Chart Beat
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Rich Amiri banks his first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Feb. 10), as his breakthrough single “One Call” debuts at No. 79. Released in November on Internet Money Records/10K Projects, the track opens on the strength of its streaming sum: 6.8 million official U.S. streams (up 44%) in the Jan. 26-Feb. […]
Even among the many riches of the 1990s R&B boom – ripe with legendary male and female vocal groups, a wave of solo superstars and endless, now-classic crossover hits – Usher’s rise stands out as bringing forth one of the era’s most impactful careers. Shortly after his 1997 breakthrough, Usher had become a near-automatic hitmaker, culminating in a catalog that has led many critic and cultural commentators to position him as a frontrunner for the “King of R&B” title.
The hits, however, didn’t automatically flow. Usher’s self-titled debut, executive produced by Puff Daddy, arrived in 1994 when the singer was just aged 15, and though it sent two songs onto the Billboard Hot 100 – “Can U Get Wit It” and “Think of You” – neither cracked the top 50. For his sophomore effort, My Way, in 1997, the singer switched to another crew of proven hitmakers, collaborating mostly with Jermaine Dupri and Babyface, which started his path to the top of the charts. The album’s lead single, “You Make Me Wanna…” and title track both reached No. 2, while “Nice & Slow” went one further, becoming the first of Usher’s nine Hot 100 champs.
And they just kept coming. 2001’s 8701 sparked two more No. 1s – “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Bad,” and the blockbuster Confessions launched four leaders – “Yeah!,” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, “Burn,” “Confessions Part II” and “My Boo,” a duet with Alicia Keys – from its standard and deluxe editions in 2004. Usher continued to pump out more hits in the ensuing years, and proving his longevity, became the first artist to top the Hot 100 in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, thanks to “OMG,” featuring will.i.am, in 2010.
As the superstar prepares to headline the Super Bowl XLV halftime show and mark 30 years in the business, Billboard recaps Usher’s biggest Hot 100 hits. Like the multi-talented singer, actor and dancer himself, his top 30 hits illustrates his range, with uptempo dancefloor jams, searing ballads and guest spots on pop, dance and hip-hop hits all in the mix.
Usher’s biggest Hot 100 hits are based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 (through Feb. 3, 2024). 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. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
“Love in This Club Part II” (feat. Beyoncé & Lil Wayne)
The legendary Marley family has yet another Billboard Hot 100-charting hitmaker in its lineage, as YG Marley debuts for the first time (on the Feb. 10 -dated tally) with “Praise Jah in the Moonlight.”
The song, which Marley self-released Dec. 27, debuts at No. 74 with 6.2 million official U.S. streams – up 59%, as it continues weekly gains – in the Jan. 26-Feb. 1 tracking week, according to Luminate.
YG Marley (real name: Joshua Marley) is the grandson of the late Bob Marley, and the son of Rohan Marley and Ms. Lauryn Hill – the latter of whom topped the Hot 100 with “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. YG is the sixth member of the Marley family to hit the Hot 100, after Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Skip Marley.
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Here’s a look at every song by a member of the Marley family (excluding Hill) to chart on the Hot 100, listed chronologically:
Title, Artist Billing, Peak Position, Year:“Roots, Rock, Reggae,” Bob Marley and The Wailers, No. 51 (1976)“Tomorrow People,” Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, No. 39 (1988)“Good Time,” Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, No. 85 (1991)“Avenues,” Refugee Camp All Stars feat. Pras with Ky-Mani, No. 35 (1997)“Gotta Be…Movin’ On Up,” Prince Be & Ky-Mani, No. 90 (1998)“Welcome To Jamrock,” Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, No. 55 (2005)“Chained to the Rhythm” Katy Perry feat. Skip Marley, No. 4 (2017)“Bam,” Jay-Z feat. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, No. 47 (2017)“Praise Jah in the Moonlight,” YG Marley, No. 74 (2024)
Perhaps surprisingly, Bob Marley, as noted above, charted only one song on the Hot 100 prior to his death in 1981: “Roots, Rock, Reggae.” He does, however, hold the record for the most No. 1s – 19 – in the 30-year history of Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart. Plus, his greatest hits LP Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers has spent 820 weeks and counting on the Billboard 200 (currently ranking at No. 57, after it reached No. 5 in 2014)—it’s the second-longest-charting album in the survey’s 58-year history, after Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (988 weeks, between 1973 and this January). His influence has resulted in many Hot 100 chart entries under a songwriter billing, though, thanks to covers, samples or interpolations of his songs, including Eric Clapton’s “I Shot the Sheriff (No. 1, 1974), Warren G’s “I Shot the Sheriff” (No. 20, 1997), 50 Cent’s “Window Shopper” (No. 20, 2005) and Rihanna’s “Redemption Song” (No. 81, 2010).
“Praise Jah” contains a sample of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ 1978 track “Crisis.” As such, Bob Marley is listed as a co-songwriter on the track (alongside YG and Hill). It marks his first appearance on the Hot 100 since his writing credit on James Blunt’s “Stay the Night” in 2011; that song interpolates Marley’s 1978 classic “Is This Love.”
As for Hill, she has charted three songs on the Hot 100: “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” and two that peaked in 1999, “Ex-Factor” (No. 21) and “Everything Is Everything” (No. 35).
“Praise Jah” debuts ahead of the theatrical release of Bob Marley: One Love (Feb. 14), the Reinaldo Marcus Green-helmed biopic about the late icon. YG performed the song at several of Hill’s tour stops last winter, helping generate interest leading up to its official release. The buzz bled over onto TikTok, where the song has soundtracked over 150,000 clips to date.
Xavi’s sophomore hit “La Diabla” races to 17-1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated Feb. 10), giving the Mexican-American singer-songwriter his first champ on a radio ranking.
The romantic corrido, released via Interscope, tops the overall Latin Airplay list with 9.6 million audience impressions, up 89%, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 1, according to Luminate.
Notably, it’s the first No. 1 by a regional Mexican artist on Interscope. The label was last on top with another song in the genre, Karol G’s “Mi Ex Tenia Razon” for two nonconsecutive weeks last October and November.
“’La Diabla’ has topped so many charts that it’s been hard to keep up, but this one is particularly special,” Manny Prado, VP of Marketing and A&R, Interscope Geffen A&M tells Billboard. “The fact that radio has embraced Xavi’s innovative sound is a significant statement and validates that he is successfully pushing the boundaries of Mexican music.”
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Xavi’s radio success follows the song’s domination on both Hot Latin Songs and Latin Streaming Songs. On the multi-metric tally, “La Diabla” spends a fifth nonconsecutive week at the summit, powered largely by 15.4 million streams during the same period. That’s enough to hold its No. 1 spot for a fourth week on Latin Streaming Songs and its No. 9 ranking on the overall Streaming Songs for a second week.
Back on Latin Airplay, “La Diabla” ejects another regional Mexican track from the lead: Fuerza Regida and Marshmello’s “Harley Quinn” falls to No. 3 after one week in charge with 8.2 million, down 9%.
Beyond its Latin Airplay domination, “La Diabla” surges 8-1 on Regional Mexican Airplay for its first week atop the 40-deep song tally; also, a first champ there for the Phoenix-born artist. Sales too, contribute to the song’s rise across Billboard charts: “La Diabla” sold 1,000 downloads for a No. 2 on Latin Digital Sales for a third week (topped the list for one week on the Jan. 20-dated survey).
Elsewhere, “La Diabla” remains steady at No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for a fourth week after its No. 3 peak in January. Plus, it remains at No. 3 for a third week on Global Excl. U.S. following its No. 2 high also in January.
Thanks to its gain in all metrics (streaming, sales, and radio), Xavi holds strong at its at No. 33 peak on the Billboard Artist 100 for a second week, which measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption- album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming – to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.
It’s a big week for Usher. On Friday (Feb. 9), he’ll release Coming Home, his first studio LP in eight years. Two days later, he’ll perform as the official headliner of the 2024 Apple Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show. On Tuesday morning (Feb. 6), he announced Usher: Past Present Future, his first solo headline tour in a decade.
But that doesn’t mean that Usher has been away from the concert stage. In July 2021, he kicked off Usher: The Las Vegas Residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. A year later, he moved down the strip to MGM’s Dolby Live for My Way: The Vegas Residency. As he looks forward to a new album and some of the biggest performances of his career, he can celebrate the success of these two residencies: According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Usher has grossed more than $100 million across these Vegas stints.
The Caesars residency was relatively brief, with 14 shows in July and August 2021, and another six around the turn of the new year. Those 20 dates earned $18.8 million and sold 84,000 tickets. The MGM run was more extensive, hitting 80 shows between July 15, 2022, and Dec. 2, 2023. There, he grossed $95.9 million and sold 394,000 tickets.
Altogether, these theater shows grossed $114.6 million and sold 479,000 tickets across 100 dates. That’s a higher revenue total than any of Usher’s prior tours, previously topped by the OMG Tour, which brought in $76 million in 2010-11. That lined up with Usher’s other Super Bowl halftime appearance, when he made a cameo during the Black Eyed Peas’ 2011 set.
On a per-show scale, My Way: The Vegas Residency has averaged $1.198 million each night, surpassing $1.026 million from the OMG Tour and $698,000 from Truth Tour (2004-05). The latter run supported Confessions, the 2004 album that spawned four Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s and was the top Billboard 200 album of the year.
By almost any metric, that album and tour was a rare commercial peak for an artist with multiple No. 1 singles before and after. To improve upon his demand as a live act by more than 70% with his Vegas residencies proves the strength of his talent, discography, and brand, more than 30 years after he first hit the Billboard charts with “Call Me A Mack (From “Poetic Justice”)” in the summer of 1993.
Of course, inflation and an ever-changing ticketing market make comparing concert revenues from 20 years apart a difficult task. But in a Vegas theater a third the size of most North American arenas, Usher is a high-demand destination ticket. Both residencies have averaged a $239 ticket, far beyond the post-pandemic highs at Resorts World Theater and Caesar’s Bakkt Theater.
And while Usher arrived in Vegas in 2021 with new-and-improved demand, he leaves Sin City with even bigger momentum thanks to word-of-mouth around both residencies, a well-received Tiny Desk Concert and a run of single releases. His first stretch of shows at Caesars averaged $928,000, before increasing on almost every leg, peaking at $1.5 million on his last run of 21 shows from Oct. 11-Dec. 2.
After he releases Coming Home and plays the Super Bowl stage this weekend, he will embark on Usher: Past Present Future later this year. The arena trek launches on Aug. 20 in Washington D.C. and is scheduled through two shows in Chicago on Oct. 28-29. The initial announcement’s 24 North American stops could yield more than $50 million at the box office. But a successful album rollout and Super Bowl performance could lead to additional dates, extending his routing and pushing potential earnings further toward the $100 million threshold that he cleared after two and a half years in Las Vegas theaters.
Ben Shapiro, the conservative political commentator and editor for The Daily Wire, makes his debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Feb. 10), thanks to “Facts,” his new collaboration with Canadian rapper Tom MacDonald. Released Jan. 26, the song enters at No. 16 with 5.6 million U.S. streams and 96,000 downloads sold in its […]
Toby Keith, the iconoclastic country music singer, songwriter and hitmaker behind songs including “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” “American Soldier” and “Red Solo Cup,” died Feb. 5 at age 62, following a battle with stomach cancer.
Since his career debut in 1993, Keith lobbed 20 songs to the pinnacle of Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart. Born in 1961, the Oklahoma native worked in the oil fields alongside his father after he graduated from high school. He also launched the Easy Money Band and began playing small clubs around Oklahoma and Texas. In the early 1990s, Keith moved to Nashville to continue pursuing music. After Keith’s demo tape was given to producer Harold Shedd, Keith signed a deal with Mercury Records.
His first hit came in 1993, when “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” a solo write from Keith, hit No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, while his eponymous debut album was certified 4x multi-platinum by the RIAA. His early career hits were marked by ballads that showcased his strong baritone and emotional range, such as “He Ain’t Worth Missin’” and “Who’s That Man,” as well as the romantic “Me Too.”
In 1998, seeking greater creative control, Keith left Mercury for DreamWorks Nashville. Beginning with 1999’s “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” Keith’s image and song selections began to shift, embracing an in-your-face swagger and braggadocio, along with more novelty-oriented songs such as “Who’s Your Daddy?” In 2001, inspired by both the loss of his father and the 9/11 attacks, Keith released “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American),” with the controversial line “We’ll put a boot in your a–/ It’s the American way,” which both underscored the rage that many Americans felt, but also garnered garnered backlash. Not long after, he would release “American Soldier,” which depicted the everyday sacrifices of military personnel.
Keith co-founded the label Show Dog Nashville in 2005 and released his album White Trash With Money in 2006, earning top five Country Songs hits from the album including “A Little Too Late.” He continued scoring hits patriotic-themed songs such as “Made in America” and “American Ride.” In 2011, another novelty song, “Red Solo Cup,” gave Keith his highest-charting song on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 15.
Keith won three Billboard Music Awards during his career, and was named the Country Music Association’s male vocalist of the year in 2001. He earned the ACM’s Merle Haggard Spirit Award, and was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was named a BMI Icon in 2022, and won BMI’s country songwriter of the year honor three times.
From 2002-2013, he also went on 11 USO tours, performing for active-duty service members in over 15 countries. He also supported organizations including his own Toby Keith Foundation, as well as Ally’s House (an Oklahoma organization dedicated to aiding children with cancer), and the OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children battling illness.
In October, bolstered by his performance on the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, Keith’s “Don’t Let the Old Man In” topped the Country Digital Song Sales chart.
As the world remembers the burly-voiced singer, the hitmaker, the heartfelt songwriter, the staunch, outspoken American military supporter, and businessman that was Toby Keith, Billboard recounts his 20 biggest Hot Country Songs chart hits.
Toby Keith’s Biggest Billboard Hits chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Country Songs chart through the list dated Feb. 10, 2024. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning less. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
“A Little Less Talk (And a Lot More Action)”
Justin Timberlake notches his highest Billboard Hot 100 debut in six years as his new single “Selfish” debuts at No. 19 on the Feb. 10-dated chart.
Released Jan. 25, the song tallied 22.4 million in all-format radio airplay audience, 11.5 million official streams and 10,000 downloads sold in the U.S. in its first full week of activity (Jan. 26-Feb. 1), according to Luminate.
“Selfish” is taking off across multiple radio formats: It jumps 20-13 on Adult Pop Airplay and 33-17 on Pop Airplay and debuts at No. 14 on Adult Contemporary and No. 33 on Rhythmic Airplay. On the all-format Radio Songs chart, it starts at No. 33.
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Timberlake’s last song to debut higher on the Hot 100 was “Say Something” featuring Chris Stapleton (No. 9, February 2018). Only three other Timberlake songs have debuted higher than “Selfish”: “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” which launched at No. 1 in 2016; “Holy Grail,” with Jay-Z (No. 8 debut, before reaching No. 4, in 2013); and “Filthy” (No. 9 debut and peak, 2018).
“Selfish” earns Timberlake his 39th career solo entry on the Hot 100, and his 29th to reach the top 40. His first solo song to reach the chart was “Like I Love You” in 2002 (No. 11 peak). He has earned five solo No. 1s: “SexyBack” (for seven weeks in 2006); “My Love,” featuring T.I. (three, 2006); “What Goes Around…Comes Around” (one week, 2007); “Give It to Me” (by Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Timberlake; two, 2007); and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” (one, 2016).
Outside of his solo work, *NSYNC has charted 13 songs with Timberlake as a member, including the group’s recent reunion single “Better Place,” which reached No. 25 in October. The group reigned with “It’s Gonna Be Me” (two, 2000).
Last week, Timberlake hinted on The Kelly Clarkson Show that the band may be working on more new music. “We’ve been in the studio,” he said. “So there may be a little something in the future.”
Benson Boone is about to complete the jump from viral star to the U.K. top 10.
The 21-year-old Washington native has three appearances on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, the standout with “Beautiful Things” (via Warner Records), which last week reached No. 11.
Prior to its release, Boone built buzz for the song by teasing it on TikTok and Instagram. Now, Boone is on the brink of his first top tier hit, as “Beautiful Things” lifts to No. 8 on the midweek tally.
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Boone recently announced his forthcoming album, Fireworks and Rollerblades, and its namesake world tour, and performed the single last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Also on the rise is of Bob Marley’s grandson YG Marley, whose debut “Praise Jah In The Moonlight” (YG Marley Music) vaults 24-12 on the chart blast. “Praise Jah In The Moonlight” is co-written with Marley’s mom, Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Critically-lauded British newcomers The Last Dinner Party are heading for the U.K. albums chart title with Prelude to Ecstasy (Island), their debut album. And a new chart peak awaits for their single “Nothing Matters,” which last week entered the top 40 for the first time and is predicted to climb further, to No. 19.
At the top of the Official Chart Update is Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (Republic Records), which is cruising to a sixth consecutive week at No. 1.
Finally, Cat Janice is expected to make an impact on the Official U.K. Singles Chart with “Dance You Outta My Head.”
Behind the upbeat dance tune is a touching story.
The 31-year-old singer, from Washington, D.C., was diagnosed with sarcoma, a type of rare malignant tumor, in 2021. After going through chemotherapy and radiation treatment, the cancer returned, and she released this song as a final tune for her 7-year-old son, just after entering hospice care. “Dance You Outta My Head” (Cat Janice) debuts at No. 74 on the chart blast. All proceeds from the song will go to her son.
The Official U.K. Singles Chart will be published late Friday, Feb. 9.
And just like that, The Last Dinner Party is converting critical praise into commercial success with Prelude to Ecstasy (via Island), the British newcomers’ debut LP.
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Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Prelude to Ecstasy leads the way in the U.K. chart race.
Prelude to Ecstasy makes a fast start and is predicted to take the title when the national chart is published later this week.
Based in London, the indie rock-pop quintet — Abigail Morris (vocals), Georgia Davies (bass), Lizzie Mayland (guitar), Aurora Nishevci (keys) and Emily Roberts (lead guitar) — captured the buzz on both sides of the Atlantic last year, thanks in part to “Nothing Matters,” their breakthrough debut single.
With “Nothing Matters” in their pocket, the group snagged this year’s BRITs Rising Star Award and the BBC Sound Of 2024 poll, a double that assures The Last Dinner Party status as the next big thing in music.
Prelude to Ecstasy features “Nothing Matters,” which the band performed on The Late Show last month for their U.S. late night TV debut, and which last week cracked the U.K. top 40 for the first time, vaulting 41-22.
Also new to the Official Chart Update is Jamie Webster’s 10 For The People (Modern Sky), at No. 2. If it holds its course, 10 For The People would give Webster a career best, outdoing 2022’s Moments, which peaked at No. 3.
Completing the podium on the chart blast is Paul McCartney & Wings’ third LP Band on the Run (Capitol), which is set for a return to the top 10 following the release of a special 50th anniversary edition. After release back in 1973, Band on the Run led the albums tally for seven consecutive weeks.
Britpop era psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker is eyeing a first top 10 album in 25 years with Natural Magick (Strange Folk), new at No. 5. Kula Shaker previously cracked the U.K. top 10 with 1996’s leader K and 1999’s Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts (No. 9).
Finally, Scottish singer and songwriter Dylan John Thomas is targeting a top 10 entry with his self-titled debut album. Dylan John Thomas (via Ignition) is set to enter the chart at No. 8.
All when will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published late Friday, Feb. 9.