State Champ Radio Billboard Hot 100
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On Monday (Dec. 4), Brenda Lee made history when her classic holiday chestnut, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time — 65 years after the song’s release.
Lee, whose indomitable spirit and powerful voice, even as a child, earned her the nickname “Little Miss Dynamite,” recorded “Rockin’” when she was just 13. Now, at age 78, she’s watching as the song, promoted by major label UMG Nashville, has reached the pinnacle of Billboard’s all-genre chart. In the process, the song has become only the third holiday song to reach No. 1 ever on the Hot 100.
“I like that God has given me that favor that I can stand aside and look and know that it wasn’t just me; that it’s a conglomerate of a lot of people that made the song what it is,” Lee tells Billboard, seated in the downtown offices of label UMG Nashville, just after UMG Nashville chair/CEO Cindy Mabe revealed the news of the song’s new peak.
“I’m happy for everybody here that’s worked so hard to make this happen because in today’s world, everything moves so fast and furious. But I’m telling you this: My label has come to bat,” Lee said.
Produced by Owen Bradley, “Rockin’” was initially released in 1958, though the song’s initial chart impact was modest. Lee earned her first two No. 1 Hot 100 hits in 1960, with “I’m Sorry” and “I Want to Be Wanted.” Bolstered by those successes, “Rockin’” reached an original peak of No. 14 in December 1960. Between December 2019 and last year, the song would spend nine weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100, behind only Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Lee recorded “Rockin’” in the heart of Nashville’s Music Row, at Bradley’s Quonset Hut, her mature-beyond-her-years voice paired with the song’s rockabilly holiday feel, creating what would become her signature song.
“The producer cut the air way down in the studio,” Lee recalled. “He had a big Christmas tree and everyone was there — the Anita Kerr Singers and the A-team [of revered Nashville studio musicians], as we called them. It was like a little touch of magic kind of sprinkled in, and it turned out to be magic. It really did.”
Johnny Marks, the songwriter behind other holiday classics including “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” also wrote “Rockin’,” with Lee in mind for the song.
“He was such a gentle soul,” Lee recalls of the late songwriter, who died in 1985. “He was Jewish and didn’t even believe in Christmas, and all that would come out of him was Christmas music. He told me he was laying on the beach in New York and I guess he took a nap or something and when he woke up, he saw the pine trees were kind of swaying. I said, ‘You got pine trees on the beach in New York?’ He said, ‘Yeah and I thought the pine trees are rocking and he went home and came up with ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’
“I talked to him almost every week, and he was so funny. His first line would be, ‘Brenda, just thought I’d call. There’s not a lot of us old-timers left,’ and I’d think, how old does he think I am?” she said with a giggle. “But he was so precious and so sweet, and just a good guy.”
In 1990, “Rockin’” became a favorite holiday song for a new generation when it was featured in the Macaulay Culkin film Home Alone.
“That’s the catalyst that pushed it over that hill, as we’ll call it. It’s just been a blessing,” says Lee, who noted she watched the holiday mainstay a few nights ago.
Lee marked the 65th anniversary of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by filming the song’s first official video, featuring cameos from Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood. The festive clip features Lee lip-synching to her teenage recording of the song, alongside footage of her and Yearwood baking holiday cookies and chatting with Tucker as everyone gathered around a table to enjoy a holiday feast.
“My buds are in there,” Lee says. “We had a ball making it. We filmed it at the producer’s house, and nothing was choreographed, really. We just had fun. They were just precious to do that for me, and I think folks will love it.”
Like Lee, Tucker was herself a star by her teens, and Lee met Yearwood when she was first getting started in the industry in the 1990s.
“They both are just real,” Lee says of Tucker and Yearwood. “They’ve never lost their sense of joy, gratitude and of excitement for what they’re doing. And they help — you call ‘em and they’ll say, ‘Sure, when you want me there?’ Now, there’s probably some moments they’ve got on film that you’ll never see,” she laughs, “but we had a good time. It seemed like it just went like that. We were there for hours filming, but because we’re friends and all, it didn’t seem like a long time.”
As for her own favorite holiday hits — other than her own? “I love to hear ‘White Christmas’ and love to hear Bing Crosby sing. I also love Burl Ives’ ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas,’” Lee says.
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Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” this week becomes one of only four singles in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to log 16 or more weeks at No. 1. So, does that mean it’s a lock for a Grammy nomination for record of the year? Its chances are good, but Grammy voters don’t always follow the lead of music fans.
The three previous singles to spend 16 or more weeks at No. 1 – Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus), Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee‘s “Despacito” (featuring Justin Bieber) and Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” – were all nominated for record of the year, though none of them won.
And numerous long-running No. 1 hits weren’t nominated in any Grammy categories. The list includes Los Del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix),” Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ “I Love Rock n’ Roll,” Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright),” Andy Gibb‘s “Shadow Dancing,” Chic‘s “Le Freak,” Bobby Lewis’ “Tossin’ and Turnin’” and Tommy Edwards‘ “It’s All in the Game.”
“Last Night” is a multi-format hit, which will work in its favor. And Wallen has been one of the most dominant record sellers of the past few years. But he has yet to even be nominated for a Grammy, so there’s still no evidence that Grammy voters are ready to move on from the 2021 incident where he was videotaped using a racial slur. Also, another country smash, Luke Combs’ “Fast Car,” is a formidable record of the year candidate. Both could be among the eight nominees in this category, but that would defy recent Grammy patterns. We haven’t had a year with two or more country hits nominated for record of the year since 1977.
Let’s look back at the five (more in the case of ties) longest-running No. 1 hits of each of the last eight decades (or partial decades) to see how they fared at the Grammys. Conveniently, the Hot 100 and the Grammys started in the same year – 1958. That first Grammy eligibility year began on Jan. 1 of that year. The Hot 100 launched seven months later (on Aug. 4).
We show the number of nominations each song received and list those categories. We also show the number of wins—and also list those categories. (We counted only nominations for that specific track or song, not for the album on which it appeared or the artist in general, or other tracks by that artist.)
The 2020s (2020-23 to date)
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night”: 16 weeks at No. 1 (so far) in 2023. Grammy status to be determined.
Harry Styles’ “As It Was”: 15 weeks at No. 1 in 2022. 4 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop solo performance, best music video); no wins (though Styles won album of the year).
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You“: 12 weeks at No. 1 from 2019-23. No nods. Note: Carey was nominated for best female pop vocal performance for “Hero” in 1994, when this was first released and thus eligible.
Roddy Ricch’s “The Box”: 11 weeks at No. 1 in 2020. 3 nods (song of the year, best melodic rap performance, best rap song); no wins.
BTS’ “Butter”: 10 weeks at No. 1 in 2021. 1 nod (best pop duo/group performance); no wins.
Adele’s “Easy on Me”: 10 weeks at No. 1 in 2021-22. 4 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop solo performance, best music video); one win (best pop solo performance).
The 2010s
Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus): A record 19 weeks at No. 1 in 2019. 3 nods (record of the year, best pop duo/group performance, best music video), 2 wins (best pop duo/group performance, best music video).
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” (featuring Justin Bieber): 16 weeks in 2017. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop duo/group performance); no wins.
Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” (featuring Bruno Mars): 14 weeks in 2015. 2 nods (record of the year, best pop duo/group performance); 2 wins (record of the year, best pop duo/group performance).
Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” (featuring T.I. + Pharrell): 12 weeks in 2013. 2 nods (record of the year, best pop duo/group performance); no wins.
Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” (featuring Charlie Puth): 12 weeks in 2015. 3 nods (song of the year, best pop duo/group performance, best song written for visual media); no wins.
The Chainsmokers’ “Closer” (featuring Halsey): 12 weeks in 2016. 1 nod (best pop duo/group performance); no wins.
Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You”: 12 weeks in 2017. 1 nod (best pop solo performance), 1 win (best pop solo performance).
The 2000s
Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together”: 14 weeks in 2005. 4 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best female R&B vocal performance, best R&B song); 2 wins (best female R&B vocal performance, best R&B song).
The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling”: 14 weeks in 2009. 2 nods (record of the year, best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals); 1 win (best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals).
Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”: 12 weeks in 2002-03. 5 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best male rap solo performance, best rap song, best song written for a motion picture, television or other visual media); 2 wins (best male rap solo performance, best rap song).
Usher’s “Yeah!” (featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris): 12 weeks in 2004. 2 nods (record of the year, best rap/sung collaboration); 1 win (best rap/sung collaboration).
The Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow”: 12 weeks in 2009. 2 nods (best dance recording, best short form music video); 1 win (best short form music video).
The 1990s
Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day”: 16 weeks in 1995-96. 2 nods (record of the year, best pop collaboration with vocals), no wins.
Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”: 14 weeks in 1992-93. 2 nods (record of the year, best pop vocal performance, female); 2 wins (record of the year, best pop vocal performance, female).
Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You”: 14 weeks in 1994. 3 nods (record of the year, best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal, best rhythm and blues song); 2 wins (best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal, best rhythm and blues song).
Los Del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”: 14 weeks in 1996. No nods.
Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997”/“Something About the Way You Look Tonight”: 14 weeks in 1997-98. 1 nod (best male pop vocal performance); 1 win (best male pop vocal performance).
The 1980s
Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical”: 10 weeks in 1981-82. 1 nod (best pop video performance, female); no wins.
Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes”: 9 weeks in 1981. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop vocal performance, female); 2 wins (record of the year, song of the year).
Diana Ross & Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love”: 9 weeks in 1981. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal); no wins.
The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”: 8 weeks in 1983. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal); 2 wins (song of the year, best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal).
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ “I Love Rock n’ Roll”: 7 weeks in 1982. No nods.
Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder’s “Ebony and Ivory”: 7 weeks in 1982. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal); no wins.
Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”: 7 weeks in 1983. 3 nods (song of the year, best R&B vocal performance, male, best rhythm & blues song); 2 wins (best R&B vocal performance, male, best rhythm & blues song). Note: Another of Jackson’s 1983 hits, “Beat It,” won for record of the year.
The 1970s
Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life”: 10 weeks in 1977. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop vocal performance, female); 1 win (song of the year).
Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”: 8 weeks in 1976-77. No nods.
Bee Gees’ “Night Fever”: 8 weeks in 1978.No nods. (“Stayin’ Alive,” which had half as many weeks at No. 1, brought the group Grammy glory that year, with nods for record and song of the year.)
Andy Gibb’s “Shadow Dancing”: 7 weeks in 1978. No nods.
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”: 6 weeks in 1970. 4 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best contemporary song, best arrangement accompanying vocalist(s)); 4 wins (record of the year, song of the year, best contemporary song, best arrangement accompanying vocalist(s)).
Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the World”: 6 weeks at No. 1 in 1971. 2 nods (record of the year, best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus); no wins.
Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”: 6 weeks in 1972. 2 nods (record of the year, song of the year); 2 wins (record of the year, song of the year).
Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again (Naturally)”: 6 weeks in 1972. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best pop vocal performance, male); no wins.
Chic’s “Le Freak”: 6 weeks in 1978-79. No nods.
The Knack’s “My Sharona”: 6 weeks at No. 1 in 1979. 1 nod (best rock vocal performance by a duo or group); no wins.
The 1960s
Percy Faith & His Orchestra’s “The Theme from A Summer Place”: 9 weeks in 1960. 4 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best arrangement, best performance by an orchestra); 1 win (record of the year).
The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”: 9 weeks in 1968. 3 nods (record of the year, song of the year, best contemporary-pop performance by a vocal duo or group); no wins.
Bobby Lewis’ “Tossin’ and Turnin’”: 7 weeks in 1961. No nods.
The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand”: 7 weeks in 1964. 1 nod (record of the year); no wins.
The Monkees’ “I’m a Believer”: 7 weeks in 1966-67. 2 nods (best performance by a vocal group, best contemporary group performance (vocal or instrumental); no wins.
Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”: 7 weeks in 1968-69. 1 nod (best rhythm & blues vocal performance, male); no wins.
The 1950s (1958-59)
Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife”: 9 weeks in 1959. 2 nods (record of the year, best vocal performance, male); 1 win (record of the year).
Sheb Wooley’s “The Purple People Eater”: 6 weeks on the Best Sellers and Top 100 charts in 1958 (prior to the inception of the Hot 100). No nods.
Tommy Edwards’ “It’s All in the Game”: 6 weeks in 1958. No nods.
Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans”: 6 weeks in 1959. 2 nods song of the year, best country & western performance); 2 wins (song of the year, best country & western performance).
Note: Danny & the Juniors‘ “At the Hop,” the longest-running No. 1 hit of 1958 (7 weeks at No. 1 on the Top 100 chart), was released in 1957 and thus was ineligible for the inaugural Grammy Awards in 1958.
05/22/2023
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” and SZA’s “Kill Bill” will probably go head-to-head again on Music’s Biggest Night.
05/22/2023
Gordon Lightfoot scored success on multiple Billboard charts during his lifetime, imprinting such classic songs as “Sundown,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “If You Could Read My Mind” and more on pop culture.
As previously reported, Lightfoot died at age 84 on Monday.
Born in Ontario, Canada, the folk-rock legend first hit the Billboard Hot 100 dated Dec. 26, 1970, with “If You Could Read Mind,” which rose to No. 5 the following February. He led the list for a week in June 1974 with “Sundown,” while follow-up “Carefree Highway” reached No. 10 that November. He returned to the top 10 with his opus “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which hit No. 2 in November 1976.
In addition to his Hot 100 history, Lightfoot charted 17 albums on the Billboard 200 during his lifetime, starting in 1969. He led with Sundown for two weeks in June 1974 – the latter concurrent with the rule of its title cut on the Hot 100 – and also hit the top 10 with Cold on the Shoulder (No. 10, 1975).
Lightfoot also scored four No. 1s, among six top 10s, on the Adult Contemporary chart: “If You Could Read My Mind” (for one week in 1971), “Sundown” (two weeks, 1974), “Carefree Highway” (one week, 1974) and “Rainy Day People” (one, 1975).
Additionally, on Hot Country Songs, Lightfoot hit the top 10 with “Sundown” (No. 13, 1974).
Dating to the inception of Luminate data in 1991, Lightfoot sold 3.6 million albums in the United States (through April 27), while his songs drew 914.1 million official on-demand audio and video streams and 2.2 billion in radio airplay audience.
“We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on social media, among others who have paid tribute. “Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.”
Here’s a recap of Lightfoot’s biggest Billboard Hot 100 hits.
Gordon Lightfoot’s Biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.
“Race Among the Ruins”
“Race Among the Ruins” peaked at No. 65 on the Hot 100 dated March 5, 1977.
“Talking in Your Sleep”
“Talking in Your Sleep” peaked at No. 63 on the Hot 100 dated July 24, 1971.
“Baby Step Back”
“Baby Step Back” peaked at No. 50 on the Hot 100 dated May 8, 1982.
“Beautiful”
“Beautiful” peaked at No. 58 on the Hot 100 dated July 29, 1972.
“The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes)”
“The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes)” peaked at No. 33 on the Hot 100 dated April 8, 1978.
“Rainy Day People”
“Rainy Day People” peaked at No. 26 on the Hot 100 dated May 24, 1975.
“Carefree Highway”
“Carefree Highway” peaked at No. 10 on the Hot 100 dated Nov. 9, 1974.
“If You Could Read My Mind”
“If You Could Read My Mind” peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 dated Feb. 20, 1971.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 dated Nov. 20, 1976.
“Sundown”
Image Credit: Photo courtesy Gordon Lightfoot
“Sundown” spent one week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 dated June 29, 1974.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again makes history on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated May 6), as he becomes the youngest artist in the chart’s history to tally 100 career Hot 100 hits.
The rapper adds his 100th total entry as “Big Truck” rolls in at No. 100. The song, released via Never Broke Again/Motown/Capitol Records, debuts with 6.6 million official U.S. streams April 21-27, according to Luminate. It’s on YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s new album Don’t Try This at Home, which debuts at No. 5 on the latest Billboard 200 with 60,000 equivalent album units, marking his 14th top 10.
YoungBoy is the 13th act the Hot 100’s nearly 65-year history to chart 100 or more entries, and the newest member of the club since Lil Baby joined in April 2022. Before that, Justin Bieber reached the milestone in 2021, after Chris Brown, Future and Taylor Swift in 2020.
At 23 years, six months and two weeks old, YoungBoy is, aptly, the youngest artist to ever score 100 entries at the time of achieving the feat. Lil Baby previously held the honor, then at 27 years, four months and two weeks. Bieber was the youngest before Lil Baby (27 years, four months and three weeks), as he surpassed Drake (28 years, 11 months and two weeks, in 2015).
Here’s an updated look at the 13 acts with 100 or more career entries on the Hot 100, which began on Aug. 4, 1958.
Total Billboard Hot 100 Hits:294, Drake207, Glee Cast189, Taylor Swift184, Lil Wayne161, Future141, Kanye West134, Lil Baby128, Nicki Minaj114, Chris Brown109, Elvis Presley105, Jay-Z105, Justin Bieber100, YoungBoy Never Broke Again
As for who’s next in line after YoungBoy for the honor: Eminem (currently at 95 Hot 100 entries), The Weeknd (93), James Brown (91), Travis Scott (89), Lil Uzi Vert (86), Beyoncé, Young Thug (81 each), 21 Savage (79) and Juice WRLD (77).
Of YoungBoy’s 100 total entries, 12 have reached the top 40 and one has hit the top 10: “Bandit,” with Juice WRLD, peaked at No. 10 in 2019. YoungBoy first appeared on the Hot 100 dated Sept. 2, 2017, when his track “Untouchable” debuted and peaked at No. 95. He reached the top 40 for the first time in his fourth visit, with “Outside Today” in February 2018 (No. 31 peak).
Elvis Presley, whose career predates the Hot 100’s 1958 launch, was the first artist to achieve 100 hits on the survey. He reached the milestone in 1975 with “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” which peaked at No. 35.
While it’s rare for artists to chart triple-digit entries on the Hot 100, it’s become a more regular occurrence since the ranking began including streaming figures (which make up the chart’s data mix with radio airplay and sales). As such, certain acts have been able to achieve high totals of Hot 100 hits after releasing high-profile albums. The model contrasts with prior decades, when acts generally promoted one single at a time in the physical-only marketplace and on radio. That shift in consumption helps explain why artists have been able to increase their career entry and top 10 totals over short spans in recent years.
Jack Black, actor, comedian and musician, notches his first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as his song “Peaches,” from the new Super Mario Bros. Movie, debuts at No. 83 on the chart dated April 22.
Black voices Bowser in the video-game film adaption, and the song serves as the character’s loving ode to Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy).
“Peaches,” released April 7 via Illumination/Nintendo/Back Lot Music (a subsidiary of Universal Pictures), tallied 5.8 million U.S. streams and 6,000 downloads in its first week, through April 13, according to Luminate. The track also debuts at No. 6 on Digital Song Sales.
The song’s profile has been boosted by an accompanying music video directed by Lyrical Lemonade’s Cole Bennett, in which Black, decked out in a Bowser-green suit, delivers a performance of the song alone in a tower. A framed photo of Peach sits on a piano, along with a bowl of peaches.
The film claimed a historic premiere at the box office, scoring the top opening ever for an animated film with $375.6 million in worldwide ticket sales, according to final numbers. The five-day domestic haul was $204.6 million, including $146.4 million for the three-day weekend, while the overseas tally stands at $171 million from 70 markets, according to final numbers released Monday.
Black previously appeared on the Hot 100 as half of Tenacious D. Along with Kyle Gass, the comedy-rock duo’s seminal hit “The Pick of Destiny” debuted and peaked at No. 78 in November 2006.
Tenacious D has also charted four albums on the Billboard 200: Tenacious D (No. 33 in 2001), The Pick of Destiny soundtrack (No. 8, 2006), Rize of the Fenix (No. 4, 2012) and Post-Apocalypto (No. 93, 2018). The Pick of Destiny and Rize of the Fenix also both hit No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart.
Black and Gass formed Tenacious D in 1994 when they were both members of The Actors’ Gang theater company in Culver City, Calif. Their Spicy Meatball world tour resumes May 6 at the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta and runs through June 18.
Tenacious D won a Grammy Award in 2015 for best metal performance for “The Last in Line,” from the tribute album Ronnie James Dio, This Is Your Life. Black had previously been Grammy-nominated for best compilation soundtrack album for a motion picture, television or other visual media for School of Rock and best comedy album for Tenacious D’s Rize of the Fenix.
Before this week, Black had tallied one solo entry on Billboard’s charts: “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy,” with Jason Segel, reached No. 45 on the Holiday Digital Song Sales chart in 2010.
Black has starred in numerous blockbuster films, including The Holiday (2006), King Kong (2005), School of Rock (2003), High Fidelity (2000) and the Kung Fu Panda and Jumanji franchises.
English singer-songwriter PinkPantheress is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist, as her new collaboration with Ice Spice, “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” debuts at No. 14 on the latest chart, dated Feb. 18.
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The team-up, released Feb. 3 via Parlophone/Elektra/3EE, opens with 20.2 million U.S. streams, 585,000 radio airplay audience impressions and 600 downloads sold in the Feb. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate. The track is a remix of PinkPantheress’ original solo “Boy’s a Liar,” released in November. (All versions of the song are combined into one listing on Billboard’s charts.)
“Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” which PinkPantheress wrote and produced with Mura Masa (who also appears on the Hot 100 for the first time), is additionally a hit around the world, as it debuts at No. 15 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 54 on Global Excl. U.S.
TikTok has been instrumental in the song’s growing popularity, as a portion of the track’s audio has been used in over 760,000 videos on the platform to-date. (TikTok does not contribute to Billboard’s charts.)
PinkPantheress, who hails from Bath, England, first appeared on Billboard’s charts in June 2021, when “Break It Off” debuted at No. 43 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, before reaching No. 30 two months later. She’s charted three additional tracks on the tally since then: “Passion” (No. 30 peak in July 2021), “Reason” (No. 39, October 2021) and “Where You Are,” featuring Willow (No. 22, May 2022).
She’s charted two other songs outside of Billboard’s rock rankings: her featured credit on CKay’s “Anya Mmiri” reached No. 28 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart in November and “Way Back,” with Skrillex and Trippie Redd, hit No. 13 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs this January.
Meanwhile, her debut mixtape To Hell With It debuted and peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard 200 in October.
“Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” marks PinkPantheress’ first collaboration with Ice Spice, who herself became a Hot 100 First-Timer when her song “Gangsta Boo,” with Lil Tjay, debuted at No. 82 (Feb 4). Ice Spice has now scored three total Hot 100 entries, all this month, as her own “In Ha Mood” debuts at No. 85 on the current chart.
PinkPantheress was featured in Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list in 2021. “I think my biggest interest when it comes to music making is within the topline writing, as opposed to the beat production and the singing aspect,” she told Billboard at the time. “I’m a big fan of writing lyrics, writing melodies, so I wasn’t too bothered with collaborating with other people. It’s only a good thing to get the help of a producer because I’m a terrible producer, which is why I have to sing on top of samples.”
Hard rock band Falling in Reverse scores its first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Feb. 18), as “Watch the World Burn” opens at No. 83.
The song, released Jan. 31 via Epitaph Records, starts with 5.1 million U.S. streams, 161,000 in airplay audience and 4,000 downloads sold in its first full tracking week (Feb. 3-9), according to Luminate.
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“World” concurrently jumps 3-1 on Hot Hard Rock Songs, becoming the band’s fourth leader, after “Popular Monster” (three weeks in 2020), “Zombified” (two, 2022) and “Voices in My Head” (four, 2022). The group breaks out of a tie with Bring Me the Horizon for the most No. 1s in the chart’s nearly three-year history.
Among other chart moves for “World”: it leads Alternative Digital Song Sales and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales; bows at Nos. 2, 8 and 13 on Hard Rock Streaming Songs, Alternative Streaming Songs and Rock Streaming Songs, respectively; and starts at No. 38 on Mainstream Rock Airplay.
Falling in Reverse has been a staple on Billboard’s rock listings since 2011, when it notched its first chart appearance with its album The Drug in Me Is You. The set debuted and peaked at No. 2 on Hard Rock Albums, No. 3 on Alternative Albums and No. 19 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Since then, the band has tallied three additional entries on the Billboard 200: Fashionably Late (No. 17 in 2013), Just Like You (No. 21, 2015) and Coming Home (No. 34, 2017). All three sets also peaked at No. 2 on Hard Rock Albums.
Falling in Reverse has earned 10 entries on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, including two top 10s: “Popular Monster” (No. 4 in 2020) and now “World” (No. 8).
The band, which formed in Las Vegas in 2008, comprises Ronnie Radke (lead vocals), Max Georgiev (lead guitar), Christian Thompson (rhythm guitar) and Tyler Burgess (bass).
Welcome to The Contenders, a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated Jan. 28), SZA’s SOS is expected to easily fend off challengers on the Billboard 200, but there will be more of a contest to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where she faces stiff competition from Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Shakira & Bizarrap as she seeks her first No. 1.
SZA, “Kill Bill” (Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA): As SZA’s SOS spends its fifth week atop the Billboard 200, her biggest single yet climbs to a new peak of No. 2 on the Hot 100 (dated Jan. 21) this week. The melancholy (and murderous) “Kill Bill” has ruled Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart for three weeks now, and it’s now also gaining at radio, debuting this week at No. 24 on Pop Airplay and No. 48 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Airplay.
However, “Bill” has yet to appear on the 50-position all-genre Radio Songs listing, which Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” — the eight-week Hot 100 No. 1 currently keeping SZA from the top spot — has ruled for four weeks. (Still, “Bill” is just below the survey this week and likely to debut next week.) Also to help get the breakout hit over the top and score the first Hot 100 No. 1 of her career, SZA released a new four-song “Kill Bill” pack to streaming services last Friday (Jan. 13), adding sped-up, instrumental and a cappella versions to the original — all of which are currently for sale on her website, and discounted to 69 cents.
Miley Cyrus, “Flowers” (Columbia): Whether or not “Bill” overtakes “Anti-Hero” this week, it could face entirely new roadblocks in a pair of much-hyped singles that came out last week. The bigger of those is likely “Flowers,” Friday’s first taste of veteran pop star Miley Cyrus’ upcoming Endless Summer Vacation album that’s due in March. Produced by regular Harry Styles collaborators Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson, the mid-tempo kiss-off immediately won fans for its sunny pop-rock groove, self-reliant message and Bruno Mars-echoing (possibly Liam Hemsworth-referencing?) chorus.
After the song went viral on TikTok over the weekend, it bounded to the top of both the Spotify and Apple Music daily charts, as well as the iTunes song sales chart — and top 40 has also quickly seized onto the track, with a splashy debut sure to come on Radio Songs next week. It’s the kind of multi-platform dominance that has largely eluded Cyrus, despite her continued household-name status, over the past decade; she hasn’t reached higher than No. 8 on the Hot 100 (as an added performer to The Kid LAROI’s “Without You” remix in 2021) since she topped the chart in 2013 with “Wrecking Ball,” her sole No. 1 so far.
But Cyrus’ timing is right with “Flowers” — released last Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. EST, five hours ahead of the tracking week for next week’s Hot 100. She’s taking advantage of an early-year pop landscape that’s relatively light on impactful new releases, as evidenced by the Hot 100’s top 40 currently being overrun by songs from 2022 (or even longer ago). But just as importantly, she’s riding positive momentum from her popular and well-received Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party NBC special, in which she dueted on old hits with godmother Dolly Parton and teased new music to come, with her full album announcement arriving less than a week later. It all adds up to Cyrus having her best shot in 10 years at a return trip to No. 1 next week.
Bizarrap & Shakira, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” (Dale Play): Before “Flowers” arrived, the buzziest debut of last week was easily Shakira’s incendiary team-up with in-demand Argentine DJ/producer Bizarrap. The propulsive electro-pop banger lit up the internet upon its release last Wednesday (Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. ET), particularly for its shots-fired lyrics aimed directly at the superstar’s footballer ex-husband Gerard Piqué. “Vol. 53” quickly surged to No. 1 on YouTube’s Trending chart, and also reached the top 10 and top 20 on the daily Spotify and iTunes U.S. charts, respectively.
Despite coming out six days into the prior tracking week, “Vol. 53” already debuts on several Billboard charts this week, including an impressive No. 12 bow on the Global 200. It misses out on the Hot 100, but with its streaming momentum staying strong, it’s certain to crash the chart next week. However, with stateside radio not yet embracing the Spanish-language track as much as it has “Flowers” and “Kill Bill,” it may end up lagging behind those front-runners.
Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero” (Republic): While the threats to its reign are numerous, you can’t count out Taylor Swift and her incumbent eight-week No. 1. Swift and her team have made all the right moves to extend the Midnights single’s reign to career-best lengths, including releasing a number of remixes for the track for sale exclusively on her website — and, most recently, discounting those remixes to 69 cents from last Monday to Thursday (Jan. 9-12). Does she have any last-second tricks up her sleeve for this chart week?
While the first new Billboard Hot 100 of 2023 was still overrun by holiday songs from Mariah Carey, Brenda Lee and many more, every one of them departs the listing for the chart dated Jan. 14 — giving us our first real look at the current landscape of pop hits as we get into the new year.
With “All I Want for Christmas Is You” vacating the top spot, the void is once again filled by Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” notching its seventh week at No. 1, followed by Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” SZA’s “Kill Bill,” David Guetta & Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” and Drake & 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex.” Slightly lower on the chart, two songs hit the top 10 for the first time: The Weeknd’s recently revived “Die for You” (No. 8) and Beyoncé’s slow-burning “Cuff It” (No. 10).
What’s the most telling thing about the Hot 100’s current top tier? And what might still be in store for chart watchers this month based on these early returns? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. With the holiday music cobwebs being swept away from the Hot 100, we’re back to the top of the chart being ruled by late last year’s hits. Is there anything about the top five as it currently stands that you find particularly interesting or surprising?
Katie Atkinson: The staying power of David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” continues to surprise me – as I’m sure it does David and Bebe themselves. We’ve been talking about the unlikely global success of this song since September, and it just keeps getting unlikelier as it debuts in the top five this week (No. 4). This is only Rexha’s second top five hit on the Hot 100 (following her unstoppable country team-up with Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be”) and Guetta’s fourth, with his most recent (“Turn Me On” with Nicki Minaj) peaking more than a decade ago now, in February 2012. It’s an eccentric ‘90s interpolation recorded by the duo years ago and then unearthed by eager fans on TikTok – and it’s not going anywhere.
Stephen Daw: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” launching from 19-4 isn’t necessarily shocking, but I certainly did not have that song breaking into the top five on my 2023 bingo card, let alone reaching that spot just two weeks into the year. Between the song’s aggressive marketing on TikTok and at radio and the typically slow start to the year, though, it makes sense why a slow-burning hit like this would be such a big draw for the post-holiday charts. But I was certainly surprised, considering that I had assumed that the song’s cultural capital was already on the decline.
Lyndsey Havens: The two things that surprise me are that “Anti-Hero” returned to the chart’s summit and the fact that David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” has crept into the top five. Given the sustained success of SOS on the Billboard 200 albums chart, I would have guessed that SZA would also be able to score the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 after the holiday fallout … but perhaps in good time. And by in good time, I mean by the time the anticipated music video for “Kill Bill” arrives.
Jason Lipshutz: I wrote about SZA’s “Kill Bill” in this space last week, but its return to its No. 3 peak this week underlines just how huge of a solo hit it’s becoming for an artist who’s not generally known for her solo hits. Although it’s sitting behind Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” and Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ “Unholy” — two singles with an enormous presence on top 40 radio — on this week’s chart, “Kill Bill” is likely going to receive more radio play soon, and if its streaming presence remains rock-solid, SZA’s highest-charting solo song to date could climb even higher in the coming weeks.
Andrew Unterberger: I think “Unholy” holding at No. 2 — higher than “Kill Bill,” which already feels like the first major pop hit of 2023 — is a little surprising, given that the cultural peak of that song seems a few months in the rearview already. That’ll probably even out in the weeks to come, but the song holding this strong shows how “Unholy” wasn’t just a TikTok moment, it’s legitimately one of the biggest pop hits of the decade so far.
2. At No. 8, a song hits the top 10 for the first time that makes all the other leftovers feel farm-to-table fresh by comparison: The Weeknd’s “Die for You,” a revived track off his 2016 album Starboy. Why do you think the song has proven to have such legs this late in its lifespan?
Katie Atkinson: I think pop radio fans had an insatiable appetite for The Weeknd that the release of his Dawn FM album a year ago this week didn’t quite feed. So as “Die for You” gained traction via TikTok concurrent to his new album’s release, The Weeknd benefited from music’s everything-old-is-new-again moment. Most casual pop radio listeners likely have no idea it’s a “deep cut” from 2016 and are just appreciating his latest hit.
Stephen Daw: TikTok works in mysterious ways, especially when it comes to deep cut, fan-favorite tracks from a pop megastar. “Die for You” has a universal appeal to its production and vocal, which is what helped it achieve cult-like fave status from The Weeknd’s fervid fans — so once fans begin posting about revisiting their favorite Weeknd songs on TikTok, a groovy earworm like “Die for You” is bound to catch fire.
Lyndsey Havens: Honestly, I forgot “Die for You” was years old — and I’m guessing I’m not the only one. While much of the Starboy era felt like a bit more of a mainstream grab compared to The Weeknd’s prior work, years later, “Die For You” sounds right at home with the artist he is today. Plus, with the rumors of his last two albums being part of a trilogy, perhaps fans just got impatient while waiting for the finale. If the song’s sudden rise is more strategic than that, though, as most things are today … I’m curious to know if “Die for You” is a teaser of what to expect from what’s still to come.
Jason Lipshutz: In my mind, the “Die for You” TikTok revival-turned-mainstream adoption is a cross between Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” comeback, as a fan-favorite song from a superstar getting a long second look, and David Guetta & Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue)” success, as a long-delayed explosion for a years-old song that still sounds current despite its release date. “Die for You” is another mid-tempo Weeknd sing-along with a catchy-as-hell chorus, and once fans — some of whom had been championing the song for years — started watching it flicker to life on social media, they raised it up with undeniable streaming numbers, radio took notice, and now it’s a top 10 hit.
Andrew Unterberger: It seems like a “well, why not?” sort of hit to me: The song had been viral forever and top 40 programmers didn’t find anything they liked enough on Dawn FM to make an After Hours-sized hit out of, and so they decided to fill the Weeknd-sized void on their playlists with… more Weeknd. I’m surprised it’s gone this long and this strong, but the competition just isn’t that strong near the top of the charts right now, and hey, who doesn’t like “Die for You”?
3. Also new to the top 10 this week is Beyoncé’s “Cuff It,” which marks her second top 10 hit off Renaissance following the chart-topping “Break My Soul.” Is the second hit a big deal for the Queen and her latest album, or more of a pleasant New Year’s bonus?
Katie Atkinson: It’s definitely a big deal. It feels like fans have ordained this one the pop hit from the album, and I could see it marking the second No. 1 from Renaissance – especially if Queen B gifts fans with a music video. “Cuff It” has had a life of its own, starting with a dance challenge back in August and going strong into 2023 thanks to a crafty radio edit finally getting its airplay due.
Stephen Daw: It’s very much a big deal. Much like how “Break My Soul” was Beyoncé’s first solo No. 1 hit since “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” in 2008, Renaissance now becomes the first Beyoncé album since I Am … Sasha Fierce (2008) to spawn at least two of her 21 top 10 hits. The fact that Bey can re-reach the heights of her cultural dominance more than a decade after the fact is a feat that very few pop stars could manage in their careers. Though the headliner of Renaissance will forever be “Break My Soul,” “Cuff It” deserves recognition for only further solidifying Queen Bey’s regal status.
Lyndsey Havens: I think it’s a big deal for one reason: Fans are begging for more content — aka music videos. To have “Cuff It” go top 10 without it, or without any push from Queen B herself, proves that whatever she does or wants to do going forward will always work.
Jason Lipshutz: I’m not sure how much it matters for an artist like Beyoncé if her widely beloved and commercially successful new album only had one top 10 hit instead of two… but now it doesn’t! So yes, more of a pleasant New Year’s bonus for Queen Bey than important milestone, but also, “Cuff It” rules, a killer dance track with tons of interesting sonic details and one of the cooler breakdowns in pop music last year. It’s a deserving top 10 hit, and I’m glad it finally got there.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s a big deal mostly because it’s good timing for the Queen. It keeps her in the mainstream while she preps whatever transmission is to come next from the Renaissanceverse, and also keeping her top of mind with Grammy voters as she gears up for perhaps the best opportunity of her career to finally grab the coveted album of the year trophy. Also worth noting that while “Cuff It” may not match the No. 1 Hot 100 peak of “Break My Soul,” it’s already passed it in terms of endurance — the song reaches the top 10 in its 21st week, while “Soul” was off the chart altogether by its 19th week.
4. Lower in the top 40, is there any song you’re looking to maybe make a jump into the top 10 in the weeks to come?
Katie Atkinson: This feels like a cop-out because it only has to climb one spot, but I think Zach Bryan peaking at No. 11 this week with “Something in the Orange” shows that his breakthrough hit still has legs and could definitely make it to the top 10. It’s been out since April, but it also just climbed to No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart last week.
Stephen Daw: I think these coming few weeks are Meghan Trainor’s chance to get the top 10 hit she’s looking for in “Made You Look.” You cannot open TikTok at this point without hearing about the singer having her Gucci on, and as longer-lasting hits like “Bad Habit” and “As It Was” begin to lose steam again, “Made You Look” could find its moment in the spotlight if it manages to keep its trajectory up on streaming and radio.
Lyndsey Havens: If by top 40 you mean top 100, then yes: I have my eye on the Lewis Capaldi slow-burner of a comeback, “Forget Me.” Having made the jump from No. 98 to No. 74 this week — and given his previous two top 10 hits, one of which went to No. 1 (who could forget “Someone You Loved”?) — I think he’s more than capable of making another big leap.
Jason Lipshutz: Now is the time for the “Just Wanna Rock” takeover: Lil Uzi Vert’s Jersey club riff jumps up to a new peak of No. 16 this week, its furious energy and frenzied yelps making its presence known in clubs and sports arenas this winter. After a relatively slow start, “Just Wanna Rock” feels primed to become one of the defining songs of the first few months of the year, and should be another top 10 entry for Uzi.
Andrew Unterberger: “Made You Look.” For better or worse, it’s all aboard the M-Train for the next couple months on radio and streaming.
5. While the Hot 100 being largely static and leftover-dominated is certainly nothing new for the month of January, the previous two years also saw the tedium cut into by fresher cultural phenoms like Olivia Rodrigo and the Encanto soundtrack. Do you think we’ll get something like that this January — and if so, might we have any clue of what it will be yet?
Katie Atkinson: I would love to see “Titanium (M3GAN’s Version)” be our next top 10 Hot 100 hit! In all seriousness, though, I don’t think a chart-smashing new artist or film soundtrack has arrived this year (yet). Maybe Rodrigo herself, who just teased that she’s working on music, could once again own January.
Stephen Daw: Look, I’m biased, but I’m rooting for Sam Smith to keep their momentum going well into January and beyond. They have a highly anticipated new album out at the end of the month, and a trop-house-infused new single with Jessie Reyez and Koffee, “Gimme,” dropping tomorrow. If they can continue their excellent work at promoting their material via TikTok, that song could sweep through the charts and make January Sam Smith’s best month yet.
Lyndsey Havens: Though it wouldn’t be as surprising as the sudden runaway success stories of Olivia and Encanto, I do think that Miss Miley may soon own the month of January — and maybe even the whole year. After kicking things off with another successful NYE show, during which she announced her upcoming single “Flowers,” and subsequently revealing her new album Endless Summer Vacation to be coming in March, Cyrus is poised to dominate early 2023.
Jason Lipshutz: It’s going to be interesting to see what Miley Cyrus, whose new single “Flowers” arrives this Friday, has in her holster this time around. Cyrus is a superstar with a track record of making hits and a ton of goodwill, who’s coming off of a great album, 2020’s Plastic Hearts, that didn’t really produce a smash. If “Flowers” delivers, though, Cyrus has a relatively clear lane to the first big new pop single of 2023.
Andrew Unterberger: I think we actually got the January phenom a couple weeks early this year, with SZA’s SOS album in mid-December. And based on the fact that the album is still No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in its fourth week — and still claiming a whopping 15 entries on the Hot 100 — it looks like the set may still carry the first month of 2023 anyway.
