Chart Beat
Page: 158
On Feb. 5, 1994, John Michael Montgomery began a career-best four-week domination on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “I Swear.” The ballad marked his second of seven No. 1s on the ranking.
Authored by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers, the love song also became a smash for pop/R&B vocal outfit All-4-One, whose version ruled the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for 11 frames beginning that May.
For Montgomery, “I Swear” was released as the lead single from his album Kickin’ It Up, the first of his two No. 1s on Top Country Albums. The set also arrived atop the Billboard 200, becoming his lone chart-topper, and produced two other Hot Country Songs leaders: “Be My Baby Tonight” and “If You’ve Got Love.”
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Montgomery was born Jan. 20, 1965, in Danville, Ky. His musically inclined family includes older brother Eddie Montgomery, who became half of the duo Montgomery Gentry (with Troy Gentry), and son Walker Montgomery, who made his Grand Ole Opry debut in December.
John Michael Montgomery boasts 20 Hot Country Songs top 10s, from “Life’s a Dance” (No. 4 peak, 1993) through “Letters From Home” (No. 2, 2004). He last led with “The Little Girl” in 2000.
Notably, Montgomery’s fifth Hot Country Songs No. 1, “I Can Love You Like That,” likewise became a hit for All-4-One. After his version topped Hot Country Songs for three weeks beginning in April 1995, All-4-One’s rose to No. 5 on the Hot 100 that August. (Both acts were signed to Atlantic Records at the time.)
Now 59, Montgomery is one of many venerable country hitmakers that have recently announced retirement tours. Among others: Lee Greenwood, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ray Stevens and Doug Stone.
Madonna justifies her Queen of Pop status once again, as “Popular,” her collaboration with the Weeknd and Playboi Carti, creates an impressive piece of U.K. chart history.
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“Popular” (via Interscope/Republic Records/XO) rises 14-10, a new high on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, Feb. 2, for Madonna’s 64th top 10 single, extending her lead as the female artist with the most top 10s in Official Chart history.
Only the late Elvis Presley (with 76) and legendary English singer Cliff Richard (with 68) have more.
Fifteen years have passed since Madonna’s last cracked the top tier on the U.K. chart. The last time was with “Celebration” in 2009, which peaked at No. 3.
“Popular” is the Weeknd’s 16th U.K. top 10 single, and Playboi Carti’s first.
Madonna sets chart records for fun. According to the Official Charts Company, the U.S. pop superstar has racked-up 12 U.K. No. 1 albums — a record for a female solo artist. Taylor Swift is close behind with 10, a figure that will likely lift to 11 when she releases her next album The Tortured Poets Department, announced during the 2024 Grammys broadcast.
At the top of the latest U.K. tally, Noah Kahan sticks a fifth week at No. 1.
The Vermont singer and songwriter’s folky hit “Stick Season” (via Republic Records) reigns over the Official U.K. Singles Chart, and is the most-streamed song in the U.K. over the chart cycle with 8.8 million plays, the OCC reports. The leader at the midweek stage, “Stick Season” completes the longest consecutive run at No. 1 since Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” also logged five weeks at the summit in 2023.
Meanwhile, U.S. singer-songwriter Teddy Swims nabs a new career peak with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), up 6-3.
The highest climber this week belongs to YG Marley, with his debut single “Praise Jah in the Moonlight,” (YG Marley Music) up 51-20. Marley is the son of Ms. Lauryn Hill (who is credited as co-writer of the song) and the grandson of the late reggae hero Bob Marley.
Also nabbing a first U.K. top 40 appearance is the Last Dinner Party, winner of the BRITs Rising Star award and BBC Sound of 2024 Poll. The quintet’s “Nothing Matters” (Island) flies 41-22 on the tally, for their first top 40 appearance. The Last Dinner Party made their American late night TV debut last month with a performance of “Nothing Matters” on The Late Show. “Nothing Matters” appears on the debut LP Prelude To Ecstasy, released last Friday.
The highest new entry on the latest list belongs to Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion with “Hiss” (Hot Girl Productions), new at No. 31, for her sixth top 40 hit. Close behind is British hip-hop artist Skepta, with “Gas Me Up (Diligent)” (Big Smoke/Epic), new at No. 32 for his 22nd U.K. top 40 single.
Finally, Justin Timberlake marks his return as a recording artist with his 27th top 40 appearance on the U.K. singles tally. Timberlake’s “Selfish” (RCA) bows at No. 37, and is the first track lifted from his sixth solo album, titled Everything I Thought It Was. EITIW is slated for release on March 15.
James Arthur completes a come-from-behind victory in the U.K. chart race, as Bitter Sweet Love (via Columbia) bows at No. 1, his second leader.
The British singer and songwriter’s fifth studio album was languishing in third place during the first half of the chart week, before Bitter Sweet Love grew wings and edged into the lead.
According to the Official Charts Company, Arthur’s LP pulled ahead in the “final hours” of the cycle, consigning The Reytons’ Ballad of a Bystander to a No. 2 debut.
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Bitter Sweet Love leads the nation in downloads, and physical copies account for 74% of its total, the OCC reports.
A former X Factor U.K. champion, Arthur boasts five top 3 albums in the U.K., including his 2013 self-titled debut (No. 2), 2016’s Back from the Edge (No. 1), 2019’s Release You (No. 2) and 2021’s It’ll All Make Sense in the End (No. 3).
The Reytons, meanwhile, narrowly miss out on a second consecutive No. 1, with Ballad of a Bystander finishing the chart week as runner-up. It’s the followup to the indie rockers’ 2023 chart leader What’s Rock and Roll? (The Reytons).
Completing an all-new top three is the Smile‘s Wall of Eyes (XL Recordings). That’s a career best for the Radiohead side-project, eclipsing the No. 5 peak for their 2023 debut A Light for Attracting Attention. The indie trio, featuring Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, had briefly led the chart race.
Wall of Eyes was the week’s best seller on vinyl, the OCC reports.
Also new to the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Jan. 2, is Tom Odell’s Black Friday (Urok), new at No. 5. That’s the English artist’s sixth U.K. top 10 album, a list that includes a No. 1 with 2013’s Long Way Down.
Further down the tally, U.S. synth-pop act Future Islands land their first U.K. top 10 with People Who Aren’t There Anymore (4AD). It’s new at No. 7, for their fourth U.K. top 40 appearance. Also, British punk rock outfit Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes bite down on a fourth top 10 album with Dark Rainbow (International Death Cult), new at No. 10,
Finally, Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys grabs a fourth top 40 title with Sadness Sets Me Free (Rough Trade), new at No. 22, and northern England rockers New Model Army snag an eighth top U.K. 40 with Unbroken (Ear Music), new at No. 31.
Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is back at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for an 18th nonconsecutive week, rising 2-1 on the list dated Feb. 10. In doing so, it ties Garth Brooks’ Ropin’ the Wind for the most weeks totaled No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart among country albums. Ropin’ the Wind logged 18 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in 1991-92. (Country albums are defined as those that have appeared on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.)
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One Thing at a Time earned 66,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 1 (up 4%), according to Luminate.
One Thing at a Time continues to have the most weeks at No. 1 among all albums since Adele’s 21 logged 24 nonconsecutive weeks atop the tally in 2011-12. One Thing at a Time debuted atop the chart dated March 18, 2023, and spent its first 12 weeks at No. 1 through early June. It then logged another three weeks in a row atop the list in late June and early July, nabbed its 16th week in charge on the Oct. 14 chart, followed by its 17th frame atop the Jan. 20 chart. In the album’s 48 weeks on the list, it has never dipped below No. 6. One Thing at a Time finished 2023 as both the No. 1 year-end Billboard 200 album and Luminate’s year-end top album.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Feb. 10, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Feb. 6. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of One Thing at a Time’s 66,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Feb. 1, SEA units comprise 64,000 (up 4%, equaling 87.32 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 1,500 (down 8%), and TEA units comprise 500 (down 1%).
Since the Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March of 1956, only 15 albums have spent at least 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Here’s a recap.
Most Weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200:Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Year(s)54, West Side Story, soundtrack, 1962-63)37, Thriller, Michael Jackson, 1983-8431, Rumours, Fleetwood Mac, 197731, South Pacific, soundtrack, 1958-5931, Calypso, Harry Belafonte, 1956-5724, 21, Adele, 2011-1224, Purple Rain, soundtrack, Prince and The Revolution, 1984-8524, Saturday Night Fever, soundtrack, 197821, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, M.C. Hammer, 199020, The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston/soundtrack, 1992-9320, Blue Hawaii, Elvis Presley/soundtrack, 1961-6218, One Thing at a Time, Morgan Wallen, 2023-2418, Ropin’ the Wind, Garth Brooks, 1991-9218, Dirty Dancing, soundtrack, 1987-8818, More of the Monkees, The Monkees, 1967
Two former No. 1s directly follow One Thing at a Time on the latest Billboard 200, as 21 Savage’s American Dream falls 1-2 in its third week (61,000 equivalent album units; down 23%) and Drake’s For All the Dogs is a non-mover at No. 3 (51,000; down 4%).
Noah Kahan’s Stick Season rises 5-4 with 47,000 equivalent album units, though down 2% for the week.
The rest of the top 10 comprises former chart-toppers: Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) climbs 6-5 (45,000 equivalent album units; down 3%), SZA’s SOS steps 7-6 (42,000; up 3%), Swift’s Lover bumps 10-7 (40,000; up 6%), Zach Bryan’s self-titled album ascends 9-8 (nearly 40,000; up 3%), Swift’s Midnights climbs 11-9 (38,000; up 1%) and Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album goes 13-10 (37,000; up 6%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
The contestants on Jeopardy! on Friday (Feb. 2) cleaned up on the category “Billboard’s 500 Best Pop Songs,” answering all five questions correctly in quick succession. The Jeopardy! producers chose five songs near the top of the list, which was a staff project that was posted on Billboard.com on Oct. 19, 2023 to mark the […]
Billy Joel’s “Turn the Lights Back On” bounds onto Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart (dated Feb. 10) at No. 11. The song – his first single release in 17 years – marks his first entry on the survey since 1998.
Making Joel’s chart return even more striking, the ballad debuts from just its first day of airplay, following its release at 7 a.m. ET Thursday (Feb. 1), on Columbia Records. Concentrated play on iHeartMedia-owned radio stations, including WLTW New York and KOST Los Angeles, as well as Cumulus Media outlets, drove the song’s start at the format.
“Lights” is the first Joel recording to place on Adult Contemporary since the list dated March 7, 1998, the last week on the chart for his No. 13-peaking cover of the Gerry Goffin and Carole King-penned “Hey Girl” (which previously became a hit for Freddie Scott, in 1963, and Donny Osmond, in 1971). Joel last notched a top 10 on the tally in August-September 1997, when his version of Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love” hit No. 9, becoming his 23rd top 10.
Joel first reached the chart with his breakthrough classic “Piano Man,” which hit No. 4 in April 1974.
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“Lights,” meanwhile, marks Joel’s highest debut on the ranking, besting the No. 23 bow of “To Make You Feel My Love.”
Notably, Joel, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, appeared as a writer on Adult Contemporary amid his nearly 26-year break from the chart as a recording artist: Fall Out Boy’s cover of his “We Didn’t Start the Fire” rose to No. 16 in December. (Joel’s original hit No. 5 in 1989.)
“Lights” was written by Joel, Arthur Bacon, Wayne Hector and Freddy Wexler.
“The melody, the chords, the chord progression, even the time signature was something that struck me immediately, and that’s how I relate to music,” Joel said of his reaction to what Wexler was working on. “This particular lyric in this song, I’ve had these thoughts, I could have written these lyrics verbatim. I’ve chewed on these words and I’ve thought of these words, and I’ve said these words before. It was all kind of falling into place – and who am I to fight that?”
All charts dated Feb. 10 will update on Billboard Tuesday, Feb. 5.
Nate Smith’s “World on Fire” tops Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for an eighth total and consecutive week. It leads the list dated Feb. 10 with 32.1 million audience impressions Jan. 26-Feb. 1, according to Luminate.
The song — released on Arista Nashville/RCA Nashville, and which Smith co-wrote with Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips and Lindsay Rimes, the lattermost of whom solely produced it — ties three titles for the second-longest rule since Country Airplay began in January 1990: Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” (beginning in May 2023), Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (August 2003) and Lonestar’s “Amazed” (July 1999).
Wallen’s “You Proof” dominated Country Airplay for a record 10 weeks, starting in October 2022.
“Eight weeks at No 1 … the crazy thing about this song is that it wasn’t even supposed to come out,” Smith tells Billboard. “It was starting to gain a lot of traction on social media and the demand was high. I’m so lucky to have a team that knew how to strategically release it alongside my debut album by releasing the deluxe version the same day [April 28, 2023] that the debut dropped. This song completely anchored the album.
“My mind is absolutely blown hearing the news that ‘World on Fire’ has gone No. 1 for an eighth straight week,” Smith marvels. “Thank you to the fans and thank you, country radio.”
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“Fire” is the second straight career-opening Country Airplay leader for Smith. The Paradise, Calif., native first led with “Whiskey on You” for two weeks last February. Both are on the deluxe edition of his debut self-titled LP. The set arrived at its No. 6 high on Top Country Albums last May.
What has kept “Fire” aflame on the radio? Says Tom Oakes, program director at Summit Media-owned KTTS Springfield, Mo., the hit is “a rare song – for KTTS, it has been testing at a power level since last summer and continues to. Like Luke Combs’ ‘Fast Car,’ it’s a song that listeners love and haven’t gotten tired of.”
Oakes added that “While it’s a record company’s mission to achieve No. 1s, my mission is finding the true hits which will become future gold library songs. This song, like ‘Fast Car,’ fits the criteria.”
Media reports today that Taylor Swift won’t perform on the 2024 Grammy telecast, which is set for Sunday (Feb. 4), are a big blow to the Recording Academy, CBS and Swift’s many fans. Swift’s apparent decision also runs counter to the usual pattern when an artist dominates a year the way Swift owned 2023. Swift […]
As the calendar flips over to February, Australia finds itself in stick season.
Noah Kahan earns his first No. 1 single in Australia as “Stick Season” (via Universal) climbs 2-1 on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, Feb. 2. “Stick Season” gets there in its 15th week on the tally.
Last month, Kahan completed his We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour, which included dates across Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth — his first Australia trek since 2019. According to reps from Universal Music Australia, Kahan performed to more than 50,000 people on the jaunt, produced by Live Nation, and made his breakfast TV debut on Channel 7’s free-to-air Sunrise, for an in-studio performance of the hit single.
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Kahan has more to come. Next Friday, Feb. 9 sees the release of Stick Season (Forever), the “final pieces” of his release strategy, says a UMG rep, following the rollout of the Stick Season album in 2022 and, in late July 2023, Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever).
It’s mid-summer in Australia, another scorcher where heatwaves or storms are the forecast for any given day. The hottest months here never pass without an edition of Triple J’s Hottest 100 poll, which was counted down last week, and saw Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” (RCA/Sony) crowned the winner.
A string of entries in the Hottest 100 enjoy bumps on the ARIA Chart, led by “Paint The Town Red,” up 10-6.
Also, Aussie EDM producer Dom Dolla’s flashes the cash with “Saving Up” (Sony), which vaults 44-11 on the ARIA Chart. “Saving Up” came in at No. 3 on the triple j poll, which raked in 2,355,870 votes. That result is easily Dom’s highest-charting single in Australia, eclipsing the No. 32 best for “Rhyme Dust.” After blasting in at No. 4 on the Hottest 100 poll, “Rhyme Dust” reenters the ARIA Chart this week at No. 41.
G Flip had a record-breaking result as seven of their songs appeared on the Hottest 100. Less than a week later, G Flip’s former No. 1 LP Drummer (Future Classic/Universal) returns at No. 42.
There’s no moving Taylor Swift from the top of the ARIA Albums Chart, as Taylor’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via Universal) holds at No. 1 for a 13th non-consecutive week. If it logs one more week at No. 1, the latest Taylor’s Version would tie with Midnights as her longest reigning album in Australia, at 14 weeks.
According to ARIA, Swift chalks up 55 total number of weeks at No. 1 across 12 albums, starting with Speak Now in 2010.
The top debut on the albums tally is the Smile’s Wall Of Eyes (XL/Inertia), new at No. 7. It’s the second album from the Radiohead side project, following 2022’s A Light For Attracting Attention, which peaked at No. 15 on the ARIA Chart.
Green Day’s latest studio album, Saviors, makes an eye-catching debut across Billboard’s charts, as it debuts atop seven different U.S. album charts (all dated Feb. 3). Plus, the set scores the band its best sales week ever on vinyl in the U.S.
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All told, Saviors starts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales, Top Current Album Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, Vinyl Albums and Tastemaker Albums.
In the tracking week ending Jan. 25, Saviors sold 39,000 copies in the U.S., according to Luminate. Of that sum, physical sales comprise 30,000 (18,000 on vinyl – the band’s best week ever on vinyl; 11,000 on CD and 1,000 on cassette) and digital album download sales comprise 9,000.
Saviors is Green Day’s fifth No. 1 on Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales; fourth No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums, third No. 1 on Vinyl Albums and fifth leader on Tastemaker Albums.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums rank, respectively, the week’s most popular rock and alternative, rock, and alternative albums by equivalent album units. Vinyl Album tallies the week’s top-selling vinyl releases. Tastemaker Albums measures the top-selling titles at independent and small chain record stores. Top Current Album Sales ranks the week’s top-selling new/current albums (non-catalog/older titles).
The first-week sales of Saviors were bolstered by its availability across more than 15 vinyl variants (all with the same tracklist, just different colored vinyl), an autographed CD sold through the band’s webstore and two deluxe boxed sets containing a CD and an artist branded t-shirt (both exclusive to Green Day’s Webstore).
A quartet of former No. 1s follows Saviors on the new Top Album Sales chart, as Taylor Swift’s Folklore is a non-mover at No. 2 (11,000; down 42%), as is Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) at No. 3 (nearly 11,000; down 18%). Kali Uchis’ Orquideas falls 1-4 in its second week with 7,000 (down 78%), while Swift’s Midnights rises 6-5 (nearly 7,000; down 15%).
NMIXX notches its first top 10-charting effort on Top Album Sales as Fe3O4: Break debuts at No. 6 with a little over 6,000 sold. Its sales were encouraged by its availability in five collectible CD packages, all containing branded paper merchandise (including some randomized), including two signed editions sold through the act’s official webstore.
Stray Kids’ former No. 1 ROCK-STAR is steady at No. 7 (6,000; down 19%) and Swift’s chart-topping Lover is stationary at No. 8 (nearly 6,000; down 9%). The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds returns to the top 10, re-entering the chart at No. 9 with just over 5,000 sold, following the release of a new deluxe edition containing seven live bonus tracks recorded in October 2023. Swift’s former leader Evermore rounds out the top 10, dipping 9-10 with 5,000 sold (down 12%).
In the week ending Jan. 25, there were 1.103 million albums sold in the U.S. (up 1.8% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 823,000 (up 0.1%) and digital albums comprised 280,000 (up 7.4%).
There were 388,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Jan. 25 (up 5.1 week-over-week) and 429,000 vinyl albums sold (down 4.6%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 1.704 million (down 26.9% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 1.995 million (down 45.8%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 4.797 million (down 35% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 3.718 million (down 38.5%) and digital album sales total 1.079 million (down 19%).