Chart Beat
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Megan Thee Stallion strikes back on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as “Cobra” debuts at No. 10 on the list dated Nov. 18. The rapper’s new release marks her first appearance on the multimetric chart, which blends streaming, radio airplay and sales into its calculations, through her independent Hot Girl label after she and her […]
Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine” returns to No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 dated Nov. 18, while Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” breaks into the top 10.
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The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity Nov. 6-12. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.
“My Love Mine All Mine” reaches No. 1 for a fourth week; three of those were consecutive upon the song’s initial ascent to the peak of the TikTok Billboard Top 50, but the Nov. 4 and 11 surveys instead featured Lil Mabu and Chrisean Rock’s “Mr. Take Ya B-tch” at No. 1.
Speaking of “Mr. Take Ya B-tch,” it drops to No. 2, while Aliyah’s Interlude’s “It Girl (Sped Up)” rises to No. 3, a new peak for the tune.
Ice Spice’s “Deli” and Bad Bunny’s “Monaco” also reach new highs, rounding out the top five at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
All five songs, however, have been in or around the top 10 of the TikTok Billboard Top 50 for the past four-plus weeks. Outside the top five are a handful of songs newer to the region, paced by Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which vaults 11-6 after debuting on the Nov. 11 tally after the beginning of November (and, as such, many users moving out of Halloween mode and into Christmas).
The Nov. 11 ranking also saw Wham!’s “Last Christmas” appear on the TikTok Billboard Top 50; concurrently, it jumps 42-19. But now, Carey and Wham! are joined by other holiday tunes in Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at No. 39 and Allan Sherman’s “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch (A Funny Christmas Song)” at No. 50.
Back to the top 10, Drake’s “Cameras/Good Ones Go (Interlude),” following a No. 15 debut Nov. 11, leaps to No. 8. Released on the rapper’s 2011 album Take Care, the song has found TikTok success in recent months via a trend using the CapCut editing app to quickly show different photos of the user in a given year.
“Cameras/Good Ones Go” did not reach the Billboard Hot 100 upon its original release. In the latest Billboard chart tracking week of Nov. 3-9, the song earned 1.8 million official U.S. streams, up 6%, according to Luminate. Comparatively, the song pulled 813,000 streams in the week ending Nov. 10, 2022.
It’s also the first time in the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 for Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills,” which initially debuted at No. 48 in October and previously rose as high as No. 18 (Nov. 11). Many of the uploads using the song utilize its “Baby, can you call me back? I miss you. It’s so lonely in my mansion” line, followed by a supercut of photos and/or videos — at times fictional characters in addition to real people.
“Agora Hills” has nearly rebounded on the Hot 100 after debuting at No. 18 on the Oct. 7 tally, most recently ranking at No. 20 (it dropped as low as No. 61 Oct. 21) with 12.1 million streams, a boost of 6%.
The week’s top debut, meanwhile, belongs to Katy Perry, whose “Wide Awake” bows at No. 14. One of Perry’s many singles from Teenage Dream (it peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in August 2012), “Wide Awake” is currently benefiting from a sped-up version, often using the lyrics “Thunder rumbling/ Castles crumbling/ I am trying to hold on” to reference past hardships while younger and overcoming them.
And as a potential preview of things to come, Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” bows at No. 23 following the first few days of its release Nov. 10. The sound was teased on TikTok prior to its official premiere as far back as Oct. 23, building hype for the song, whose full Billboard chart debut – including on the Hot 100 – will come on the Nov. 25-dated rankings next week.
See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here, including debuts from Lil Durk, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and more. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip. This week: Creed is getting bigger at streaming following their reunion news; a dance trend has boosted a nearly decade-old Boosie BadAzz track; and 50 Cent is helping TikTok users unpack love languages.
Can You Take Streams Higher? Creed’s Catalog Increases Thanks to Reunion News, Rangers & More
After more than a decade of relative silence, the past few months have been busy for Creed and their fans. In July, the best-selling rock group announced their first shows together since 2012, as the leaders of the Summer of ’99 cruise setting sail in April 2024. A few months later, Creed unveiled a full-fledged reunion tour, where they’ll bring hits like “Higher,” “With Arms Wide Open” and “My Sacrifice” to 40 cities across North America beginning next July.
The reunion news has coincided with a few sports-adjacent viral moments for the band in recent weeks: last month, the Texas Rangers’ World Series run was powered by blasting “Higher” on the team bus and before games, which snowballed into their stadium singing along to the Rangers’ unofficial anthem.
And recently, a 2022 TikTok from the user @MaceAhWindu, featuring an epic sing-along of the “Higher” chorus, has gone viral by being paired with various sports heroics. Here’s the clip being synched up with a touchdown run from Minnesota Vikings QB Josh Dobbs, which Dobbs then re-posted:
Whether due to the reunion tour news, the new memes or a combination of both, Creed’s streaming totals have experienced a considerable bump in recent week. During the week of the tour announcement (Oct. 27-Nov. 2), Creed’s catalog earned 9.03 million U.S. on-demand streams – a nearly 18% gain from the previous week, according to Luminate – and the following week (Nov. 3-9), that total climbed to 10.12 million weekly streams. Check out how much Creed’s streams have spiked over the course of 2023 – especially as the Texas Rangers run and reunion tour news coalesced in October:
We’re still about five months away from Creed’s first reunion shows, so we’ll see if those streams can go even higher – to a place with golden streets, perchance – in early 2024. – Jason Lipshutz
Boosie BadAzz Further Cements Cult Classic King Status With New Gains For Old Song
From “Wipe Me Down” to “Set It Off,” Boosie BadAzz hits have soundtracked multiple generations of college kickbacks and club nights alike. Now, thanks to an accidental dance trend, his nearly 10-year-old “Show da World” (with Kiara, Webbie and Lil’ Trill & Trill Family) is enjoying a major bump in streaming activity.
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According to Luminate, “Show da World” collected just over 200,000 on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Nov. 3-9, marking a 27.1% increase in streams compared to the period of Oct. 27-Nov. 2 (over 158,000 streams). For the past three weeks, “Show da World” has posted double-digit percentage point gains. On TikTok – where the trend originated – the song’s official sound plays in over 20,200 posts. User @whytayyy sparked the dance trend with casual choreography inspired by the Mr. WoopWoop-helmed dance move that helped sparked a mini streaming resurgence for Migos’ “Handsome & Wealthy” last month. The original video also featured a quirky blurb detailing a specific friendship dynamic, but the trend has already evolved to simply executing the dance.
It may still be too early to tell if “Show Da World” can enter the Billboard Hot 100, but with streaming gains of this nature, the track could very well be on pace to surpass its original peak of No. 35 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. – Kyle Denis
50 Cent & Benny Benassi Score Surprise Streaming Hit With “Baby By Me”
TikTok users always find new ways of expressing what makes them happy both romantically and sexually, and lately, they’re using Benny Benassi’s 2010 remix of 50 Cent’s Ne-Yo-assisted “Baby By Me” to do so.
According to Luminate, “Baby By Me” earned over 637,000 on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Nov. 3-9. That’s a 16.3% increase from the streaming total for the period of Oct. 27-Nov. 2. Last week marked the second consecutive week “Baby By Me” has pulled in over half a million streams – a particularly impressive feat considering the song was earning just over 100,000 streams during the period of Oct. 13-19.
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On TikTok – where creators use the song to soundtrack different ways their partners (or potential partners) speak to their love languages – the most popular “Baby By Me” sound boasts over 76,400 posts. This week, the song debuted at No. 46 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 – the first entry on the ranking for all credited artists. Back in 2009, “Baby By Me” served as the lead single for Before I Self Destruct, Fiddy’s fourth studio album. The song climbed to a peak of No. 28 on the Hot 100 – while reaching the top 10 of both Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs – and eventually received its Benny Benassi remix just in time for New Years (Jan. 1, 2010).
With streaming still on the uptick, “Baby By Me” is well-positioned to scale even greater heights on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 and beyond. – K.D.
Alejandro Fernández achieves his seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Difícil Tu Caso” advances from No. 3 to lead the Nov. 18-dated ranking.
The ranchera ballad checks into the penthouse as the Greatest Gainer for the week with a 28% boost in audience impressions, to 7.85 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 9, according to Luminate.
“Dificil Tu Caso” unseats Maná and Eden Muñoz’s “Amor Clandestino,” after the song’s one week in command. It drops 1-5 with 4.8 million impressions, down 28%.
“Difícil,” composed by Edgar Barrera, Luis Mejía and Iván Gámez, grants Fernández his seventh champ, the second-most for a male soloist in the 2020s decade. The song was released Sept. 1 and hits No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay in its 10th week.
Here’s the list of all artists with the most champs on Regional Mexican Airplay this decade where Calibre 50 paces the race:
10, Calibre 509, Grupo Firme8, Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga8, Christian Nodal7, Alejandro Fernández5, Grupo Frontera
“Difícil” follows one other No. 1 in 2023, “No Es Que Me Quiera,” which likely topped Regional Mexican Airplay for one week in August. Let’s review all of Fernández’s No. 1s since his first in 2020:
Peak, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1Jan. 11, 2020, “Caballero,” 1April 25, 2020, “Te Olvidá,” 2Oct. 24, 2020, “Decepciones,” with Calibre 50, 1April 24, 2021, “Duele,” with Christian Nodal, 1Sept. 17, 2022, “Nunca Dudes En Llamarme,” with La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De Rene Camacho, 1Aug. 5, 2023, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir,” 1Nov. 18, 2023, “Difícil Tu Caso,” 1
“Difícil” also continues its successful rise on the all-Latin genre Latin Airplay tally, with a 9-5 jump, its second week in the top 10.
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Billboard has more than 200 different weekly charts, encompassing numerous genres and formats.
While established artists often compete for a spot on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and Billboard 200 albums ranking, which track the most popular songs and albums of the week, respectively, up-and-coming talents typically start off on genre-specific lists.
Here’s a look at 10 artists who appear on surveys for the first time on the Nov. 18-dated charts:
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Matt Rogers
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The comedian, actor and podcaster is officially a Billboard-charting artist for the first time, thanks to the new companion album to his holiday comedy special Have You Heard of Christmas? While the special was released Dec. 2, 2022, on Showtime, the set debuts at No. 5 on Comedy Albums following its release on vinyl and for download on Nov. 3. It earned 1,000 equivalent album units in the Nov. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Have You Heard of Christmas? is a TV special containing original songs, stand-up and comedy sketches, along with guest stars Bowen Yang, Jo Firestone, Henry Koperski and more. The album features nine original holiday-themed tracks.
Rogers is the co-host of the pop culture podcast Las Culturistas with Yang. He has also starred in the film Fire Island and the TV series Gayme Show, Q-Force and more.
Mark Mothersbaugh
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The legendary singer, songwriter, composer and producer is already a household name thanks to his work as the lead vocalist for Devo, but he landed his first solo appearance on a Billboard chart via his “Halloweentown Theme,” from the 1998 Disney Channel original movie, Halloweentown. The song debuted at No. 24 on the Nov. 11-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart, thanks to activity on the platform surrounding the holiday.
Devo, which Mothersbaugh formed in 1973 in Akron, Ohio, with his brother Bob, brothers Bob and Gerald Casale, and Alan Myers, charted three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s: “Whip It” (No. 14 peak in 1980), “Working in the Coal Mine” (No. 43, 1981) and “Theme From Doctor Detroit” (No. 59, 1983). The group has also logged nine albums on the Billboard 200, in 1978-2010.
Outside of Devo, Mothersbaugh has forged a career as a composer for hundreds of film, TV, commercial and video game projects through his company, Mutato Muzika. His 2023 projects alone include the films Cocaine Bear and The Magicians Elephant and the series Disenchantment, Hello Tomorrow!, Our Flag Means Death, Summer Camp Island and What We Do in the Shadows.
Kelsey Hart
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The singer-songwriter, from Central City, Ky., scores his first Billboard chart entry, thanks to his breakout song “Life With You.” The track, released Nov. 3 on Curb Records, debuts at No. 9 on Country Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads sold in its first week. He also debuts at No. 41 on the Emerging Artists chart.
TikTok has been a factor in the song’s growing profile. Hart teased various snippets of the song for weeks leading up to its official release, while a portion of the song has soundtracked over 11,000 clips on the platform to date. He released his first project, the five-track EP Give You Mine, in February 2022. Since then, he has released seven other songs on streaming platforms, including “Life With You.”
Hotline TNT
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The Brooklyn-based indie rock/shoegaze group hits Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to its sophomore LP, Cartwheel. The set, released Nov. 3 on Third Man Records, debuts at No. 11 on Tastemakers Albums. The group also arrives at No. 38 on Emerging Artists.
Hotline TNT is led by Will Anderson, who’s also the sole permanent member of the group—he’s joined by a rotating backing band. Before Cartwheel, the band dropped its debut full-length LP Nineteen in Love in 2021.
Turbo
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The Atlanta producer (real name: Chandler Great) has already built a successful career on Billboard’s charts as a producer, but he claims his first entry under an artist billing thanks to his new collaboration with Gunna, “Bachelor.” The song, released Nov. 3 via Young Stoner Life/300 Entertainment, debuts at No. 40 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 3.6 million official U.S. streams earned in its first week.
Turbo has produced 24 total Hot 100-charting songs in his career, including one top 10: Lil Baby and Gunna’s No. 4-peaking “Drip Too Hard” in 2018. On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, he is credited as a producer on 28 hits. His production work may be recognizable by the phrase “run that back Turbo” at the onset of many songs by Gunna and Lil Baby. He has also worked with Lil Yachty, Moneybagg Yo, Travis Scott and Young Thug, among others.
In 2019, Turbo signed a worldwide co-publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. “Turbo is one of the most prominent hip-hop producers to break over the last year,” Warner Chappell Music president, North America, Ryan Press said at the time. “His signature sound is a game changer, attracting trailblazing artists and influential fans alike to his music.”
Andrew Cottee
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The composer, arranger and conductor achieves his first Billboard chart hit, thanks to his work on Seth McFarlane and Liz Gillies’ album We Wish You the Merriest. The holiday set, released Nov. 3 via Fuzzy Door/Verve/Republic/VLG, debuts at No. 20 on Jazz Albums and No. 46 on the Top Holiday Albums chart with 1,000 equivalent album units earned in its opening week.
The album, billed as Seth MacFarlane & Liz Gillies Arranged and Conducted by Andrew Cottee, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and contains 13 holiday standards, from “The Christmas Song” to “Frosty the Snowman,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and more. MacFarlane and Gillies previously teamed on the EP Songs From Home in 2021, but this project marks their first full-length collaboration.
Cottee has many film, TV and theater credits to his name, including the score for MacFarlane’s series The Orville, plus the 2016 film Sing, and the Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea. He was also the orchestrator for Paul McCartney’s ballet Ocean’s Kingdom.
Shy Taupe
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The Japanese pop-rock group, from Osaka, earns its first chart entry, thanks to “Rendez-Vous.” Released in April on shytaupe Records, the song debuts at No. 197 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with 7.6 million official streams outside the U.S. The band has released 12 songs on streaming services, dating to “Margarine” and “Room” in June 2022. The band comprises Sasaki Sou (vocals/guitar), Fukunaga Masaki (bass) and Takato Man (drums).
Lucy Grau
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The Miami-based singer lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with her breakthrough single “Qué Será de Ti.” The song, released Sept. 15 on Betania Music Group/ONErpm, debuts at No. 20 on Tropical Airplay (up 101% in airplay audience in the Nov. 3-9 tracking week). Grau has released three solo albums: Alocada in 2013, Lucy Grau in 2015 and A Peticion… in 2018.
JZyNO & Lasmid
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Both artists debut on Billboard’s rankings thanks to their collaboration, “Butta My Bread.” Released in April, the song debuts at No. 50 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
JZyNO (real name: Jonathan Lee Pratt), from Liberia, has been releasing music since 2019. He dropped his debut EP, the six-track Brown Sugar, in 2021. Lasmid (real name: Nathaniel Ladsmid Owusu), from Ghana, is also a chart newcomer. He has released nine solo tracks, all since 2020, and has collaborated with acts including Amerado, Fazil and Kixx Alphah.
Usher completes an R&B/hip-hop radio takeover as “Good Good,” featuring Summer Walker and 21 Savage, ascends to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The track climbs from No. 3 to lead the list dated Nov. 18, after a 20% improvement in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending Nov. 9, according to Luminate.
With the coronation, “Good Good” has now topped all three of Billboard’s core R&B/hip-hop airplay charts. Prior to its Adult R&B Airplay reign, the single ruled the plays-based Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and audience-based R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts for two weeks each. It’s the second song this year to pull off the triple-play, following Tems’ “Free Mind.”
Thanks to “Good Good,” Usher achieves his eighth No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay, pushing him into a five-way tie for the second-most champs among male artists in the chart’s history. He now equals Bruno Mars, Kem, Maxwell and Tank’s career totals on the radio ranking, with all just one behind Charlie Wilson’s nine leaders. Among all acts, Alicia Keys ranks first, with 14 No. 1s.
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As “Good Good” brings Usher more good news on the charts, here’s an updated review of his No. 1 collection on Adult R&B Airplay:
“Here I Stand,” seven weeks at No. 1, beginning Dec. 6, 2008“Papers,” three, Jan. 2, 2010“There Goes My Baby,” one, July 31, 2010“Climax,” one, July 7, 2012“Don’t Waste My Time,” featuring Ella Mai, two, June 13, 2020“Bad Habits,” one, Dec. 5, 2020“GLU,” two, June 24, 2023“Good Good,” featuring Summer Walker & 21 Savage, one (to date), Nov. 18, 2023
Summer Walker claims her third Adult R&B Airplay No. 1. She first led through another guest spot on Trey Songz’ “Back Home,” a three-week champ in 2020, and followed with her own “Unloyal,” with Ari Lennox, which led for one frame in 2022.
21 Savage, meanwhile, nabs his first Adult R&B Airplay champ with his first entry on the list.
“Good Good” will appear on Usher’s next album, Coming Home, which will be released on Feb. 11, the same day that the superstar will headline the halftime show of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nev.
Shakira’s dominance on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart strengthens this week as “El Jefe,” with Fuerza Regida, extends her record for the most No. 1s among women in the chart’s history. The cross-genre track pushes 5-1 on the chart dated Nov. 18 and sends Karol G’s “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” to No. 2 after two weeks in charge.
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“El Jefe” advances with an 18% gain in audience impressions, to 10.3 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 9, according to Luminate. It gives Fuerza Regida its second champ: “Bebe Dame,” with Grupo Frontera, took the Mexican American regional Mexican band to No. 1 for one week in March. In between, the group scored another top 10, “Mentira No Es,” with Banda MS (No. 6 high last July).
With the new ruler, Shakira improves her career total of Latin Airplay No. 1s to 21. She remains atop the leaderboard for the most No. 1s among women since the chart launched in 1994. Now she ties with Romeo Santos for eighth-most overall. Here’s a review of the artists with the most rulers on the all- Latin airplay tally, a record mostly male- dominated:
36, J Balvin33, Ozuna32, Enrique Iglesias28, Daddy Yankee23, Maluma22, Bad Bunny22, Wisin21, Romeo Santos21, Shakira18, Ricky Martin
Elsewhere, “El Jefe” enters the top 10 on Regional Mexican Airplay, at No. 9. Shakira picks up her first top 10 there, while Regida secures its seventh.
In addition to its radio growth, “El Jefe” has achieved multiple top 10s across Billboard charts: No. 1 on Latin Digital Song Sales, No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, digital sales, and streaming activity, and on Latin Streaming Songs, all on the Oct. 7-dated lists.
Marshmello scores his fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart as his new album, Sugar Papi, debuts atop the Nov. 18-dated ranking. The set, released Nov. 3 via Joytime Collective/Sony Music Latin, is his first Latin project, and concurrently earns the DJ/producer a first entry on any Latin albums chart, with a No. 9 launch on Top Latin Albums and a No. 5 bow on Latin Rhythm Albums. It also debuts at No. 97 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
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The 11-track set features such Latin stars as Anuel AA, Farruko, Fuerza Regida, Nicky Jam and Manuel Turizo. Ten of the 11 tunes are collaborations with artists who record in Spanish, while one track is a team-up with Brazilian artist Luisa Sonza, who records in Portuguese.
Sugar Papi debuts on all four lists with 11,000 equivalent units earned in the U.S. during the Nov. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.
Most of Sugar Papi’s opening unit sum is driven by streaming activity, which equals to 15.4 million official streams of the set’s songs, while the remainder balance stems from album sales and track-equivalent album units. One unit equals to one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.
Marshmello previously hit No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums with Joytime III (one week, 2019), Marshmello: Fortnite Extended Set (20 weeks, 2019; currently tied with Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind for the most weeks at No. 1 among solo male artists), and Joytime II (one week, 2018).
With a fourth No. 1, Marshmello ties Aphex Twin for the second-most leaders among male solo artists, behind Louie DeVito’s seven champs.
The set was preceded by two songs: “El Merengue,” with Manuel Turizo, which spent 13 weeks atop the Tropical Airplay chart – the second-longest-leading No. 1 on Tropical Airplay in 2023 (Chayanne’s “Bailando Bachata” remains at the lead in its 14th week), while “Esta Vida,” with Farruko, reached a No. 2 high on Latin Pop Airplay. The tracks peaked at Nos. 24 and 42, respectively, on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, while topping out at Nos. 5 and 10 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
Further, one other song makes its debut on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart: “Harley Quinn,” with Fuerza Regida, surges 13-2 as the Greatest Gainer/Sales & Streaming song of the week. The track logged 10.2 million streams in the U.S. during the same period, enough to also place it in the runner-up slot on Latin Streaming Songs.
Post Malone scores his first hit on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Nov. 18), as his duet with the late Joe Diffie on the latter’s 1990s classic “Pickup Man” debuts at No. 54.
The song, billed as Joe Diffie featuring Post Malone, and released Nov. 9 via Mercury/Republic/Big Loud Records, arrives with 826,000 country format audience impressions in the Nov. 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate. It debuts after just one day of tracking.
Post Malone performed the song at the 57th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 8, alongside Morgan Wallen and HARDY. The latter two artists also covered Diffie’s “John Deere Green.” The trio performed in tribute to Diffie, who died in March 2020 after a battle with COVID-19. His original versions of “Pickup Man” and “John Deere Green” hit Nos. 1 and 5, respectively, on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1994.
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Both updates (with Diffie’s vocals recorded in 2006) are set to appear on the third iteration of HARDY’s Hixtape series, Hixtape Volume 3: Difftape, due March 29, 2024. The first, Hixtape, Vol. 1, reached No. 35 on the Top Country Albums chart in 2019 and features songs by 17 country acts, including Wallen, Trace Adkins, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell and Keith Urban.
As Post Malone debuts on Country Airplay for the first time, he has now charted on 15 different Billboard radio surveys in his career: Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, Adult Contemporary, Rock & Alternative Airplay, Alternative Airplay, Adult Alternative Airplay, Mainstream Rock Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay, Rap Airplay, Latin Airplay, Dance/Mix Show Airplay, Country Airplay and the all-format Radio Songs chart.
Of those 15 rankings, he has hit No. 1 on 11: Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, Adult Contemporary, Alternative Airplay, Adult Alternative Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay, Rap Airplay, Dance/Mix Show Airplay and Radio Songs.
Billboard has 25 total radio charts. The only ones on which Post Malone hasn’t yet charted are Adult R&B Airplay, Christian Airplay, Christian AC Airplay, Gospel Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, Latin Rhythm Airplay, Regional Mexican Airplay, Tropical Airplay, Smooth Jazz Airplay and Holiday Airplay.
Dating to when Luminate began tracking airplay data in 1990, Pharrell holds the record for reaching the most radio charts, with 18. Adele and Mariah Carey are next (17 each), followed by Beyoncé, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Bruno Mars, Santana and Timbaland (16 each). The artists to chart on 15 radio charts each: Christina Aguilera, Akon, Justin Bieber (with a notable country crossover of his own this decade), Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shaggy and Snoop Dogg.
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Recorded back then, a top 10 hit now: The Beatles’ “Now and Then” has returned the music legends to the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at No. 7 on this week’s chart. Billed as the final Beatles song, “Now and Then” was first recorded as a demo by John Lennon in 1977, and was completed decades later by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, with George Harrison’s guitar parts also incorporated into the final track.
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With the No. 7 debut, “Now and Then” becomes The Beatles’ 35th top 10 hit, and their first in 27 years. What does the future hold for “Now and Then” as viewed within the context of the band’s catalog? And will more classic artists try to revive older demos with newer technology? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
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1. On a scale of 1-10 – 1 being crushed, 10 being elated – how excited should Beatles fans be about a No. 7 Hot 100 debut for “Now and Then,” considering the fanfare surrounding the release of the “final Beatles song”?
Eric Renner Brown: A 7? A 3? I’m not sure. It’s like that Don Draper “I don’t think of you at all” meme from Mad Men – I doubt fans are as invested in The Beatles’ performance on the chart as pop stans are for their favorites, and for executives, the part of the equation where chart position indicates current popularity or aids future success isn’t relevant here. It’s The Beatles! I doubt Hot 100 position matters much to them or their fans.
Gil Kaufman: 5 – Have to give it a neutral rating because, on the one hand, true Beatlebums have to be gobsmacked that a “new” song from their beloved band didn’t come in at No. 1! How in this universe could this song not top EVERY chart across the universe after such a long wait?! Then again, in the streaming era of the here today/gone later today music machine, a dusty, mechanically manipulated, decades-old demo of a sleepy song they rejected at least once before charting at all is pretty sweet, all considering.
Jason Lipshutz: An 8. “Now and Then” received a high-profile rollout and release, and obviously The Beatles remain culturally enormous, but still, this is a polished demo that was originally recorded over 40 years ago, so a top 10 debut is pretty remarkable. I only docked two points because landing at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Now and Then” would have not only been surreal for the Fab Four, but also extended their record of Hot 100 chart-toppers – the Beatles still have the most at 20 No. 1s, but every year, modern artists like Taylor Swift and Drake creep closer to that mark. Joe Lynch: A 9. As a lifelong Beatles devotee who liked but didn’t love “Now and Then,” I was still pretty excited to see this peak. It’s wild that 59 years after their first Hot 100 chart-topper they’re going top 10 with a new song. Hopes for it going No. 1 were a bit unreasonable: its Thursday release meant that first-week interest was split into two tracking periods (since the weekly charts begin a new tracking period each Friday); plus, it’s not exactly radio catnip, being a more melancholic tune than an earworm. (And really, does anyone think this deserves to be a new No. 1 in the Beatles catalog, which is regarded with almost Biblical reverence?) A top 10 entry – their record-extending 35th – is a perfect peak for this song.
Katie Atkinson: I’ll go with a 7 for No. 7! Yes, this was the “final Beatles song,” but there were also quite a few factors working against it, like its international premiere coming on Thursday morning, almost a full day before the U.S. chart tracking week begins. Plus, this is not an upbeat, poppy Beatles song. It’s emotional, yes, but not as melodically memorable as The Beatles’ biggest hits, or as their ’90s song releases. All things considered, I think a top 10 debut is a big win.
2. “Now and Then” debuts in the top 10 with 11 million streams, 2.1 million in radio reach and 73,000 physical and digital singles in its first full week. Do you think the song enjoyed a one-week burst in attention, or could you see it persisting as a new hit?
Eric Renner Brown: I’ve been wrong before, but this feels like a one-week burst in attention. I wouldn’t consider myself a Beatles obsessive, but I’m certainly a huge fan – the listen-to-all-the-demos-on-the-new-reissues tier fan – and “Now and Then” feels… completely inessential to me. The Beatles’ sound isn’t exactly in the zeitgeist either, currently. I don’t see it catching steam as a genuine hit, and I don’t see diehards listening to it enough to sustain a strong chart position.
Gil Kaufman: I think this track was lucky to come in with those numbers, which, honestly, feel tame-to-flop-ish considering the relentless hype around it. Keep in mind that a week before, a “From the Vault” song from Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version), “Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version),” debuted with 32 million streams and 4.7 million radio airplay impressions. Yes, she is a modern star, but The Beatles are forever stars – so given the tepid reaction, this song feels like a novelty with short legs that will slowly fade after the initial hype.
Jason Lipshutz: Probably a one-week burst, but since I’m generally in favor of “Now and Then” as a pop artifact, I could see the song performing well on streaming and sales platforms, and scoring a few scattered radio plays, over the next few months. Unreleased Beatles songs don’t come around very often, and “Now and Then” could catch on – maybe not as a new hit, but as a totem of fan appreciation, that spends extended time near the top of their catalog’s streams and sales figures.
Joe Lynch: I don’t think it’s going to disappear into nothingness. Interest in the song, and its inclusion on the expanded edition of the so-called Beatles Blue Album, will linger as the curious and the fanatical revisit what’s been promised as the final Beatles song. Do I think it will persist as a “hit”? No. As Christmas music encroaches on the Hot 100 and excitement over this song wanes, its Hot 100 life will be akin to Jimmy Nicol’s time with the Fab Four. Katie Atkinson: I’m thinking a one-week burst, though I imagine radio could hang around on certain formats (that is, if all of the AC stations playing it haven’t already made the switch to holiday music). As an aside, I hope Beatles fans aren’t sleeping on the new Red and Blue Album greatest-hits revamps that came out last week too, because the updated audio on those classic songs makes it sound like hearing them for the first time. If “Now and Then” just has a one-week pop of interest, those collections deserve to be an in-demand holiday gift over the next month-plus and years to come.
3. What were your expectations for “Now and Then” – and now that you’ve had over a week to experience it, would you say that the song met them?
Eric Renner Brown: I had no expectations. We have so many brilliant Beatles songs that aren’t going anywhere, and getting more – beyond the expanded reissues, which have troves of fascinating, curio-level demos and outtakes – was never a possibility I considered seriously. I can’t say that I’m disappointed, because I didn’t have any hopes for the song. But my lack of anticipation hasn’t made this a pleasantly-surprised-by-default situation. There’s an uncanny valley aspect to the whole endeavor that just makes me feel weird. Maybe I’d feel differently if the song was good enough to make me look past that.
Gil Kaufman: Knowing what I knew about the song, and then learned about its creation pre-release, it’s pretty much what I expected. It’s no revelation or holy grail, but it is a nice, sweet coda to the greatest rock story of all time. It didn’t change any perceptions or reveal anything monumental, but it sure was nice to hear Lennon’s vocals one last time. I wasn’t expecting that much and it lived up to those expectations. Won’t turn it off if it comes on, but won’t go looking for it, either.
Jason Lipshutz: My expectations were pretty low for “Now and Then” – they usually are for excavated demos – so to have the song join my regular rotation and bask in its pensive beauty has been quite the pleasant surprise. “Now and Then” is not a Beatles classic, but it was never going to be; instead, we have a collection of lovely melodies and luxurious production, packaged as a coda in 2023 but likely going to last as a charming deep cut in the years to come. Joe Lynch: As someone who greets the inevitable onslaught of AI-assisted resurrections with a grim resolution, I was relieved. AI was only used to clean up imperfections on shoddy tape, not to recreate or mimic anyone’s voice or guitar. (Incidentally, AI was used in precisely the same way on Peter Jackson’s justly celebrated Get Back documentary in 2021.) The song itself lacks the immediate melodicism that one associates with the Beatles, even on their filler tracks, but it’s likable in a swan song-y way. Given that my expectations existed in the space between dread and anxiety, I’m happy the song is well-intentioned, well-executed and solid. And for anyone claiming this is a stain on their legacy, well, you’re clearly not familiar with the 1982 abomination “The Beatles’ Movie Medley,” a Capitol-sanctioned single that somehow hit No. 12 on the Hot 100.
Katie Atkinson: I didn’t have any expectations about what it would sound like, but I was surprised that it’s such a quiet song. I now understand why “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” got the nod as the ’90s song releases, because they’re more in line with some of The Beatles’ poppier songs, but I was mostly impressed by the emotional wallop of “Now and Then.” The way it was set up with the mini-documentary and the backstory about how all four Beatles contributed to the song over the decades was so poignant. It feels like an unexpectedly sweet gift from a band that truly owes fans nothing more than they’ve already brought to the world.
4. Considering that “Now and Then” scored a top 10 debut after it was first recorded as a demo in 1977, and completed decades later thanks to new technology, do you think we’re about to see an influx of classic artists using AI and modern software to perfect and release older material?
Eric Renner Brown: I fully expect there to be an influx, especially considering the swell in repurposing old hits for new ones. Audiences are more nostalgic now than ever. So many classic artists are gone, and the ones who are still around aren’t getting any younger. But ultimately, I don’t see this method being any more successful long-term on the charts than the outtakes dumps we see on reissues – that is to say, I don’t expect them to be successful, really. Many truly great artists achieved that distinction in part through outstanding quality control, and I think that when listeners dig beyond what artists released, they quickly discover previously unreleased material was shelved for a reason. Put another way: The Beatles could only debut at No. 7, and with a solid song. What “new” song from a classic artist would have a bigger draw than a “new,” respectable Beatles song?
Gil Kaufman: Probably, but this feels like such a unique, one-off kind of thing I hope we don’t start digging into the crates for unfinished songs from beloved artists that won’t significantly add to their legacies, if not outright despoil them. A good friend who is a major rock band manager once told me, “If they didn’t release it as a single or even include it 11 tracks deep, you probably don’t need/want to hear it.”
Jason Lipshutz: Probably, although most of those attempts won’t likely achieve the chart impact of “Now and Then,” simply because no other artists possess The Beatles’ timeless stature. If technology allows artists to revisit garbled or incomplete material and freshen it up, though, they should do it, by all means. Why leave something on the cutting room floor if you feel like you now have the tools and desire to make it presentable to the world? Joe Lynch: Absolutely. Anyone pretending AI isn’t going to change the reissue/remaster/catalog game has their head in the sand. I fear – well, let’s be honest, know – that ethical questions about dead artists and AI will be secondary to profitability, but I’m heartened to see that in this case, everyone’s priorities seemed straight. AI was used to improve a worn-out tape, not to create anything new. Fingers crossed that those in charge of the estates of our late icons take the same care when using AI for potential future releases.
Katie Atkinson: It is exciting to think that this technology could salvage spotty archival audio from late legends, especially with the blessing of living collaborators and family members like in this case. I think hearing those two letters – “AI” – from Paul McCartney in an interview months ago scared a lot of music purists, but seeing this materialize feels like the best-case scenario for how the technology can be used.
5. Fill in the blank: the long-dormant artist who I’d be most excited to get a “final” new song from would be _______. Eric Renner Brown: Robert Johnson… there have to be more 78s out there somewhere.
Gil Kaufman: Kurt Cobain. Duh. Despite my previous answer.
Jason Lipshutz: Daft Punk. If our favorite French robots unveiled one final dance single before officially hanging up their helmets, I would expect a full-on, five-alarm banger. Let’s hope that they have even more than that for us someday, though.
Joe Lynch: Led Zeppelin. The reissues have shown us that plenty of material was left on the floor, and there’s gotta be some bonkers Bonzo drumming out there that the remaining three-fourths of the band could finish off.
Katie Atkinson: Freddie Mercury with Queen. Knowing how active the band has remained, just wrapping up a new tour with Adam Lambert, the idea of getting to hear Freddie’s restored vocals on one more bombastic Queen hit is very tempting.