s most recent top 40 Hot 100 hit. (It followed the No. 5-peaking “Mixed Emotions.”)
“Moneytalks,” AC/DC, 1991Among the group’s classic catalog, three songs have crossed over to the Hot 100’s top 40 – with this track the band’s highest charting. It followed two other essentials: “You Shook Me All Night Long” (No. 35, 1980) and “Back in Black” (No. 37, 1981).
“U.N.I.T.Y.,” Queen Latifah, 1994The song, the entertainer’s highest reaching of seven Hot 100 hits, contributed to the Grammy Awards’ high-profile hip-hop celebration Feb. 5.
“Your Woman,” White Town, 1997The song returned as the basis of Dua Lipa’s 2021 hit “Love Again,” while its history dates back (much) further: Its signature instrumental hook was widely popularized in Lew Stone and His Monseigneur Band’s “My Woman” in 1932.
“Smooth Criminal,” Alien Ant Farm, 2001The track amped up Michael Jackson’s No. 7-peaking 1989 hit, the sixth and final top 10 from his album Bad. As Madonna then tallied three top 10s that year (“Like a Prayer,” “Express Yourself” and “Cherish”), the King and Queen of Pop wrapped the ’80s with a leading 17 top 10s each during the decade.
“Hands Clean,” Alanis Morissette, 2002Following Morissette’s haul of hits from 1995’s Jagged Little Pill and 1998’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, this song stands as her biggest since, having also risen to No. 3 on both Adult Alternative Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay. By 2002, she told Billboard, she had learned “when to say ‘no’ and take a step back. It’s not a matter of wielding power; it’s a matter of understanding your limits and controlling the quality of your life.”
“Brave,” Sara Bareilles, 2014The singer-songwriter and actress has scored three top 40 Hot 100 hits, with this empowerment anthem following “Love Song” (No. 4, 2008) and “King of Anything” (No. 32, 2010).
“Prayer in C,” Lillywood & Robin Schulz, 2015The song by the respective French and German acts became a major global hit, reaching No. 1 on charts in (deep breath) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.
“The Man,” Taylor Swift, 2019Swift told Billboard in 2019 of the song’s inspiration, “When I go online and hear the stories of my fans talking about their experience in the working world, or even at school, the more we talk about it, the better off we’ll be. And I wanted to make it catchy for a reason – so that they would end up with a song about gender inequality stuck in their heads.”
“Believe It,” PARTYNEXTDOOR & Rihanna, 2020Rihanna’s most recent Hot 100 hit until “Lift Me Up,” which reached No. 2 upon its debut this past November. What might be her next career move?
“ily,” Surf Mesa feat. Emilee, 2020The song reinvented (the chorus of) Frankie Valli’s No. 2-peaking 1967 classic, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
“The Next Episode,” Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, 2000“Still D.R.E.,” Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, 2022Two of Dr. Dre’s signature songs have reached No. 23 on the Hot 100. The latter soared past its prior No. 93 high in late 1999 following the all-star Super Bowl halftime show last year. “You’re talking about at least 3,000 people that you have to depend on to get this show right for 13 minutes,” he said (while offering advice to Rihanna ahead of this year’s concert). “So, it is an extreme amount of pressure, but it’s fun at the same time. When it’s done … I got goosebumps.”
Submit questions about Billboard charts, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.
Or, tweet @gthot20.
Let’s open the latest mailbag.
Hi Gary,
It’s fun to see Paul McCartney and John Lennon simultaneously in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Dec. 31). The former’s “Wonderful Christmastime” re-enters at No. 32 (after it hit No. 28 two years ago) and the latter’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (credited to John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir) hits a new high, placing in the top 40 for the first time as it returns at No. 38. Lennon logs his 14th top 40 title as a soloist and first since “Nobody Told Me” rose to No. 5 in 1984.
The Beatles last ranked in the Hot 100’s top 40 with “Real Love” and, before that, “Free as a Bird,” in 1995-96. But when did McCartney and Lennon last share space in the top 40 outside the group?
As we mention Paul, we can shout out another famed musical partner of his, Michael Jackson, as the Jackson 5 score another top 40 Hot 100 hit: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” re-enters at No. 33. It’s the Jackson 5/Jacksons’ 24th top 40 hit and, like Lennon, their first since 1984, when “Torture” hit No. 17. (The act had last appeared in the top 40 billed as the Jackson 5 in 1975.)
Also in this week’s countdown, the Beach Boys achieve a new Hot 100 high as “Little Saint Nick” returns at No. 30. The legendary group surfs (sleds?) to its 35th top 40 hit and first “Kokomo” became its fourth No. 1 in 1988.
Who can resist the most wonderful time of the year?
Pablo NelsonOakland, Calif.
Happy holidays, Pablo!
First, in another highlight on the newest Hot 100, Elvis Presley‘s “Blue Christmas” bounds 41-27, a new high for his 1957 classic. The King posts his highest rank since the chart dated Jan. 7, 1978 – a day shy of what would’ve been his 43rd birthday – when “My Way” held at No. 22.
As for your question, while The Beatles last appeared in the Hot 100’s top 40 on the chart dated April, 6, 1996, McCartney and Lennon had, until this week, not placed simultaneously in the region with songs outside the band since the Feb. 25, 1984, chart, when Lennon’s “Nobody Told Me” surged 12-7, becoming his eighth and most recent top 10, and McCartney’s “So Bad” ranked at No. 37.
Other Hot 100 highlights that week: Van Halen’s “Jump” ascended to No. 1; The Police’s “Wrapped Around Your Finger” (14-9) and Billy Joel’s “An Innocent Man” (13-10) also hit the top 10; and future No. 1 ballads “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins (No. 67) and “Hello” by Lionel Richie (No. 75) debuted.
Plus, the highest-entering song on the Hot 100 that frame? Eventual top 10 “They Don’t Know” (No. 63) by Tracey Ullman. Her Fox series in 1987 ushered in The Simpsons, which, like the holiday hits in the latest list’s top 40, is still going strong, now in its 34th season.
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