State Champ Radio Chart Beat
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As Taylor Swift rules the Billboard Hot 100 for a second frame with her Post Malone collab “Fortnight” — and before an onslaught of tracks resulting from the culture-dominating Kendrick Lamar/Drake feud likely swarms the top tier of the chart next week — a trio of newer hitmakers move into the chart’s top five.
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This week’s Hot 100 (dated May 11) features a debut from Virginia singer-rapper Tommy Richman at No. 2 (“Million Dollar Baby”), along with a rapidly rising breakout smash from country singer-songwriter Shaboozey at No. 3 (“A Bar Song (Tipsy)”) and the biggest crossover hit yet for burgeoning pop star Sabrina Carpenter at No. 4 (“Espresso”). Along with enduring top 10 hits from newly minted hitmakers Benson Boone (“Beautiful Things,” No. 5) and Teddy Swims (“Lose Control”), this week marks the highest concentration of first-timers in the chart’s top 10 since June 2022.
Which one is most likely to claim the top spot in the weeks to come? And is it meaningful to be getting so many big hits by newer artists at once? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
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1. Despite being each artist’s first visit to the chart’s top 10, within a month of their Hot 100 debuts, each of Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” finds itself in this week’s top five. Which of the three hits has been most impressive to you with its rapid rise?
Rania Aniftos: Shaboozey! Black artists are slowly but surely staking their claim in country music and country-adjacent genres, and it’s been long overdue. I’m so glad Shaboozey had his time to shine on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, and has since been able to amplify his own career. I’m impressed by his skyrocketed success and excited to see where he goes from here!
Kyle Denis: Definitely Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby.” You can track both Shaboozey’s (two Queen Bey collabs + each of previous singles was bigger than the last) and Sabrina’s (Eras Tour opener who has recently solidified herself as a formidable presence on top 40 radio) success pretty easily. Outside of some significant underground motion, Tommy Richman’s name didn’t even exist in the zeitgeist last month – now he has the most-streamed song in the country this week with his very first Hot 100 entry.
Josh Glicksman: Shaboozey. Parlaying guest turns on a blockbuster album into solo chart success is a much more difficult task than he’s made it seem, and particularly so given that country music typically doesn’t have the immediate streaming power — save for a handful of marquee artists — as some of the other genres filling the top 10 of the Hot 100. Sure, the J-Kwon “Tipsy” interpolation gives “A Bar Song” a boost, but the latter is unquestionably a hit in its own right, avoiding the over-reliance on nostalgia that songs of a similar ilk have fallen victim to in the past year.
Jason Lipshutz: While Sabrina Carpenter has already enjoyed pop radio success prior to “Espresso” and Shaboozey’s profile grew significantly thanks to his multiple features on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” has seemingly come out of nowhere to thus far out-chart both of them. Yes, Brent Faiyaz has co-signed Richman and brought him on tour — but Faiyaz has yet to score a solo hit within the same stratosphere as “Million Dollar Baby,” which exploded on TikTok to such a degree that it debuted at No. 2 amidst stiff competition. We’ll see how durable of a hit “Million Dollar Baby” proves to be, but that start was breathtaking.
Andrew Unterberger: All three are undoubtedly impressive, but the real jaw-dropper to me here is Richman. To drop a new single at very possibly the most crowded moment for major new releases we’ve had so far this decade and not only make a major impression, but immediately zoom to the very head of the class — outside of the reigning valedictorian, anyway — is simply stunning for any artist, especially one with so little established chart history.
2. All three songs figure to be contenders for the top spot in the weeks to come. If you had to bet on one of them to eventually get there — or to be the first to get there, if you think multiple will — which would you opt for?
Rania Aniftos: I have to say “Espresso,” because I know I’m not the only one who can’t get that damn “I’m working late/ ‘Cause I’m a singerrrrrrr” line out of their head. It’s such a catchy song and it’s everywhere!
Kyle Denis: Given that just three 2024 releases have spent more than a single week atop the Hot 100, I’m willing to wager that all three songs will get there – but they likely won’t enjoy very long stays at the pole position. Who’s getting there first? Probably “Million Dollar Baby,” it’s outpacing the other two songs on most major U.S. streaming platforms – and it feels like that kind of hit that won’t necessarily need radio to carry it.
Josh Glicksman: “Espresso.” Its nu-disco production is tailor-made for sunny days and open windows and will garner endless airplay at pop radio. I expect both “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and “Million Dollar Baby” to hang around for extended stays as well — and could very well see the former getting to No. 1 as well at some point — but it’s hard to bet against the bona fide pop hit, especially when it’s such an instantly obvious song of the summer contender. Did I already mention how much you’re going to hear it on the radio?
Jason Lipshutz: “Espresso,” since it sounds like one of the sturdiest pop hits of the year, it’s already a top 5 hit, and its radio run hasn’t even kicked off in earnest yet. Songs like “Nonsense” and “Feather” proved Sabrina Carpenter’s top 40 appeal, and “Espresso” is already a bigger hit than both of those previous singles; meanwhile, Carpenter is a more of a prominent star than she’s ever been, and she’s poured us a three-minute shot of bliss in time for summer. The top of the Hot 100 is crowded right now, but I think that “Espresso” will spend multiple weeks at No. 1 in the June/July range.
Andrew Unterberger: I would say “Million Dollar Baby,” since its initial velocity has been so impressive and it’s already so close to the top spot. But the fact of the matter is that it’s likely going to get stuck behind an onslaught of Kendrick Lamar for at least the next week or two, after which another new song (maybe something from the new Billie Eilish album due friday after next?) very well may have lapped it momentum-wise. So I’ll bet on the long game with “Espresso,” as the song’s warm-weather vibes and Carpenter’s recently established history on the airwaves all but guarantees it ruling radio all summer — meaning it’ll always be in range of the Hot 100’s top spot, and able to seize it with a new remix or video or other viral moment (or if we ever just get another slow chart week again).
3. Beyond these already-minted hits, which of the artists behind them (between Richman, Shaboozey and Carpenter) do you expect to make the biggest/most extended chart impact in the years to come?
Rania Aniftos: Again, I’m going to give this one to Sabrina. She’s been working hard at her career since she was a child on the Disney Channel and I’m surprised it’s taken her this long to pop off. She has an excellent discography and Emails I Can’t Send is a completely underrated pop album. I’m expecting “Espresso” to lead music lovers to finally give Sabrina the success she deserves.
Kyle Denis: My money’s on Sabrina given she already has bigger chart hits than both Shaboozey and Richman. Couple that with the fact that she’s truly made the best of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is opening for what will likely go down as the biggest tour of all time, Sabrina will be around for a minute. At the very least, she’ll become a true pop radio staple. Shaboozey’s path is obviously a bit different as he’s navigating the Nashville machine as a Black man, and Richman will probably collect one or two smaller hits before comfortably reassuming his cult hero status.
Josh Glicksman: I’ll take Sabrina Carpenter here. She’s been bubbling just under the surface of A-list pop star for what feels like years now (it’s not too late to give “Sue Me” the full moment that it has always deserved!) and now that she’s collecting a handful of Hot 100 entries, I expect that to quickly grow into the size of an overdue grocery shopping list before long.
Jason Lipshutz: Carpenter, whose 2022 album Emails I Can’t Send contained a ton of promise, and everything she’s done since then has fulfilled that promise. “Espresso” represents a breakthrough hit, but Carpenter contains the personality and pop know-how of a superstar — and she’s becoming one now, after years of build-up and gathering momentum. Shaboozey and Richman are both on upward trajectories, but Carpenter has a higher ceiling, and should be a chart force for a long time.
Andrew Unterberger: It’s Carpenter, simply because this moment is the culmination of a good half-decade — arguably even longer — of work she’s put in building her audience and pop cred, and now officially joining the ranks of the A-listers. But honestly, I’m buying stock in all three of these artists. I’d be pretty surprised if this was the last we heard from any of them on the Hot 100.
4. While these are the three biggest breakout hits currently challenging Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” for the chart’s top spot, they’re hardly the only new singles currently making waves on the chart. Who that’s a little lower down on the listing could you see elbowing your way into the top tier before long?
Rania Aniftos: I feel like Chappell Roan is on a similar wavelength with the artist we’ve been discussing today. “Good Luck, Babe!” is a great track and Chappell is a great artist. I would love to see a snippet from that song go viral and project the track into the top 10.
Kyle Denis: I’m definitely keeping an eye on Lay Bankz’s “Tell Ur Girlfriend” (No. 58), GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion’s “Wanna Be” (No. 34, this week) and Bryson Tiller’s “Ciao,” which does not currently rank on the Hot 100.
Josh Glicksman: Aside from the obvious picks in the Kendrick Lamar-Drake rap battle, Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and Dasha’s “Austin” both feel like they have plenty of runway left and may jetset well into the summer. The former act is coming into a superstar moment of sorts of her own, while the latter hit continues to build on a global scale. Both currently sit in the 40s, and as the Taylor Swift takeover clears out a bit in the coming week, there should be ample room to grow.
Jason Lipshutz: Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” hasn’t entered the top 40 yet, but the single sounds like a smart, charismatic commercial breakthrough for an artist with a dedicated fan base that’s been growing exponentially over the past few months. I’d expect it to keep climbing in the coming weeks based on its promising streaming returns, and depending on radio’s reaction, challenge for the top 20 (at least) soon enough.
Andrew Unterberger: All signs are clearly pointing to Chappell Roan being next up — though I’m still hoping Nashville stops messing around and finally embraces Dasha’s viral “Austin” as the future of pop-leaning country, which it almost certainly is and should be.
5. Along with Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” first-timer artists in the top 10 take up five of the top six spots this week. Do you think it’s meaningful that there has been such a presence for breakout artists in the chart’s top tier this year, or is it just a fluke of timing?
Rania Aniftos: While my gut is telling me it’s a fluke while we wait for the slew of major artist releases this year, I really hope it’s not. It’s been so refreshing seeing new names on the Hot 100, and I want to see more!
Kyle Denis: I think we’re still in a weird place where pop culture is trying to move forward, but our near-constant nostalgia loop is keeping us beholden to stars of yesteryear. Of course, some of those stars genuinely are still cranking out releases that do meaningfully shift the culture: We’ve gotten back-to-back blockbuster albums from Beyoncé, Ye & Ty Dolla $ign, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Future & Metro Boomin (twice!) Yet tracks from those albums — barring most of their lead singles — aren’t the ones setting up shop in the Hot 100’s upper regions this year.
Josh Glicksman: If anything, it’s especially meaningful given the deluge of superstar releases so far in 2024. It could be that there have been so many blockbuster albums that the A-listers are canceling one another’s opportunities for extended chart runs a bit, but regardless, the hits from breakout artists this year are well beyond the point of calling it a fluke.
Jason Lipshutz: The timing is a little fluky — in recent weeks, veteran stars like Beyoncé, Future & Metro Boomin, Ariana Grande and Jack Harlow also occupied the top 10 — but this happy upswing in newcomers to the top 10 also underscores a general hunger for unfamiliar voices in heavy rotation after a run of high-profile albums. The release calendar has been packed so far in 2024, but thanks to a mix of TikTok virality, new pop trends like the country-folk revival, and undeniable singles from non-superstars, the top of the Hot 100 looks revitalized. We’re in for a fun-as-hell summer slate, as big projects and out-of-nowhere hits balance each other out on the Hot 100.
Andrew Unterberger: I think it’s simple: Popular music is up right now. Pretty much all genres, from pop to rap to country to rock, are hitting right now — while also intertwining inextricably, of course — and there’s plenty of room for exciting new releases from both the ruling class of hitmakers and an entirely new wave. It’s a fun time to be a top 40 fan, which is not something we’ve often said this decade around this time of the year.
CeCe Winans earns her 10th No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart and her second on Top Christian Albums with the arrival of her live set More Than This on the tallies dated May 11.
The LP starts with 8,000 equivalent album units, including 5,000 in album sales, in the U.S. April 26-May 2, according to Luminate. It was recorded at Nashville’s Rocketown on Aug. 10, 2023.
Notably, the Detroit native has ruled Top Gospel Albums in five consecutive decades.
“I’m a firm believer that when you keep God at the center of everything, He will do the rest,” Winans says. “More Than This is a joyful collection of songs that focus on His faithfulness and greatness.”
The album follows Winans’ first live set, Believe for It: A Live Worship Experience, which started at No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums, and No. 3 on Top Christian Albums, in March 2021. She notches her eighth leader on the former chart without any other billed artists; she logged her first two No. 1s with Bebe Winans, her older brother: Heaven in 1989 and Different Lifestyles in 1991. She previously commanded Top Christian Albums with Throne Room in 2003.
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Concurrently, the new album’s “That’s My King” becomes Winans’ third No. 1 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart and her third top 10 on Hot Christian Songs (18-7). It drew 1.7 million official U.S. streams, up 111%, and simultaneously crowns Gospel Streaming Songs, marking Winans’ first chart-topper. On Christian Airplay, it pushes 20-19 (1.6 million audience impressions, up 35%). On Gospel Airplay, it ranks at No. 26.
Notably, as genre barriers blur among numerous formats, Winans is one of a growing number of artists — alongside the likes of Elevation Worship, Brandon Lake, Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine, Tauren Wells and others — who are actively being promoted to both contemporary Christian and gospel radio.
Campbell’s ‘Love’ Leads Gospel Airplay
Erica Campbell rolls up her fourth solo Gospel Airplay leader, all earned consecutively, with “Do You Believe in Love?,” which she co-authored.
The Los Angeles-based artist is also the host of the nationallysyndicated radio show Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell.
Campbell – who is also half of duo Mary Mary with sister Trecina – previously topped Gospel Airplay on her own with “Feel Alright (Blessed)” for two weeks starting in July 2023; “Call,” with Jor’Dan Armstrong (two, December 2022); and “Positive” (three, August 2022).
Mary Mary boasts three Gospel Airplay No. 1s: as featured, with Le’Andria Johnson, on PJ Morton’s “All in His Plan” (one week, September 2020) and with “God in Me,” featuring Kierra “Kiki” Sheard (seven weeks, beginning in June 2009), and “Heaven” (15 weeks, beginning in June 2005).
“‘Austin’ was written out of a lot of rage,” Dasha tells Billboard in late April. At a Los Angeles session in early 2023, the singer-songwriter began working on a different song with Adam Wendler, Cheyenne Rose Arnspiger and Kenneth Heidelman, which proved unfruitful. After Dasha suggested taking a quick break, she poured out a story of a tumultuous relationship; when the break ended, the group turned her heartbreak into her breakout smash.
With its irresistible groove and defiant storytelling, the single arrived as an independent release last November, and appeared on her sophomore album, What Happens Now?, released in February. “Austin” details the country artist hightailing to L.A. and leaving her no-good lover a drunken mess in Texas. Though she’d never actually been to Austin, at the time, Dasha says that “all the emotions that drove the story were real to me.”
They’ve resonated with listeners too: the song became Dasha’s first Billboard Hot 100 entry in March, since reaching a No. 28 high. It has also peaked at No. 3 on Hot Country Songs and registered 86.7 million official on-demand U.S. streams through May 2, according to Luminate.
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Mark Gong top and pants, Petit Moments necklace.
Ashley Osborn
Born Dasha Novotny, the 24-year-old has been writing songs and performing for over a decade. The San Luis Obispo, Calif., native started performing at local coffee shops at 10, and three years later, her father gifted her a professional studio session for her birthday to record one of her songs. “That experience at such a young age was pivotal,” she says. “I feel like I got an internship to my artistry. I was ready for this spotlight.”
After finishing high school, Dasha attended Belmont University in Nashville, though she dropped out in 2020 amid the pandemic to focus on her music career. She independently released pop-R&B singles “Don’t Mean a Thing” and “None of My Business” that year before releasing a project of remixes and her first EP, $hiny Things, in 2021. Her pop-oriented debut album Dirty Blonde followed in 2023, but it wasn’t until “Austin” 10 months later that listeners flocked en masse, prompting Dasha to further explore the blend of catchy pop-country fusion as an artistic sweet spot.
Before its official release, “Austin” drew the attention of Type A Management’s Alex Lunt, who had been looking for an act just like Dasha. “I had been working in the urban space and in rock, but I wanted to work in country and everyone knew it,” he says. He has been managing her brother’s band, Beauty School Dropout, for several years already, and after her brother sent Lunt a few of Dasha’s demos — including “Austin” — he soon became her manager as well.
Versace tank top, jacket and jeans.
Ashley Osborn
Alex Lunt and Dasha photographed April 25, 2024 at The Comedy Chateau in Los Angeles. Dasha wears a Prada top, jacket, skirt and belt.
Ashley Osborn
Prior to the track’s release, Lunt connected her with the indie label Version III, as well as PR company King Publicity, in anticipation of broadening the song’s reach. Dasha created a line dance timed to the song’s chorus and worked with a handful of influencers, including Zoey Aune, to create shortform videos to showcase it. “The goal was to target very specific demographics upfront: the female country audience,” Lunt says.
Clips began to roll out in early 2023, with one such video on Aune’s TikTok account featuring the influencer dancing with Dasha that went viral (with 29.4 million views on the platform to date). “That was the video that started the massive tidal wave,” Lunt recalls. A week later, Dasha posted herself line dancing in a corral solo; that video has since garnered 68.5 million TikTok views.
“I remember feeling really nervous that it would be cringey,” Dasha recalls. “I think the reason it worked so well is because it came from such a fun place and I feel like there’s this gap in community on TikTok right now, so people are down to connect any way they can. When you go to the club and you know the dance, you can participate in the community.”
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The song’s surge on social media sparked a label frenzy, with Dasha signing to Warner Records in March. (At the time of the announcement, she told Billboard, “Warner felt like they had the most heart. They were so passionate about my songwriting, which is my priority.”) The next month, she inked a deal with WME for booking. Media appearances followed, including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a performance at the CMT Music Awards (notably held in Austin), and a set at the country music festival Stagecoach in Indio, California.
As the single continues to build, the team is now putting its efforts toward stabilizing it stateside — recently promoting it to country radio — and across the globe. “Austin” reached a No. 23 high on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart on April 27, with Lunt revealing they have since targeted Scandinavian, German and Australian creators.
“I think the magic of this new country sound is that I can incorporate those big pop hooks,” says Dasha. “The first time you listen to it, you can sing it back. I think that’s why it’s working so well overseas. But then also it has a super vivid lyric, so it’s like a movie in your head.”
While Dasha works on a deluxe version of What Happens Now?, she believes the biggest opportunity to grow the song is performing it live: “Now that I finally have an audience listening, we can spend the time and energy and make this into something really, really magical.”
Mark Gong top and pants, Petit Moments necklace.
Ashley Osborn
A version of this story will appear in the May 11, 2024, issue of Billboard.
After scorching the U.K. singles chart last week, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” (via Island) remains hot. The U.S. singer and actor is dazzling at both sides of the Atlantic right now; she strutted the red carpet at the 2024 Met Gala, and she’s the current leader on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. Based on midweek sales […]
Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, remains the biggest song in the world, as it scores a second week at No. 1 both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. The song is from her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which logs a second week at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200.
Plus, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” and ZICO’s “Spot!,” featuring JENNIE, of BLACKPINK, all make top 10 moves on the global surveys.
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The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
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“Fortnight” notches a second week atop the Global 200, with 99.8 million streams (down 44%) and 10,000 sold (down 63%) worldwide April 26-May 2.
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Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” percolates 17-2 on the Global 200, two weeks after it entered the chart at No. 10, becoming her first top 10. It drew 85.8 million streams (up 35%) and sold 6,000 (up 18%) worldwide in the latest tracking week.
Artemas’ “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” jumps 10-3 on the Global 200, after previously reaching No. 2; Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” bounds 12-4, following seven weeks on top beginning in February; and Hozier’s “Too Sweet” soars 13-5, rebounding two weeks after hitting No. 1.
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Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” roars 33-6 on the Global 200 with 56.4 million streams (up 68%) and 25,000 sold (up 48%) worldwide, marking his first top 10. The single interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 hip-hop hit “Tipsy.”
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Also new in the Global 200’s top 10, Tommy Richman’s first entry on the chart, “Million Dollar Baby,” launches at No. 10 with 50.5 million streams and 4,000 sold worldwide following its April 26 release, after the signee to Brent Faiyaz’s imprint had teased it on TikTok.
On the Global Excl. U.S. chart, “Fortnight” leads for a second week, with 62.7 million streams (down 38%) and 4,000 sold (down 51%) outside the U.S.
Artemas’ “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” keeps at No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S., after a week at No. 1 two weeks earlier, and Carpenter’s “Espresso” becomes her first top 10 on the chart (14-3) with 55.6 million streams (up 40%) and 2,000 sold (up 26%) outside the U.S.
FloyyMenor and Cris Mj’s “Gata Only” descends to No. 4 from its No. 3 Global Excl. U.S. high and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” holds at No. 5, after eight nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 starting in February.
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Plus, ZICO’s “Spot!,” featuring JENNIE, premieres at No. 8 on Global Excl. U.S. with 44.5 million streams and 4,000 sold outside the U.S. Rapper/producer ZICO earns his first entry on the chart as a recording artist — while JENNIE, also from South Korea, adds her third top 10 as a soloist, after “One of the Girls,” with The Weeknd and Lily Rose Depp, reached No. 5 in February and “You & Me” opened at No. 1 last October. BLACKPINK, with JENNIE as a member, has tallied four top 10s, including three No. 1s.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated May 11, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, May 7. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
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.
Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, notches a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (fittingly given its title). A week earlier, Swift made history by infusing the Hot 100’s top 14 positions, all from her new Republic Records LP, The Tortured Poets Department, which concurrently adds a second week […]
Sixty-eight years ago this week, the original cast album to the Broadway smash My Fair Lady, starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, vaulted from No. 30 to No. 8 in its second week on the Billboard 200. The album logged 173 weeks in the top 10, which set a record which still stands for the longest run in the top 10 since the Billboard 200 began publishing on a regular, weekly basis in March 1956.
The astoundingly good score, composed by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, includes such standards as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” “The Rain in Spain” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.”
Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times’ influential theater critic at the time, touted My Fair Lady as “one of the best musicals of the century” – a line that, naturally, was plastered atop the show’s theatrical poster. In most cases, extravagant praise like that would reek of hyperbole. In this case, saying “one of” showed considerable restraint. Name one musical more chock-full of famous and beloved songs.
Incredibly, Andrews played a leading role on three of the eight albums with the most weeks in the top 10. The 1965 soundtrack to The Sound of Music is in fourth place on the all-time list with 109 weeks. The 1961 Broadway cast album to Camelot is tied for seventh place with 87 weeks.
Here’s the top 10 as it currently stands. Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, which returns to the top 10 on the Billboard 200 this week, is currently in second place.
Weeks in Top 10, Artist, Title, Year First Reached Top 10173, Original Cast, My Fair Lady, 1956142, Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album, 2021109, Soundtrack, The Sound of Music, 1965106, Soundtrack, West Side Story, 1962105, Original Cast, The Sound of Music, 196090, Soundtrack, South Pacific, 195887, Original Cast, Camelot, 196187, Soundtrack, Oklahoma!, 195685, Peter, Paul and Mary, Peter Paul and Mary, 196284, Adele, 21, 201184, Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A., 1984
Andrews has had a very unique history on the Billboard charts. She starred in two Broadway musicals with cast albums that topped the Billboard 200, as well as two films with soundtracks that topped that chart, but her only album under her own name to make the chart is Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall, the soundtrack to a 1962 TV special in which she starred with another future legend, Carol Burnett. It peaked at No. 85.
Andrews has also had only one entry on the Billboard Hot 100, “Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious,” a novelty song from Mary Poppins on which she teamed with Dick Van Dyke and The Pearlies. The tongue-twister single reached No. 66 in 1965.
Andrews had a glorious singing voice, but for some reason it didn’t translate to the pop music world. Still, her work in soundtracks and cast albums can’t be denied.
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In 2011, Andrews received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy. She was part of a wildly diverse class that also included country queen Dolly Parton, punk band The Ramones, pop-folk trio The Kingston Trio, gospel singer George Beverly Shea, classical ensemble Juilliard String Quartet and jazz drummer Roy Haynes.
Andrews attended the Special Merit Awards ceremony in Los Angeles to receive her lifetime achievement award on Feb. 12, 2011. Making it even sweeter, the following night, she won a competitive Grammy – her second – best spoken word album for children for Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies. She won the award alongside her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton.
Andrews’ generations-spanning appeal was seen in 2015, when Lady Gaga sang four songs from The Sound of Music score on the Oscars, to mark the film’s 50th anniversary. At the end of her performance, Andrews came out from the wings and embraced her. Gaga introduced with these warm words, “Ladies and gentlemen, the incomparable Julie Andrews.”
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It was also seen when the American Film Institute unveiled its roster of 25 Greatest Movie Musicals in 2006. Andrews starred in two of the top 10 musicals – The Sound of Music at No. 4 and Mary Poppins at No. 6. Gene Kelly also starred in two of their top 10 musicals (Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris). Judy Garland topped them both, starring in three of the top 10 (The Wizard of Oz, A Star Is Born and Meet Me in St. Louis.) That’s pretty good company.
Andrews is three-quarters of the way to EGOT status. She has won two Emmys, two Grammys (plus that lifetime achievement award) and an Oscar, but has yet to win a Tony, despite three nominations. (Considering that Andrews has appeared on Broadway in only four shows, to have been Tony-nominated three times is a quite a feat.) She appeared to finally be headed for a Tony win in 1996 for her lead role in the Broadway adaptation of Victor/Victoria, but when she was the only person from the show to receive a nomination, she famously declined the nod, telling a matinee audience two days after the nominations were announced: “I have searched my conscience and my heart and find that I cannot accept this nomination, and prefer instead to stand with the egregiously overlooked.”
That rather arch phrasing was mocked, but Andrews’ principled stand was admired. Andrews remained on the ballot, but having signaled disinterest in the award, it was no surprise when she lost to Donna Murphy for The King and I.
Despite that kerfuffle, Andrews remains strongly identified with Broadway. She won a Primetime Emmy in 2005 for hosting Broadway: The American Musical on PBS, which was voted outstanding non-fiction series. She has received two Grammy nominations for best traditional pop vocal performance, both for Broadway collections – Julie Andrews Broadway/Here I’ll Stay (1997) and Julie Andrews – Broadway – the Music of Richard Rodgers (1995).
Andrews has received 11 Primetime Emmy nods, spanning a remarkable 65 years. She received her first in 1958 for actress – best single performance – lead or support for Cinderella; her most recent just last year for outstanding character voice-over performance for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Andrews has received a slew of career achievement awards, including the Kennedy Center Honors (2001), a Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild Awards (2006) and the American Film Institute’s life achievement award (2022).
Here’s more background on the four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 on which Andrews played a lead role. They are shown in chronological order:
‘My Fair Lady’ original cast album
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
Taylor Swift reigns again on the U.K. albums chart with The Tortured Poets Department, and narrowly misses out on the chart double.
The leader at the midweek phase, Tortured Poets (via EMI) holds on for a second week atop the U.K tally, to become her fifth studio album to log more than one week at No. 1, the Official Charts Company reports.
Tortured Poets, Swift’s 11th studio album, joins multi-week leaders folklore (three weeks in 2020) and evermore (two weeks in 2020), Midnights (five weeks in 2022) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (three weeks in 2023).
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On the Official U.K. Singles Chart, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” edges Swifts’ “Fortnights” featuring Post Malone, by fewer than 500 chart units.
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The top new release on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, May 3, belongs to Pet Shop Boys’ Nonetheless, at No. 2. Nonetheless is the 15th studio album from the veteran electronic-pop duo, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe; their 19th top 10 effort, and highest-charting LP in 31 years, since Very led the chart back in 1993.
U.S. alt-pop star St. Vincent completes the podium with All Born Screaming, new at No. 3. That’s a career best and third top 10 appearance after 2017’s Masseduction (No. 6) and 2021’s Daddy’s Home (No. 4).
English singer and songwriter Jess Glynne grabs a third U.K. top 10 appearance with JESS (EMI). It’s new at No. 6, following the chart-topping success of her 2015 debut I Cry When I Laugh and 2018 sophomore effort Always In Between.
Finally, the Zutons enjoy a top 10 start with The Big Decider (Icepop), the Liverpool, England band’s first studio release in 16 years. The Big Decider is new at No. 7, for their fourth top 10 after 2004 debut Who Killed……The Zutons? (No. 6 peak), 2006’s Tired Of Hanging Around (No. 2) and 2008’s You Can Do Anything (No. 6).
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” (via Island) is just too hot, as it starts its first stint at No. 1 in the U.K.
The U.S. singer and actor’s hit lifts 5-1 in its third week on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, for her first leader.
The best-seller at the midweek point, “Espresso” clocked up a market-leading 8.8 million streams, and completed nail-biting finish to bump Taylor Swift’s former leader “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone by fewer than 500 combined units, the Official Charts Company reports.
“Espresso” is Carpenter’s first top 10 and fourth U.K. top 40 single after “Nonsense” (No. 32 peak), “Skin” (No. 28) and “feather” (No. 19).
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Hozier’s former No. 1 “Too Sweet” (Island) dips 2-3, to complete the podium on the latest chart, published Friday, May 3.
Shaboozey bags his first U.K. 10 single with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (American Dogwood/Empire), the hip-hop-country number which rises 16-6.
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Taylor Swift bags another U.K. top 10 single — her 29th in her career — with “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart,” the fourth single from The Tortured Poets Department to crack the top 10 in two weeks. “Broken Heart” is new at No. 8, following “Fortnight,” “The Tortured Poets Department” (No. 3 peak) and “Down Bad” (No. 4). “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” is the highest debut on the latest Official U.K. Singles Chart.
The only other debutant in the top 40 is Virginia, U.S. singer and rapper Tommy Richman, with “Million Dollar Baby” (ISO Supremacy/Pulse). The viral cut is new at No. 31, for Richman’s first entry on the Official Singles Chart.
Finally, two classic Amy Winehouse songs return to the top 40, powered by Sam Taylor-Johnson’s biopic, Back to Black. The late singer’s cover of the Zutons’ “Valerie” (with producer Mark Ronson, via Columbia) returns at No. 38 and “Back to Black” (lsland) reenters at No. 39.
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department holds steady at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated May 11) in its second week, earning 439,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending May 2 (down 83%), according to Luminate. It arrived atop the chart a week ago with a massive 2.61 million units.
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Though the set declines by 83%, it still logs the biggest second-week, by units, for any album since Adele’s 25 tallied 1.162 million units in its second week (Dec. 12, 2015-dated chart, down from its 3.482 million in its opening week).
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, PARTYNEXTDOOR debuts at No. 10 with PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 (P4).
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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 May 11, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on May 7. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of The Tortured Poets Department’s second-week unit sum of 439,000, SEA units comprise 330,000 (down 52%, equaling 428.54 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), traditional album sales comprise 107,000 (down 94%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 82%).
The rest of the top four titles on the Billboard 200 comprises former No. 1s. Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time rises 4-2 (69,000 equivalent album units; up 8%), Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You falls 2-3 (61,000; down 11%) and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter dips 3-4 (52,000; down 21%). Noah Kahan’s Stick Season rounds out the top five, stepping 7-5 (41,000; down 10%).
Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album climbs 11-6 (its highest rank since it was No. 5 on the July 29, 2023, chart) with 40,000 equivalent album units (up 9%). Benson Boone’s Fireworks & Rollerblades glides 8-7 (40,000; down 1%), Future and Metro Boomin’s former leader We Still Don’t Trust You falls 6-8 (39,000; down 28%) and SZA’s chart-topping SOS is steady at No. 9 (nearly 39,000; down 1%).
Closing out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 is PARTYNEXTDOOR and the arrival of his PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 (P4) at No. 10. It launches with 37,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 34,000 (equaling 45.94 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 3,000 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. PARTYNEXTDOOR4 marks the third top 10-charting set for the singer/songwriter and producer, following PARTYMOBILE (No. 8 in 2020) and PARTYNEXTDOOR 3 (P3) (No. 3 in 2016).
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.
