State Champ Radio Chart Beat
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(G)I-DLE collects its fourth top 10-charting album on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated March 16), as the South Korean pop group’s latest release, 2, debuts at No. 4 with 8,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending March 7, according to Luminate.
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Also in the top 10 of the latest Top Album Sales chart, Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson lands his first solo top 10 as his new set The Mandrake Project bows at No. 5. Plus, ScHoolboy Q’s new Blue Lips starts at No 6, marking his fourth top 10-charting effort.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
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TWICE’s With YOU-th holds at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with nearly 17,000 sold (down 82%), after debuting atop the list a week ago. LE SSERAFIM’s Easy is also a non-mover, sitting at No. 2 in its second week with 10,500 (down 69%). Taylor Swift’s chart-topping 1989 (Taylor’s Version) rises 6-3 with nearly 9,000 (down 5%).
(G)I-DLE’s 2 debuts at No. 4 with 8,500 sold – essentially all from CD sales. The set was available in four collectible CD editions, including one Target-exclusive variant. All packages contained branded paper merchandise, some of which is randomized.
Dickinson’s The Mandrake Project starts at No. 5 with 8,000 sold, landing the Iron Maiden singer his first solo top 10 effort. The set was available to purchase as a standard digital album, in four CD variations (a standard edition, two with enhanced packaging, and one with a signed insert), and a pair of vinyl LPs (including one with a signed insert).
ScHoolboy Q’s Blue Lips debuts at No. 6 with nearly 8,000 sold – with more than half of that sum from vinyl sales (4,000 – his best week ever on vinyl). The set was issued in just one vinyl edition, pressed on translucent blue-colored vinyl.
Four former No. 1s round out the latest top 10: Swift’s Lover is steady at No. 7 (7,000; down 2%), Swift’s Folklore rises 9-8 (6,000; up 2%), Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts jumps 16-9 (5,500; up 14%) and Swift’s Midnights dips 8-10 (nearly 5,500; down 10%).
In the week ending March 7, there were 1.153 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 9.6% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 850,000 (down 12.9%) and digital albums comprised 304,000 (up 1.4%).
There were 442,000 CD albums sold in the week ending March 7 (down 17.1% week-over-week) and 403,000 vinyl albums sold (down 7.9%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 4.318 million (down 30.3% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 4.601 million (down 47.8%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 11.936 million (down 36% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 8.963 million (down 40.6%) and digital album sales total 2.973 million (down 16.2%).
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated March 23), Ariana Grande’s first album since 2020 may end up having the biggest immediate impact of the still-early calendar year.
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Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine (Republic): For a minute there, it looked like Ariana Grande might get lost in the shuffle a little bit. Not that one of the biggest pop stars of the last decade was ever gonna get totally overshadowed, but between the time she announced the release of Eternal Sunshine and when the album actually dropped last Friday (March 8), a whole lot of stuff happened elsewhere in pop’s A list. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Ye all also announced new albums for February and March, and the latter two scored Hot 100-topping breakout hits from them – both of which were much bigger in the culture than Grande’s own No. 1 lead single “Yes, And?,” which fell out of the top 10 in just its third week and has yet to return to the region.
But Grande is more of a full-albums artist now – arguably has been since at least Sweetener in 2018 – and so far, it seems that the positive reception to Eternal Sunshine from fans and critics is helping the album get off to an impressive start. The album of course debuted with all of its tracks littering the real-time charts on Spotify and Apple Music, but more impressive than its first day is how well the set is still doing four days later, with six of its songs still in the top 15 on Spotify and three in Apple — led by second single “We Can’t Be Friends,” which has risen since its release and has been duking it out with Ye & Co’s “Carnival” for the top spot on both charts.
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Grande’s very busy and visible weekend – following several years of mostly being out of the spotlight — helped her get the word out about Eternal Sunshine (and “We Can’t Be Friends” in particular) in its first few days of release. On Friday, she released the video for “Friends,” which drew attention for its co-star Evan Peters and for its take on multiple scenes from the classic 2004 surrealist rom-com Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that the album gets its name from. Then on Saturday, she made her first appearance of the decade on Saturday Night Live, performing “Friends” and late-album highlight “Imperfect for You,” and also appearing in multiple sketches. Then on Sunday, she presented (alongside her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo) at the Oscars – not actively promoting her new set, but generally adding to the Weekend of Ariana with her presence on the weekend’s most-watched event.
Helping her first-week numbers even more than all the heavy cultural exposure should be the multiple variants in which the set is available for purchase. That includes six different vinyl LPs, five with alternate covers (including a Target-exclusive cover; the other four being exclusive to her webstore), as well as five different CDs, four with alternate covers, and one signed CD (all CDs being exclusive to her webstore). In addition, a “slightly deluxe” digital version of Sunshine dropped over the weekend with four additional tracks — all remixes and alternate versions of songs on the standard album, including the previously released Mariah Carey-featuring remix of “Yes, And?” and a version of “Supernatural” with her former “Dance to This” collaborator Troye Sivan.
As easily the biggest new release of the week, this should all be enough to secure Grande her sixth Billboard 200 No. 1 album in seven tries. (Dangerous Woman was her lone official LP to fall short, debuting at No. 2 behind Republic labelmate Drake’s Views in 2016.) Sunshine’s consistent performance on streaming throughout the week may also help nudge it past the 174,000 units that its predecessor, 2020’s Positions, posted in its first week, and will likely help it easily clear the 148,000 units moved by Ye & Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 1 in its February debut week, making it the best-performing album bow of the year thus far.
IN THE MIX
Judas Priest, Invincible Shield (Columbia/Epic): The week’s biggest non-Grande debut may come from metal legends and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Judas Priest, who dropped the 19th album of their 50-plus-year career with Invincible Shield. The album will not likely have much of a presence on streaming, but should sell fairly well – helped by five vinyl variants, including an indie retailer exclusive red-color vinyl and an artist-webstore-only picture disc, as well as three CD editions, including exclusives for both Target and Amazon.
Norah Jones, Visions (Blue Note): Two decades ago, Norah Jones sold over a million copies in the first week of her sophomore album Feels Like Home, coming off the RIAA multi-platinum-certified success of her blockbuster Come Away With Me debut. Her commercial returns should be significantly more muted 20 years later for ninth album Visions, but the album has received strong reviews for its rawer, more rock-oriented sound, and is available for purchase in both three CD versions and four vinyl variants, including exclusives for indie retailers and for Barnes & Noble.
Bleachers, Bleachers (Bleachers Band Recording/Dirty Hit): Jack Antonoff has been a writer and producer on some of the biggest albums of the 2020s so far – particularly multiple from increasingly close artistic partner Taylor Swift – but has yet to see that type of crossover success translate to his own primary artistic project, Bleachers. He tries again this week with the self-titled Bleachers, the outfit’s first release since moving to U.K. indie label Dirty Hit (home of recent Antonoff collaborators The 1975) — which has at least seven different vinyl variants (in assorted colors, with alternative covers and four bonus tracks), as well as a signed CD, three CDs housed in deluxe packaging and a pair of deluxe CD boxed sets, both shaped like pizza boxes with a branded T-shirt inside.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, 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: Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine rises on streaming, the Oscars give new life to a pair of Barbie hits, a Masego favorite gets the TikTok fancam treatment and more.
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Ariana Grande’s ‘Eternal Sunshine’ Is Brightening Up on Streaming — And Helping Another ‘Boy Is Mine’
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Ariana Grande is in for a big upcoming week on the Billboard charts, as the pop superstar is aiming for her sixth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Eternal Sunshine, as well as a splashy Billboard Hot 100 debut for the album’s second single, “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”
Eternal Sunshine rebounded on streaming platforms on Monday (Mar. 11) following its release on the previous Friday and a slight dip over the weekend: the full-length earned 29.32 million official U.S. on-demand streams on Monday, up 17% from the previous day’s total, according to Luminate. And “We Can’t Be Friends” — which Grande is trying to guide to the top of the Hot 100, after lead single “Yes, And?” debuted there in January — is a big part of that streaming uptick, with 4.93 million streams on Monday (up 23% from Sunday).
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Speaking of Hot 100 chart-toppers, Brandy and Monica’s iconic 1998 R&B smash “The Boy Is Mine” is benefitting from Grande’s song of the same name, which references the original, on Eternal Sunshine. Grande has talked about how she has “always wanted to re-imagine” the Brandy-Monica back-and-forth, and now, the song that inspired her own “The Boy Is Mine” is enjoying a little streaming revival of its own.
From Mar. 8-10, Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” earned 587,000 streams — up 18% from the previous week’s Friday-to-Sunday tracking period, according to Luminate. Of course, Grande’s new “The Boy Is Mine” is collecting far more plays (8.3 million from Mar. 8-10), but for a new generation of rhythmic pop fans, it’s not hard to see that “The Boy” is still fine. – JASON LIPSHUTZ
‘Barbie’ Hits Are “Made For” Oscar Bumps
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It’s been a long awards season for Billie Eilish and brother Finneas, with the O’Connell duo picking up trophies at the Golden Globes (best original song), the Grammys (song of the year and best song written for visual media) and now also the Oscars (best original song) for their hit Barbie ballad “What Was I Made For?” The song, which Billie and Finneas also performed at the Sunday ceremonies – and which was also featured in a Saturday Night Live sketch the night before the Academy Awards – got one final victory lap bump from its big Sunday win. It notched 2.2 million official on-demand U.S. streams and over 5,300 digital song sales across Sunday and Monday (Mar. 10-11), according to Luminate – gains of 27% and 704%, respectively, over the equivalent periods the previous week.
It wasn’t the only Barbie song to get some post-Oscars love. “I’m Just Ken,” which brought film co-star Ryan Gosling to the Hot 100 for the first time last summer, was also nominated at the awards, and received an elaborately staged, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes-referencing live performance that was very well received by viewers. Streams and sales of the song unsurprisingly exploded afterwards, with “Ken” scoring over nearly 417,000 streams and over 900 digital song sales over Mar. 10-11, gains of 176% and over 2,000%, respectively.
The other three songs nominated for best original song and performed at the Academy Awards also saw bumps over the same periods – although to still relatively modest totals. Becky G’s “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot earned 23,000 streams (up 491% from the previous week), while Jon Batiste’s “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony earned 28,000 (up 213%) and the Osage Tribal Singers’ “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon earned 14,000 (up 702%). – ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Fancam Phenomenon Lifts Masego’s “Tadow” to New Streaming Heights
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In the same way Jacob Elordi fancams – video montages made in appreciation of a given subject – helped give Flume and Kai’s “Never Be Like You” a streaming bump, an even wider selection of fancams is doing the same for Masego and FJK’s “Tadow.”
Originally released in 2017 as the lead single to his debut studio album, Lady Lady, “Tadow” collected 1.75 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the week of Feb. 23-29, according to Luminate. That marked a 93.6% increase from just over 900,000 srteams during the week of Feb. 16-22. In the first week of March, streaming activity for “Tadow” jumped a further 35% from the week prior to a total of 2.37 million streams.
Despite the standoff between UMG and TikTok, users are still finding ways to circulate their favorite songs on the platform. Several individual fan-uploaded sounds that contain the first verse of “Tadow” soundtrack viral clips on the platform. A “Tadow”-backed fancam of Tom Holland earned seven million views, one for Rodrick from Diary of a Wimpy Kid pulled over two million, one dedicated to Scarlett Johansson pulled 12.2 million views, and one inspired by Jujutsu Kaisen character Satoru Goju received a whopping 25.5 million views.
Although it’s been out for over half a decade, “Tadow” has appeared on just one Billboard chart: In 2020, the track peaked at No. 19 on Adult R&B Airplay (chart dated Nov. 14, 2020). Should these fancams continue to spur streaming gains, “Tadow” could experience a renaissance on the charts. – KD
Twitch Streamer Sketch Boosts King Hendrick$ Breakout Hit
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From Kai Cenat to Adin Ross, Twitch streamers have been having a slow-burning but considerable impact on the music scene in recent years. Twitch streamer Sketch (aka user @thesketchreal) — who boasts 368,000 followers on the platform – is the latest example of this trend.
After playing (and turning up to) Houston rapper King Hendrick$’s “Leaving the Lot” on a Feb. 14 stream, the swaggering trap-indebted single pulled just under 500,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the week of Feb. 16-22, its first week on streaming platforms. The following week (Feb. 23-29), stream activity for “Leaving the Lot” ballooned by 175% to 1.37 million streams. For the first week of March, the track continued to rise, growing a further 32% to over 1.8 million streams.
Since that initial stream, Sketch – who specializes in streaming himself chatting and playing video games like Madden and Fortnite – has continued to bump “Leaving the Lot,” resulting in more viral clips featuring the track across other social media platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. Hendrick$ even shared a clip of Sketch playing the track to his official YouTube page. That clip has already amassed over 43,000 views in three weeks, eclipsing the view count of four of Hendrick$’s five most recent music videos.
With just one month of availability under its belt, King Hendrick$ just might have a serious hit on his hands – and its success might legitimize Sketch as a tastemaker in the process. In the meantime, Hendrick$ has already put out a new song, “Special Teams Anthem,” that shouts out Sketch: “Yeah, I could probably play for the Texans, but I still’d be on jets/ Catch a plane and never take my jersey off, I feel like Sketch,” he spits. – KD
Q&A: Emily Cohen Belote, Principal Music Programmer at Amazon Music, on What’s Trending Up In Her World
The past 12 months have been gigantic for country music’s growth. What do you think is the leading cause for this boom?
The 2023 end-of-year Luminate study said it — and I totally agree. Younger fans are helping country to grow at streaming, and artists like Morgan Wallen, Amazon Music 2023 Breakthrough artist Bailey Zimmerman, and Zach Bryan are leading this streaming charge. Gen Z country listeners are 48% more likely to discover music via music and video streaming than the average Gen Z listener. That just shows the true power in country music fandom, and why having that direct-to-fan connection for artists is so powerful and meaningful for our business.
Which in country music is most interesting to you?
I am enjoying this really raw and authentic era in country music. Artists like Sam Barber, Mae Estes, Dylan Gossett and Wyatt Flores are creating music that is emotional and emotive, and speaks to real-life experiences that fans want to hear and devour right now. These artists are not beholden to being a specific kind of country musician or making a specific kind of country music that fits into a box. They’re inspired by different sounds and artists, and that inspiration creates a unique country sound all their own.
As more non-country artists like Beyoncé and Post Malone dabble with country projects and collaborations, how is curation of Amazon Music’s country properties affected?
Beyoncé and Post Malone have a history of expressing their love for country music, so it’s totally understandable that they would be creating country projects. My job is to find and play the best in country music, and if Beyoncé and Post Malone are creating country music our customers love, then they’ll make it into the programming that I oversee.
Which country song or artist will have surprising growth over the next six months?
I really feel that Dylan Gossett is going to make a major mark on 2024. There’s a big reason why he’s one of our 2024 Breakthrough Artists to Watch. He’s got the songs, the musicianship, and he’s done a pretty incredible job of connecting with his fans in a truly organic way. I also think he has a unique and fresh lyrical perspective. I mean, the line, “pressure makes diamonds, how the hell am I still coal?” is pretty unforgettable. I am genuinely excited to hear any and all new music from Dylan, and can’t wait to see him on the road this year.
Season’s Gainings: The Notorious B.I.G. Up 100,000s in Streams on Death Anniversary
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The date of March 9 is burned into the brain of most longtime hip-hop fans, as the date in 1997 when Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G., was tragically murdered in Los Angeles. While tributes pour in annually to the all-time great on the day every year since, so too do fans head to streaming services for their own personal remembrances: Biggie’s catalog was up nearly 300,000 official on-demand U.S. streams from the previous Saturday to over 2.8 million on March 9, according to Luminate – an 11% gain in total. – AU
Cardi B is back in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart as “Like What (Freestyle)” begins at No. 8 on the list dated March 16. The track, released on Atlantic Records, starts as the week’s top-selling song for the genre and the week’s highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100, at No. […]
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 March 16, 2024-dated charts.
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Dasha
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The up-and-coming singer-songwriter reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with her breakthrough viral hit “Austin.” The song, released in November on Version III, debuts at No. 31 on Hot Country Songs with 4 million official U.S. streams (up 28%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 79%) in the March 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate. She also rises 43-29 in her second week on the Emerging Artists chart.
The song appears on Dasha’s new eight-track LP What Happens Now?, released Feb. 16. Before that, she released Dirty Blonde in January 2023, via Quadio Records.
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Dasha is based in Nashville, via San Luis Obispo, Calif. Gains for “Austin” have been sparked by TikTok, where she boasts over 400,000 followers. Seemingly boosted by the rising wave behind Beyonce’s country crossover smash “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the song soundtracks a line-dance trend started by the artist. To date, the song has been featured in over 200,000 videos on the platform. Last week, Billboard reported that in the tracking week ending Feb. 15, in which Beyoncé released “Texas Hold ‘Em” midway through, “Austin” vaulted from 82,000 official on-demand streams the week before to over 830,000—up 916%. The next week (ending Feb. 22), the song grew 182% to 2.3 million.
Yard Act
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The rock group, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, is officially a Billboard-charting act for the first time thanks to its sophomore LP Where’s My Utopia? Released March 1 on Zen F.C./Island Records UK/Republic Records, the set debuts at No. 23 on the Tastemaker Albums chart (which ranks the week’s top-selling albums at independent and small chain record stores).
The band preceded Utopia with its 2022 debut The Overload, which reached No. 2 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. The group spoke to Billboard at SXSW in 2022 following the LP’s release and chart debut. “We put ourselves through the ringer that week because we got informed that we had a shot at a No. 1 album against Years & Years on their third album,” vocalist James Smith said. “He’s a sort of national treasure in the U.K., Olly Alexander, and rightly so, so we were the underdogs and we thought we’d give him a run for his money. We ended up at No. 2 and Meat Loaf threatened us with his passing, too. Hog passed us, but we kept Meat Loaf at bay, which was good. It was just funny. We didn’t expect to be getting a high charting album and then it all just started running off, and so it’s just loads of fun for us.”
Yard Act comprises Smith (vocals), Sam Shipstone (guitar), Ryan Needham (bass) and Jay Russell (drums).
Ole 60
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The six-piece reaches Billboard’s charts for the first time with its debut four-track project Three Twenty Four: The EP. Released in August 2023, the set debuts at No. 25 on Heatseekers Albums (which ranks the most-popular albums of the week by new or developing acts) with 3,000 equivalent album units earned.
Ole 60, from Kentucky, released the EP via Grey Area/Red Door. Its single “Smoke & A Light” has recently gone viral on TikTok, as many creators have used the song to soundtrack their experiences of being cheated on in relationships. The song has been featured in over 10,000 clips on the platform to date and generated 2 million streams March 1-7, up 15%. The week before (Feb. 23-29), it surged from 808,000 streams to 1.7 million, a 115% gain.
The virality of the track helped Ole 60 sign with UTA for worldwide representation. The band comprises Colby Clark, Jarrett Davis, Dustin “Catfish” Fuqua, Ryan Laslie, Aden Wood and Jacob Ty Young. The group is slated to support Dylan Gossett on his No Better Time Tour, as well as Charles Wesley Godwin.
Will Moseley
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The Hazelhurst, Ga., native arrives on Billboard’s charts with his breakthrough song “Gone for Good.” The track debuts at No. 13 on Country Digital Song Sales with 2,000 downloads sold in its first week of release, while Moseley himself opens at No. 49 on Emerging Artists.
Moseley performed his original track for his audition on ABC’s American Idol, which aired March 3. In a spotlight video on the episode, he described his upbringing and playing college football at Maryville College in Tennessee. “Football was a way of life,” he said. “It was eat, sleep, breathe, wake up, repeat. I loved it.” In the clip, he says he suffered three concussions in two seasons, forcing him to cut his football career short. The pivot inspired him to learn guitar. “It’s been a blessing in disguise,” he said.
His audition impressed judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, and his subsequent performance earned him a golden ticket to the next round. “We knew from the very first note,” Perry said of his performance.
Sheer Mag
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The Philadelphia-based rock group lands on Billboard’s charts for the first time with its third LP, Playing Favorites. The set, released March 1 on Third Man Records, debuts at No. 17 on Tastemakers Albums. The set is Sheer Mag’s first release on Third Man. The group released two previous albums, Need To Feel Your Love (2017) and A Distant Call (2019), along with three EPs.
The band comprises Tina Halladay, Matt Palmer and Hart and Kyle Seely. The North American leg of its headlining tour kicks off March 29 in Washington, D.C. The act also has a string of European tour dates lined up in August.
Charlotte Cardin
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The Canadian singer-songwriter is already a seasoned hitmaker in her home country, but she notches her first U.S. chart hit thanks to “Confetti.” The song, released on Atlantic Records, debuts at No. 34 on Adult Pop Airplay (up 170% in spins). The song appears on Cardin’s second full-length, 99 Nights, released last August.
Cardin, who records music in both English and French, has notched numerous chart hits in Canada. She has tallied 13 entries on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100—“Confetti” became her first top 10, reaching No. 10 last September. She has also charted 10 songs on Canada AC, six on Canada Hot 100 Airplay, four on Canada Top 40 and two on Canada Rock.
Cardin has won four Juno Awards, including artist of the year in 2022. She boasts six nominations—the most among all acts—at the upcoming ceremony, to be held March 24: artist and songwriter of the year; the Juno Fan Choice Award; album and pop album of the year, for 99 Nights; and single of the year, for “Confetti.”
Cardin, from Mount Royal, Quebec, has been releasing music since 2013. Before 99 Nights, she released her first full-length, Phoenix, in 2021.
Kitchen Dwellers
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The Montana quartet arrives on Billboard’s charts with is new studio album, Seven Devils. The set, released March 1 on No Coincidence Records, doesn’t just become the band’s first chart entry, but it’s also its first No. 1, as it launches atop the Bluegrass Albums chart with 1,000 copies sold in its opening week. The band, whose music blends elements of bluegrass, folk and rock, also starts at No. 32 on Emerging Artists.
Kitchen Dwellers comprise Torrin Daniels (banjo), Max Davies (acoustic guitar), Joe Funk (upright bass) and Shawn Swain (mandolin). The band has released three other albums—Ghost in a Bottle (2017), Muir Maid (2019) and Wise River (2022)—along with several live LPs. The group has a run of North American tour dates lined up through September.
BrhyM
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The high-profile group scores not just its first overall Billboard chart entry, but its first No. 1, as its debut LP Deep Sea Vents debuts at No. 1 on the Classical Crossover Albums chart. The group released the set via Zappo Productions/Thirty Tigers.
BrhyM is a new collaboration between Bruce Hornsby and American chamber ensemble yMusic, which comprises Hideaki Aomori (clarinets), Gabriel Cabeza (cello), CJ Camerieri (trumpet), Rob Moose (violin), Nadia Sirota (viola) and Alex Sopp (flute).
Hornsby has a longstanding history on Billboard’s surveys. He has charted nine songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including his 1986 No. 1 “The Way It Is,” as well as two other top 10s (all with the Range). Plus, he has logged 10 albums on the Billboard 200, all since 1986; he and the Range won the best new artist Grammy Award in 1987. Over his career, the Virginia native has traversed numerous styles, leading to appearances on Billboard’s Americana/folk, bluegrass, country and rock charts, among others. With Deep Sea Vents, he earns his first No. 1 since Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby topped Bluegrass Albums for 15 weeks in 2007.
As for yMusic, the collective has charted four sets on Classical Albums since 2014, including the No. 1 So There, with Ben Folds, in 2015.
BrhyM has a string of North American tour dates that run through April. Hornsby has even more dates, with The Noisemakers, scheduled through October.
Autone
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The Sydney-based DJ/producer (real name: Brett Austin) is scaling Billboard’s charts for the first time thanks to his collaboration with Dannii Minogue, “Thinking ‘Bout Us.” The track, released Feb. 2 on Central Station Records, debuted at No. 36 on the March 9-dated Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart and rises to No. 31 on the latest list (up 25% in spins).
Autone has previously collaborated with Jolyon Petch, WasteLand, Amanda Wilson and Kelvin Wood. He is also a member of DJ duo Oxford Hustlers.
Do2
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The duo arrives on Billboard’s rankings with its breakout single “Mi Fortuna.” The song, released in September on Garmex Music, debuts at No. 25 on Tropical Airplay (up 3,933% in audience). Do2 comprises brothers Jose Juan and Mario Lora. The pair has released over two dozen songs on streaming services, all since 2018.
Elevation Worship’s “Praise” — featuring Brandon Lake, Chris Brown and Chandler Moore — rises to No. 1 in its 42nd week on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Christian Songs chart dated March 16.
During the March 1-7 tracking week, the song surged by 30% to 3.3 million official U.S. streams and 27% to 1,000 downloads sold, according to Luminate. On Christian Airplay, it rises 21-20 for a new high, up 49% to 1.6 million audience impressions.
Elevation Worship frontman Brown co-wrote the song with Lake and Moore, as well as Pat Barrett, Cody Carnes and Steven Furtick.
“It is such an honor to be No. 1 again,” Brown tells Billboard. “We’re blown away by what God has done with ‘Praise,’ and we’re thankful for everyone who has streamed, tuned in and shared the song. We hope it is a great reminder of all the reasons to praise God not just for what He’s done, but for who He is.”
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The latest gains for “Praise” were sparked by the March 1 release of the five-song Praise EP featuring five different renditions of the song, including its rootsy “Carolina Version,” the Spanish-language “Alaba” take and the dance-driven “Alastair Remix.”
“Praise” marks the third Hot Christian Songs No. 1 for the Charlotte, N.C.-based Elevation Worship, the fourth chart-topping billing for Lake and the first each for Brown and Moore.
Meanwhile, “Praise” dethrones Lake’s solo hit “Gratitude” after a 28-week reign.
Gavin Leads ‘Again’
Kelontae Gavin banks his third total and consecutive No. 1 on the Gospel Airplay chart with “Live Again” (up 2% in plays).
Jekalyn Carr, who has notched seven Gospel Airplay No. 1s as a recording artist, solely wrote the song.
The 24-year-old Gavin, from Charleston, S.C., previously led the list with “Great” for a week in December 2021, and “Hold Me Close” for one week, that February. His first of four chart entries, “No Ordinary Worship,” became his first top 10, reaching No. 5 in February 2019.
“Did She or Didn’t She? Cher She Did!”
Underneath that headline, Fred Bronson wrote in the Chart Beat column in the March 13, 1999, Billboard, “The big question this issue is whether you looked here first or at the Billboard Hot 100 to discover if Cher went to No. 1 with ‘Believe.’ I won’t keep you in suspense: Cher rewrites the record books in many ways, as her international hit seizes the summit in her own country.”
That week, “Believe,” with its trademark AutoTune-enhanced vocals, rose to No. 1 on the Hot 100 “just 10 days shy of a quarter-century since Cher was last on top,” Bronson noted. “‘Dark Lady’ spent a frame at No. 1 for the week ending March 23, 1974. That means Cher has the longest gap between No. 1 hits” in the chart’s history.
To date, Cher maintains the mark for the longest break between Hot 100 No. 1s excluding holiday fare. Overall, only Brenda Lee has waited more patiently between time on top: 63 years, one month and two weeks between the reigns of “I Want to Be Wanted” in 1960 and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” this past December.
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With “Believe,” Cher also claimed the record for the longest span of Hot 100 No. 1s: 28 years, four months and one week, dating to her first leader, “Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves,” in 1971. Similarly, she continues to boast the lengthiest span of No. 1s outside of holiday hits; Lee leads with a span of 63 years, five months and three weeks of ruling the chart.
(If including Sonny & Cher’s 1965 No. 1 classic “I Got You Babe,” Cher’s span atop the Hot 100 would stretch 33 years, seven months and three weeks.)
Meanwhile, Cher was 52 when “Believe” crowned the Hot 100. “As William Simpson of Los Angeles points out,” Bronson wrote, citing Cher’s impressive longevity, “that’s even more dramatic when one notes the ages of the three most recent artists to reach No. 1: Monica (18), Britney Spears (17) and Brandy (19 when she was No. 1).”
“It’s not that amazing, OK?,” Cher, now 77, laughed on NBC’s Today in November regarding the 25th anniversary of “Believe” leading the Hot 100. “I’d give anything to be 70 again …”
Cher is currently working on a memoir. “It’s very difficult because I’ve lived too long, and I’ve done too many things,” she said on Today. “It would have to be, like, an encyclopedia.”
Nacho and Maffio each score a career milestone on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “No Es Normal,” with Venesti, reaches No. 1 on the March 16-dated ranking. With the new ruler, Nacho and Maffio achieve their first chart-topper since their maiden chart visits in 2017 and 2012, respectively. Venesti attains his second No. 1.
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“No Es Normal” rolls into the top spot, from No. 5 a week ago, thanks to a 21% gain in audience impressions, to 9.64 million, earned in the U.S. during the March 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate.
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“Normal” was released Aug. 31, 2023, through AP Global and reaches the top slot on the overall Latin Airplay ranking in its 16th week on the chart. The song is one of 14 tracks from Venesti’s De La Nada album released Sept. 28, 2023.
With “Normal,” both Nacho and Maffio check into the penthouse for the first time. While Nacho surpassed the No. 3-peaking “Bailame” (November 2017), his best ranking thus far, Maffio bests his highest-charting entry to date, “No Tengo Dinero,” which reached No. 29 in Oct. 2013.
Venesti, meanwhile, captures his second No. 1 on Latin Airplay, and first through a collaboration. He previously ruled unaccompanied by any other act for one week with “Umaye” last October.
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Beyond its Latin Airplay command, “Normal” remains steady atop Latin Pop Airplay for a ninth week in charge. The song reached the pinnacle on the Latin pop radio ranking on the Jan. 13-dated tally when it earned the tripartite team-up their first No. 1 there.
Notably, out of the three, Nacho is the only act to have reached the top 10 on Latin Pop Airplay before “Normal.” He nearly missed the No. 1 slot when “Bailame” reached No. 2 in 2017. In between, the Venezuelan secured a second top 10 through another collab, the No. 7-peaking “Déjalo,” with Manuel Turizo in 2019.
Further, with nine weeks in charge on Latin Pop Airplay, “Normal” becomes the longest-leading song in 2024 so far.
Chris Brown banks his 19th No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “Sensational,” featuring Davido and Lojay, rules the list dated March 16. The collaboration jumps from No. 3 following a 14% boost in weekly plays that made it the most-played song U.S. monitored mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations in the week ending March 7, according to Luminate.
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The Afrobeats-inspired “Sensational,” released on CBE/RCA Records, replaces Offset and Don Toliver’s “Worth It” after the latter’s one week in charge. Last week’s champ slides to No. 5 after a 7% dive in plays during the tracking week.
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With “Sensational,” Brown achieves his 19th leader on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. While he remains in third place for the most among all acts since the chart launched in 1993, but inches closer to runner-up Lil Wayne, who has 20 No. 1s. Drake is far and away the titleholder, with 45 visits to the summit.
As “Sensational” joins the club, let’s review Brown’s No. 1s on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart:
Song Title, Artist (if other than Chris Brown), Weeks at No. 1, Date Reached No. 1“Shortie Like Mine,” Bow Wow featuring Chris Brown & Johnta Austin, two, Dec. 9, 2006“Kiss Kiss,” featuring T-Pain, two, Dec. 8, 2007“With You,” one, March 22, 2008“Deuces,” featuring Tyga & Kevin McCall, 10, Sept. 4, 2010“No BS” two, Feb. 5, 2011“Look at Me Now,” featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes, seven, April 4, 2011“Strip,” featuring Kevin “K-Mac” McCall, two, March 31, 2012“Birthday Cake,” Rihanna featuring Chris Brown, three, May 19, 2012“It Won’t Stop,” Sevyn Streeter featuring Chris Brown, eight, Nov. 30, 2013“Loyal,” featuring Lil Wayne & French Montana or Too $hort or Tyga, nine, May 17, 2014“New Flame,” featuring Usher & Rick Ross, Oct. 18, 2014“Hold You Down,” DJ Khaled featuring Chris Brown, August Alsina, Future & Jeremih, three, Nov. 15, 2014“Only,” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown, four, Jan. 10, 2015“Post to Be,” Omarion featuring Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko, six, May 23, 2015“All Eyes on You,” Meek Mill featuring Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj, three, Sept. 19, 2015“No Guidance,” featuring Drake, 10, Aug. 10, 2019“Go Crazy,” with Young Thug, six, July 18, 2020“Under the Influence,” eight, March 11, 2023“Sensational,” featuring Davido & Lojay, one (to date), March 16, 2024
For featured artists Davido and Lojay, “Sensational” becomes each performer’s first No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. The former previously attained a No. 14 best, with “Fall” in 2019, while the latter’s sole prior appearance came through his and Jess Glynne’s featured spots on French Montana and Swae Lee’s “Wish U Well,” which reached No. 37 last October.
Elsewhere, “Sensational” repeats at its No. 7 high on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from mainstream R&B/hip-hop and adult R&B radio stations. There, despite no change in position, the song added 14% in audience to reach 14.1 million in the tracking week, spurred both by its increase on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay as well as a 29-25 rebound on Adult R&B Airplay (up 10% in plays). With the jump, “Sensational” returns to its best showing on the latter chart, first achieved six weeks ago.
Plus, “Sensational” climbs 8-5 on Rhythmic Airplay through a 13% surge in plays.
Eric Carmen forged a string of enduring pop/rock hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1970s and ‘80s, first as a member of the Raspberries and then as a soloist.
As reported March 11, Carmen died at age 74. “It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” a message posted to his website, Facebook and X account reads. “It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. ‘Love Is All That Matters…Faithful and Forever,’” concludes the post, signed by Amy Carmen, his wife of eight years.
Carmen recorded with the Raspberries in 1972-74, paced by the No. 5-peaking Hot 100 hit “Go All the Way,” from their debut album. He followed with his first solo entry – and highest-charting single – “All By Myself,” which reached No. 2 in 1976.
Carmen scored further success via movie placements in the ‘80s, first as the co-writer of Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s “Almost Paradise.” The ballad, from the Footloose soundtrack, rose to No. 6 in 1984. He followed with his own “Hungry Eyes,” sending the song from Dirty Dancing to No. 4 in 1988.
Later in 1988, Carmen hit No. 3 with another mid-tempo pop nugget, “Make Me Lose Control” (propelled by its infectious, and apt, hook, “Turn the radio up for that sweet sound …”)
On Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, Carmen notched two No. 1s: “Never Gonna Fall in Love,” for a week in 1976, and “Make Me Lose Control,” for two weeks in 1988.
Meanwhile, “All By Myself” – credited as written by Carmen and Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff – returned to the Hot 100 thanks to Celine Dion, whose cover reached No. 4 in 1997. It also topped Adult Contemporary for three weeks.
As the group reunited for live shows in the 2000s, Carmen referred to the Raspberries as “like barbarians trying to crash the gates of the bloated progressive rock that we despised.”
He added, “Sometimes it takes a while, but now there’s a whole different kind of reverence for what we’re doing.”
Below, count down Carmen’s 10 biggest hits as a recording artist on the Hot 100.
Eric Carmen’s Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits ranking is based on weekly performance on the Hot 100 (through March 16, 2024). Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.
“Overnight Sensation (Hit Record),” Raspberries
