Chart Beat
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Cher enters the U.K. history books — twice — as “DJ Play a Christmas Song” (via Warner Records) blasts to No. 20 on the national singles tally.
The pop legend’s holiday number vaults 41-20 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Dec. 22, meaning Cher becomes the first solo artist to land top 40 hits with new material in seven consecutive decades, and she becomes the oldest female to snag a top tier hit.
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At 77 years, 7 months old, Cher is the oldest solo female performer to secure a top 40 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, beating the previous mark set by Shirley Bassey, who was 70 years and 4 months old when “The Living Tree” peaked at No. 37 in 2007.
No other solo artist has achieved a top 40 U.K. hit across seven consecutive decades, the Official Charts Company reports. Cher got the ball rolling with her debut solo single “All I Really Want To Do” from 1965, and has cracked the top 40 every decade since.
“Cher cements her position as a living legend this week, notching up two incredible landmarks,” comments Martin Talbot, CEO of the Official Charts, “becoming the oldest living female to secure a Top 40 single and the only female solo artist to claim an Official Top 40 single in seven consecutive decades.”
The late Captain Sir Tom Moore holds the record for the oldest artist to score a U.K. No. 1 single, doing so at age 99 years and 11 months old when his charity-fundraising collaboration with Michael Ball, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” summited in 2020.
“DJ Play a Christmas Song“ is Cher’s highest-charting single in the U.K. in over two decades, since “The Music’s No Good Without You” reached No. 8 in 2001. It’s the lead single from her 27th studio LP Christmas, which vaults 15-5 on the latest albums tally, for a new peak position and 11th career top 10 effort.
“DJ Play a Christmas Song” has been a record-setter on both sides of the Atlantic. When the single jingled to the top of the Dec. 2-dated Dance/Electronic Song Sales survey, she became the first solo artist to earn a new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart; the only other act to have at least one new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s is the Rolling Stones.
As nine festive favorites rank in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Dec. 30) – tying for the most in a single week – three new holiday recordings debut on the chart. Meghan Trainor’s version of “Jingle Bells” dashes in at No. 81, marking just the second version of the standard ever […]
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” strings up a record-extending 17th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart (dated Dec. 30).
The modern seasonal standard also tops the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a 12th frame.
Plus, Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!” hits the top 10 of both the Global 200 (11-7) and Global Excl. U.S. (13-10) for the first time; José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” returns to the Global 200’s top 10 (12-10); and Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” makes its first appearance in the Global Excl. U.S. top 10 (11-9), as it rises 10-6 on the Global 200.
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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Carey’s ‘Christmas’ Extends Global 200 No. 1 Record
Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” leads the Global 200 for a fourth consecutive week, with 115.3 million streams (up 12%) and 12,000 sold (down 2%) worldwide Dec. 15-21. The song, originally released in 1994, spends a record-extending 17th week at No. 1, following four frames in both the 2020 and 2021 holiday seasons and five frames over last year’s holidays.
Wham!’s “Last Christmas” holds at its No. 2 high on the Global 200; Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” keeps at No. 3, after reaching No. 2 last holiday season; Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” repeats at its No. 4 best; and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” returns to its No. 5 peak, from No. 6.
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Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!” reaches the Global 200’s top 10 for the first time, rising 11-7 amid a flurry of activity in worldwide streams (51 million, up 19%) and sales (2,000, up 2%). The song, from 1959, is the late crooner’s first top 10 on the chart.
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Plus, José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” revisits the Global 200’s top 10 (12-10), with 48.8 million streams (up 18%) and 4,000 sold (up 20%) worldwide. The 1970 classic hit a No. 5 high last holiday season.
Carey’s ‘Christmas’ Tops Global Excl. U.S., Clarkson, Martin Hit Top 10
Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” concurrently tops the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for a fourth week in a row, with 72 million streams (up 11%) and 5,000 sold (up 8%) outside the U.S. Dec. 15-21. The song tallies a 12th total week at No. 1, following one in the 2020 holiday season, three weeks the next year and four last season.
Wham!’s “Last Christmas” repeats at its No. 2 Global Excl. U.S. high; Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” dances merrily back to its No. 3 best, from No. 4; Sia’s “Snowman” rises to a new No. 4 high, from No. 5; and Michael Bublé’s “It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas” climbs 6-5, after reaching No. 4 last holiday season.
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Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” makes its first trip to the Global Excl. U.S. top 10 (11-9), as it advances 10-6 on the Global 200. The song, from 2013, drew 28.9 million streams (up 16%) and sold 1,000 (up 12%) outside the U.S. in the tracking week. It becomes Clarkson’s first top 10 since the Global Excl. U.S. chart began.
Additionally, Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!” hits the Global Excl. U.S. top 10 for the first time, pushing 13-10 with 28.2 million streams (up 19%) outside the U.S., marking his first top 10 on the ranking.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Dec. 30, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 27, a day later than usual due to the Christmas holiday). 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.
Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a second consecutive week – as it logs a 14th total week at No. 1, dating to its first coronation in December 2019.
Notably, the modern Yuletide standard is Carey’s third Hot 100 leader of at least 14 weeks – as she becomes the first artist in the chart’s history with three such No. 1s. She previously reigned for 16 weeks with “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, in 1995-96 and for 14 weeks with “We Belong Together” in 2005.
“Christmas” has ruled the Hot 100 over five holiday seasons. It was originally released on Carey’s album Merry Christmas in November 1994 and, as streaming has grown and holiday music has become more prominent on streaming services’ playlists, it hit the top 10 for the first time in December 2017 and has now led during the holidays in 2019 (for three weeks), 2020 (two), 2021 (three), 2022 (four) and 2023 (two to date).
Elsewhere, José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” returns to the Hot 100’s top 10, dashing from No. 12 to No. 9.
In all, nine seasonal songs infuse the Hot 100’s top 10 – tying for the most in a single week; nine holiday hits first decorated the tier on the chart dated Jan. 2, 2021.
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Dec. 30, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 27, a day later than usual due to the Christmas holiday). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
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Streams, airplay & sales: Carey’s “Christmas,” on Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, drew 48.4 million streams (up 15%) and 31.7 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 21%) and sold 7,000 downloads (down 7%) in the U.S. Dec. 15-21, according to Luminate.
The single holds at No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart, following 18 weeks at No. 1; dips 3-4 on Digital Song Sales, following four frames at No. 1; and rises 22-17 on Radio Songs, where it hit a No. 11 high last season.
Carey’s record third Hot 100 No. 1 of 14 weeks or more: Carey is the first artist with three songs that have dominated the Hot 100 for 14 or more weeks each. She one-ups Boyz II Men, who have notched three leaders of 13 or more frames apiece, with Carey and the group having teamed for the 16-week No. 1 smash “One Sweet Day.”
Here’s a recap of Carey’s three such Hot 100 No. 1s:
16 weeks, “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, 1995-9614 weeks (to-date), “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” 2019-2314 weeks, “We Belong Together,” 2005
Carey’s record 93rd week atop Hot 100: With “Christmas,” Carey adds her record-extending 93rd week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, inception.
Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot 100:
93, Mariah Carey
60, Rihanna
59, The Beatles
56, Drake
50, Boyz II Men
47, Usher
43, Beyoncé
37, Michael Jackson
34, Adele
34, Elton John
34, Bruno Mars
34, Taylor Swift
“Christmas” became Carey’s 19th Hot 100 No. 1, the most among soloists and one away from The Beatles’ overall record 20. It also made Carey the first artist to have ranked at No. 1 on the chart in four distinct decades, dating to her first week on top in August 1990 with her debut hit, “Vision of Love.”
Holiday hits atop the Hot 100: Now up to 14 weeks, Carey’s “Christmas” extends its mark as the holiday song with the most time tallied atop the Hot 100, among three such No. 1s. “The Chipmunk Song,” by The Chipmunks with David Seville, spent four weeks on top beginning in December 1958, followed by Brenda Lee’s two weeks on top to begin this holiday season with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” also released in 1958.
No. 1 in record 64th week on Hot 100: Carey’s “Christmas” rules the Hot 100 in its 64th week on the chart. It passes Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” for the latest, by total chart weeks, that a song has led the list. The latter completed a record 59-week trip to No. 1 in March 2022 and reigned for five consecutive weeks, through its 63rd frame; it went on to amass a record 91 weeks on the chart.
No. 1 on Holiday 100: Plus, Carey’s “Christmas” concurrently keeps atop the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100. It leads for a 60th week, of the chart’s 67 total weeks since the list originated in 2011. It also rules as the top title on the Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs recap.
At No. 2 on the Hot 100, Lee’s “Rockin’ ” adds a fifth week atop Streaming Songs (49.4 million streams, up 17%, good for top Streaming Gainer honors on the Hot 100).
The rest of the all-holiday top five on the Hot 100 holds in place: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” released in 1957, at its No. 3 high; Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” from 1984, at its No. 4 best; and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” from 1964, at No. 5, after reaching No. 4.
Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” keeps at No. 6 on the Hot 100, four weeks after it became his third No. 1. The chart’s top nonholiday title wins the list’s top Airplay Gainer award (50.2 million, up 16%) and claims a sixth week each atop the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.
Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” from 1963, repeats at No. 7 on the Hot 100, having hit No. 5. The late singer now sports a record span of 64 years, two months and three weeks from his first week in the top 10 with “Lonely Street” in October 1959 through his latest week in the bracket.
Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!,” from 1959, rises 10-8 on the Hot 100, returning to its best first reached in the 2020 holiday season.
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José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” returns to the Hot 100’s top 10, jingling 12-9 with 24.9 million streams (up 19%), 23.8 million in airplay audience (up 5%) and 2,000 sold (up 12%). The 1970 classic hit a No. 6 high over the 2020 holiday season.
The beloved entertainer, 78, was honored with the first Billboard Legend Award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Putting a bow on the Hot 100’s top 10, The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” backtracks to No. 10 from its No. 8 high. The act now boasts a span of 60 years, three months and one week in the top 10, dating to its iconic No. 2-peaking “Be My Baby” in September 1963 – the longest among groups. (Excluding holiday fare, The Beatles broke the record for the longest top 10 span among all acts last month: 59 years, nine months and three weeks, from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in 1964 to the debut of their newly-released single “Now and Then.”)
Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Dec. 30), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 27).
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.
Hackney Diamonds are forever, it would seem, as the Rolling Stones return to No. 1 in the U.K.
The Stones’ latest album bumps 6-1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Dec. 22, for its second non-consecutive week at the top.
Featuring collaborations with Lady Gaga, Elton John Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, and contributions from former bass player Bill Wyman and the group’s late drummer Charlie Watts, Hackney Diamonds (via Polydor) is the Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years– since A Bigger Bang, which peaked to No. 2 in 2005.
Following its release in October, the LP went straight to No. 1 for the rock legends’ 14th U.K. No. 1, by outselling the rest of the top 5 combined.
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“It’s a wonderful way to round off 2023,” the Stones say in a statement published by the Official Charts Company. “Thank you to everyone for listening to Hackney Diamonds. Have a very happy Christmas and New Year.”
The Christmas gift for the Stones also doubles-up as a late birthday present for guitarist Keith Richards, who turned 80 on Dec. 18.
Meanwhile, Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise) holds No. 2 on the new chart, while Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) improves 4-3.
Cher brings some Christmas cheer to the latest tally with her Christmas (Warner Records) collection, which lifts 15-5 for a new peak position. Christmas features “DJ Play A Christmas Song,” which lifts 41-20 on the latest U.K. singles chart, an effort that sees the iconic entertainer become the first solo artist to achieve a top 40 hit with new material on the Official U.K. Singles Chart across seven consecutive decades, the Official Charts Company reports.
At 77 year and 7 months, Cher is also the oldest solo female performer to snag a top 40 U.K. single, besting previous record holder Shirley Bassey, who was 70 years, 4 months old when “The Living Tree” reached No. 37 in 2007.
The Whamageddon didn’t transpire in the U.K., as “Last Christmas” (Epic) finally claims the coveted Christmas No. 1 spot.
Wham’s holiday classic from 1984 holds at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Dec. 22, for its first Christmas-time stint at the summit.
According to the Official Charts Company, “Last Christmas” clocked up 13.3 million plays during the seven-day chart cycle – making it the most-streamed Christmas No. 1.
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It’s not the first time “Last Christmas” has reigned over the national tally; it first did so at the start of 2021, breaking a 36-year hoodoo, and returned to the top later in 2022.
Following its initial release, “Last Christmas” was famously beaten to the Christmas No. 1 by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” on which Wham’s co-founders George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley contributed.
With its latest feat, a full 39 years in the making, “Last Christmas” sets a new mark for the longest journey to the U.K. Christmas No. 1, the Official Charts Company reports.
Across its lifetime, the pop number has raked-in 5.34 million chart units, including 1.93 million sales and nearly 413 million streams, the OCC reports. It’s now the U.K.’s third biggest song of all time, behind Elton John’s “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” / “Candle in the Wind 1997” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” respectively.
With Wham taking the glory, Britain’s Eurovision 2022 entrant Sam Ryder misses out, as his Amazon Music Original “You’re Christmas To Me” (EastWest/Rhino) lifts 10-2, while Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia) completes the podium.
Predictably, Christmas tunes dominate the latest survey. Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s former leader “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic/EMI) improves 6-5; The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” (Rhino) featuring the late Kirsty MacColl dips 5-6; while holiday favorites from Brenda Lee, Michael Buble, Shakin’ Stevens, Andy Williams, Kelly Clarkson, Dean Martin, Chris Rea and more impact the top 40.
Finally, Cher cracks the top 20 — and cracks a new record — with “DJ Play A Christmas Song” (Warner Records). The legendary entertainer’s Xmas effort lifts 41-20, for her 34th U.K. top 40 single. At 77 year and 7 months, Cher is the oldest solo female performer to snag a top 40 U.K. single, the OCC reports.
Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) rises 2-1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 30), marking the fourth nonconsecutive week atop the list for the set. It earned 136,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 21 (up 25%) according to Luminate. The set, along with many of Swift’s titles, continues to benefit from vinyl sales encouraged by holiday shopping and promotions.
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1989 (Taylor’s Version) spent its first two weeks at No. 1 (Nov. 11-18), had another week in the lead on the Dec. 9 chart, and then bounces back to the top on the new chart.
Swift has a total of three albums in the top 10 on the new chart, as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is joined by former No. 1s Midnights (7-3 with 75,000 – up 31%) and Lover (9-7; 60,000 – up 22%).
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 Dec. 30, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Dec. 27, one day later than normal due to the Christmas Day holiday on Dec. 25. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 falls to No. 2 with 100,000 equivalent album units (down 56%) after debuting atop the list a week ago. Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 Christmas climbs 5-4 (70,000; up 10%), Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time bumps 6-5 (just over 64,000; up 2%), and Drake’s former leader For All the Dogs dips 3-6 (64,000; down 6%).
Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song ascends 11-8 (56,000 equivalent album units; up 17%), SZA’s former leader SOS falls 8-9 (54,000; up 2%), and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas returns to the top 10 for the first time this season, rising 12-10 (52,000; up 14%). Merry peaked at No. 3 in its initial chart run, on the Dec. 17, 1994-dated chart. This is the sixth consecutive season the album has revisited the top 10.
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.
Ado’s “Show” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Dec. 20, extending the song’s record to 11 weeks at the top.
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Despite an overall drop in points, the Universal Studios Japan Halloween event theme makes its comeback atop the list after slipping to No. 2 last week, boosted mainly by the mysterious singer’s recent string of appearances on TV, among other factors. The track holds at No. 1 for streaming for the 13th consecutive week, though figures are down by about 7% at 10,355,342 weekly streams. It’s also in its 11th straight week at No. 1 for video views, while also coming in at No. 3 for downloads (up 3%, 10,302 units) and No. 7 for karaoke.
YOASOBI has two tracks in the top 5 this week, with “Idol” at No. 2 and “The Brave” at No. 5. The former — Billboard Japan’s 2023 No. 1 Song of the Year — is still going strong and currently at No. 3 for streaming (down 5%, 8,225,278 streams), No. 11 for downloads (down 2%, 3,458 units), No. 2 for video, and No. 8 for radio.
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Sexy Zone’s “Jinsei Yuugi” debuts at No. 3 on the Japan Hot 100 with 203,299 copies sold in its first week. Although the group’s 25th single falls short of the first-week figures of its predecessor, “Honne to Tatemae,” the new song hits No. 1 for physical sales and comes in at No. 31 for video.
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Angerme’s “RED LINE” bows at No. 7 on the Japan Hot 100, launching with 70,397 CDs to hit No. 2 for the metric. The track is part of the Hello! Project group’s double A-side single RED LINE / Life is Beautiful! released Dec. 13 and also hits No. 13 for downloads with 3,302 units.
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Another debut at No. 8 this week is BUMP OF CHICKEN’s “Sleep Walking Orchestra,” the opening theme song for the upcoming anime series Delicious in Dungeon, set to begin airing in January. The anime is being shown in theaters for a limited three-week run starting Dec. 8. The veteran four-man band’s new number rules downloads with 14,494 units and is also at No. 1 for radio. While still not charting in the top 100 for streams, the number of listeners is expected to increase after the TV premiere of the series.
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The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Dec. 11 to 17, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
It’s the biggest honor that an act can claim on Billboard’s charts each year: the coveted No. 1 spot on the annual Top Artists recap.
As of 2023, the category ranks the year’s best-performing acts based on activity on the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Billboard Hot 100 songs survey, as well as Billboard Boxscore, which recaps touring data.
Taylor Swift rules the 2023 Top Artists tally, making history in the process: As the superstar previously reigned in 2015 and 2009, she is the first act to finish at No. 1 in three distinct decades, dating to the award’s origin in the year-end 1981 Billboard issue.
Further demonstrating Swift’s sustained success on Billboard’s charts, the span from her first Top Artists triumph in 2009 to her latest in 2023 marks the longest in the retrospective’s history.
Meanwhile, Swift and Adele are the only acts to achieve No. 1 successes on Top Artists three times each, as Adele won in 2011, 2012 and 2016.
Eight other artists have each earned the honor of leading Top Artists twice: 50 Cent (2003, 2005), Chris Brown (2006, 2008), Destiny’s Child (2000, 2001), Drake (2018, 2021), Garth Brooks (1992, 1993), New Kids on the Block (1989, 1990), Post Malone (2019, 2020) and Usher (1998, 2004).
Swift’s latest No. 1 finish on Top Artists follows Bad Bunny’s rule in 2022, when he became the first leading act that primarily records Spanish-language music.
From the first list in 1981 to 2023, browse every act that has dominated the annual Top Artists chart, as revealed in every year-end Billboard issue, encompassing superstars in pop, country, R&B/hip-hop, rock and more.
2023 – Taylor Swift
Image Credit: John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images
After two months at No. 2, a reunited RBD takes the lead as the highest grossing touring act of November. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, the group’s Soy Rebelde Tour grossed $71.1 million and sold 734,000 tickets from Nov. 3 to 30. The tour is the act’s first trek since 2008’s Tour del Adios.
Current through Nov. 30, the Soy Rebelde Tour has grossed $197.1 million since launching in August. About half a million dollars shy of Daddy Yankee’s 2022 farewell tour, RBD’s reunion will become the second-highest grossing tour by a Latin act once its December shows are reported, behind Bad Bunny‘s World’s Hottest Tour.
RBD’s monthly crown is due to hustle. Other than Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the perennial holiday favorite that includes two touring ensembles for either coast of the U.S., RBD played more shows in November than any act among the top 30. With 17 shows split between seven markets, the group earned its spot atop the heap by playing hard.
After sitting at No. 2 behind Beyoncé and Pink in September and October, respectively, RBD levels up, and its routing has much to do with it. Not only did the group play more shows than in either of the previous months, but after touring the U.S., RBD took on Latin America in November, transitioning to a primarily Spanish-language audience.
That move allowed RBD to move from arenas to stadiums, multiplying its nightly audience by more than two. In the U.S., the group paced about 18,000 tickets per night before rocketing to more than 43,000 each show in Colombia, Brazil and Mexico.
But the ticket pricing economy is much different in these geographical regions, and RBD’s average ticket price went from $241.30 in the U.S. to $96.81 in Latin America. In all, its average gross stayed almost the same, even dipping by 4%. But the pure volume of seats that RBD could sell made up the difference, giving RBD its first monthly win yet.
At No. 1 for November, RBD is only the third Latin act to lead the monthly Top Tours chart. Los Bukis first broke ground in September 2021, and Bad Bunny pushed the boundaries further, ruling in February, March, August and September of 2022. Aventura, Daddy Yankee, Maluma, and Rauw Alejandro have also hit the top five.
That means that RBD is the source for the genre’s first female artists to hit the top tier. The mixed-gender group’s reunion features original members Anahi, Dulce Maria and Maite Perroni, all hailing from Mexico. Beyond Latin music, they continue a hot streak for women atop the chart: after a nearly four-year drought, Beyoncé, Pink and RBD have kept women at No. 1 for six of the last seven months.
Beyond the No. 1 act, Pink and Madonna add support at Nos. 3 and 5, respectively. Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and in her monthly Boxscore debut, Doja Cat, follow. While a grand total of seven women acts in the top 30 doesn’t give them a majority, the 23.3% gender split is up from the 2023 year-end wrap, where women’s representation doubled from the previous year.
Doja leads a growing list of hip-hop acts on the Top Tours chart. Travis Scott, Rod Wave, Ms. Lauryn Hill & The Fugees and 50 Cent appear between Nos. 22-29. Though they miss the top 10, five rap acts on the chart foreshadow a promising year, when the genre’s share among the top 100 tours of 2023 dipped below 3%.
Four of RBD’s seven stops in November crack the 30-position Top Boxscores chart. Four shows at Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo, Brazil (Nov. 16-19) earned $17.4 million and sold 191,000 tickets, while another four at Estadio Antanasio Girardot (Medellin, Colombia; Nov. 3-6) took in $17.2 million from 150,000 tickets.
In Sao Paulo, RBD played another two shows at Estadio do Morumbi on Nov. 12-13, grossing $11 million. If the group had consolidated their Sao Paulo run at one venue, the combined gross would’ve given them the No. 1 spot with more than $28 million.
Instead, Mexico City’s Corona Capital festival took top honors among individual engagements, as the three-day festival grossed $26.5 million and sold 216,000 tickets. It’s followed by the final three shows of U2’s first leg at Las Vegas’ Sphere. Those shows earned $19.4 million, making up a small part of the $109 million run that began in late September. It’s enough to put Sphere at No. 4 on the Top Venues (15,001+ capacity) chart and situate U2 at No. 12 on Top Tours.
It was a banner month for Latin American shows. Not only did RBD and Corona Capital dominate Top Tours and Top Boxscores, Luis Miguel, Paul McCartney and Red Hot Chili Peppers all charted from shows south of the U.S. Even on Top Promoters, Mexico’s OCESA is No. 2 with $123.9 million and 1.5 million tickets sold, pushing perennial top-two candidate AEG Presents to No. 3, also above $100 million.
On the venue charts, Mexico City and Sao Paulo take the top four spots on Top Stadiums, plus Medellin’s Estadio Atanasio Girardo and Rio de Janeiro’s Estadio Nilton Santos at Nos. 6-7. The former market adds notices on three of the four capacity-based venue charts, notably with Auditorio Nacional at No. 2 among venues with a capacity between 5,001-10k.
Even more, the November recap captures a thriving global box office. Just among the month’s top five tours, RBD and Red Hot Chili Peppers hit Latin America, Coldplay played in Asia and Australia, Pink toured the U.S. and Canada, and Madonna celebrated in Europe. Only two of the top 10 – Morgan Wallen and The Trilogy Tour, starring Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Ricky Martin – played exclusively in the U.S. during November.