State Champ Radio Chart Beat
Page: 236
Max Martin now solely has the most No. 1s among producers in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
He tallies his 24th career leader as a producer on the latest, Jan. 27, 2024-dated Hot 100, as Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” blasts in at No. 1. He surpasses the late George Martin – who produced 19 of The Beatles’ record 20 No. 1s – for the most leaders among producers over the chart’s 65-year archives.
Grande, who earns her eighth Hot 100 No. 1 as a recording artist, Max Martin and ILYA co-wrote and co-produced “Yes, And?”
Max Martin first dominated the Hot 100 both as a producer and writer 25 years ago this month, when Britney Spears’ debut smash “…Baby One More Time” hit No. 1 on the Jan. 30, 1999-dated chart. He initially reached the ranking in both roles on the chart dated Oct. 28, 1995, when Backstreet Boys’ “We’ve Got It Goin’ On” debuted at No. 97. He notched his first two top 10s simultaneously on the July 12, 1997, chart, when Robyn’s “Do You Know (What It Takes)” and Backstreet Boys’ “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” rose to Nos. 9 and 10, respectively.
Among his triumphs, Max Martin co-wrote and co-produced the No. 1 hit on the Hot 100’s Greatest of All Time Songs retrospective: The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.”
For the star Swedish producer (born Karl Martin Sandberg), “What’s so impressive is that he’s always in tune with the times, which has enabled him to stay relevant all these years,” Dave Penn, co-founder of Hit Songs Deconstructed, which provides in-depth analysis of Hot 100 top 10 hits, told Billboard in 2021. “A decade ago, he was opting for more clubby dance beats and EDM-styled synths. But toward the end of the 2010s, he had embraced hip-hop and started including trap beats in songs.
“But while he has adjusted certain aspects of his writing and producing style over the years,” Penn mused, “what’s interesting is that many things have remained essentially the same. Melody reigns supreme when it comes to mainstream hits, and Max Martin is still the undisputed champion of pop melody. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Max Martin also ties the late John Lennon for the second-most Hot 100 No. 1s among writers, 26 each, after only Paul McCartney’s 32; McCartney and Lennon co-penned all 20 of The Beatles’ No. 1s. (Two of those leading singles were double-listed with George Harrison compositions: “Come Together” with “Something,” and “The Long and Winding Road” with “For You Blue.”)
Here’s a rundown of Max Martin’s unprecedented 24 Hot 100 No. 1s as a producer.
“…Baby One More Time,” Britney Spears
Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” soars in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the pop superstar’s eighth career leader on the chart.
The song is the lead single from Grande’s seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, due March 8 (as announced Jan. 17).
Grande wrote and produced “Yes, And?” with Max Martin and ILYA. With its Hot 100 triumph, Martin makes history, as he passes George Martin for the most No. 1s among producers – 24 – ever on the chart.
Max Martin also ties John Lennon for the second-most Hot 100 No. 1s among writers – 26 each – after only Paul McCartney’s 32.
Additionally in the Hot 100’s top 10, 21 Savage debuts two songs: “Redrum,” at No. 5, and “Née-nah,” with Travis Scott and Metro Boomin, at No. 10. The tracks are from 21 Savage’s LP American Dream, which bounds in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
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 Jan. 27, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Jan. 23. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
[embedded content]
“Yes, And?,” on Republic Records, becomes the 1,162nd No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 65-year archives, and the 74th to debut at the summit.
Here’s a look at its coronation.
Streams, airplay & sales: Released Jan. 12, “Yes, And?” drew 27.2 million streams and 24.8 million radio airplay audience impressions and sold 53,000, including 41,000 digital downloads, in the Jan. 12-18 tracking week, according to Luminate.
The single launches at No. 1 on both the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts, where Grande ups her totals to five and nine leaders, respectively, and No. 28 on Radio Songs.
The track was available for purchase via 14 digital iterations, all for 69 cents by the end of the tracking week: its original version, an edit, an extended mix, an a cappella version and slowed and sped up mixes, each in clean and explicit options, as well instrumental and extended mix instrumental versions.
Grande’s eighth Hot 100 No. 1: Grande earns her eighth Hot 100 No. 1. It’s her first since “Die for You,” with The Weeknd, last March, and her first on her own since “Positions” in November 2020. (She notches her sixth No. 1 debut, following her first five leaders, as she ties Taylor Swift for the most among women; Drake leads all acts with nine chart-topping entrances.)
Ariana Grande’s Hot 100 No. 1s:
“Yes, And?,” one week at No. 1 to-date, Jan. 27, 2024
“Die for You,” with The Weeknd, one week, March 11, 2023
“Save Your Tears,” with The Weeknd, two weeks, beginning May 8, 2021
“Positions,” one week, Nov. 7, 2020
“Rain on Me,” with Lady Gaga, one week, June 6, 2020
“Stuck With U,” with Justin Bieber, one week, May 23, 2020
“7 Rings,” eight weeks, beginning Feb. 2, 2019
“Thank U Next,” seven weeks, beginning Nov. 17, 2018
Grande ties Beyoncé for the eighth-most Hot 100 No. 1s among solo women. Mariah Carey leads all women soloists with 19, followed by Rihanna (14), Madonna (12), Whitney Houston, Taylor Swift (11 each), Janet Jackson (10) and Katy Perry (nine).
Max Martin solely claims most Hot 100 No. 1s among producers: Grande co-wrote and co-produced “Yes, And?” with Max Martin and ILYA. She earns her eighth Hot 100 No. 1 as a writer and her first as a producer. ILYA adds his second leader as both a writer and producer, after Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” for a week in 2022.
Meanwhile, with its arrival atop the Hot 100, Martin makes history, passing the late George Martin – who produced 19 of The Beatles’ record 20 No. 1s – for the most leaders among producers ever on the chart: 24.
Most Hot 100 No. 1s Among Producers:
24, Max Martin
23, George Martin
18, Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald
16, James “Jimmy Jam” Harris III
16, Terry Lewis
Max Martin also ties the late John Lennon for the second-most Hot 100 No. 1s among writers, 26 each, after only Paul McCartney’s 32. (McCartney and Lennon co-penned all 20 of The Beatles’ No. 1s.)
Most Hot 100 No. 1s Among Writers:
32, Paul McCartney
26, John Lennon
26, Max Martin
18, Mariah Carey
18, Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald
Max Martin first dominated the Hot 100 both as a producer and writer 25 years ago this month, when Britney Spears’ debut smash “…Baby One More Time” hit No. 1 on the Jan. 30, 1999-dated chart.
‘Yes,’ it’s No. 1, ‘And’ a first: “Yes, And?” is the first Hot 100 No. 1 with the word “yes” in its title. It one-ups Teri DeSario’s “Yes, I’m Ready” (with K.C.), which hit No. 2 in March 1980.
Honorable mention: 40 years ago, the band Yes ruled the Hot 100 with “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” for two weeks in January 1984.
(Not to sound negative … but 10 singles with “no” in their titles have topped the Hot 100, from The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” in 1965 through Alicia Keys’ “No One” in 2007.)
No. 1 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs: “Yes, And?” concurrently opens at No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100.
Grande posts her first Hot Dance/Electronic Songs leader on her own, and her third overall, following “Rain on Me,” with Lady Gaga (two weeks at No. 1, 2020), and “Break Free,” featuring Zedd (nine, 2014).
Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” dips to No. 2 after three weeks atop the Hot 100. Meanwhile, it ascends to No. 1 on Radio Songs (67 million, up 15%), becoming his second leader, after “First Class” (four weeks, 2022). “Lovin on Me” tops the multimetric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a 10th week each.
Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” slips 2-3 on the Hot 100, following four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in October, and Tate McRae’s “Greedy” backtracks to No. 4 from its No. 3 best.
[embedded content]
21 Savage debuts two songs in the Hot 100’s top 10: “Redrum,” at No. 5, and “Née-nah,” with Travis Scott and Metro Boomin, at No. 10. The tracks start with 21.4 and 18 million streams, respectively.
21 Savage tallies his 16th and 17th Hot 100 top 10s – with “Redrum” marking his first with no accompanying artists. Travis Scott scores his 15th top 10 and Metro Boomin, his fifth.
[embedded content]
Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, falls 4-6 on the Hot 100, after it led for a week upon its debut last September, as it rules the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a 21st week each and Hot Country Songs for a 17th frame.
Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” descends 5-7 on the Hot 100, after it led for three nonconsecutive weeks beginning in September; Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” holds at its No. 8 high, a week after it became his first top 10; and SZA’s “Snooze” drifts 6-9, after reaching No. 2, as it leads the multimetric Hot R&B Songs chart for a 25th week.
Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Jan. 27), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 23).
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.
D-Block Europe are kings of the U.K. albums tally with Rolling Stone (via D-Block Europe).
The British hip-hop duo’s third album debuts at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Jan. 19, for their first stint at the summit.
Comprised of Young Adz and Dirtbike LB, D-Block Europe extends its tally of U.K. top 10 albums to eight– the most of any British rap act in Official Charts history. Mike Skinner’s The Streets is close behind with seven.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
It’s a British hip-hop 1-2 on the latest U.K. albums tally as 21 Savage bows at No. 2 with American Dream (Epic/Slaughter Gang), for his best solo chart position yet.
Born Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph in London, now based in Atlanta, Savage previously led the chart with the 2022 collaborative LP with Drake, Her Loss, and enjoyed a top 10 appearance for 2020’s Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin, peaking at No. 10. Among his solo works, Savage enjoyed a U.K. top 40 with 2021’s i am > i was, peaking at No. 33. Three tracks from American Dream crash the current U.K. singles chart, led by “redrum” at No. 11.
Completing an all-new top 3 on the albums tally is The Vaccines’ Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations (Super Easy). The London indie-rock outfit now extends is streak of top 10 albums to six, a run that includes the 2012 chart leader Come Of Age. Pick-Up is the band’s highest chart appearance since 2015’s English Graffiti, which peaked at No. 2.
As Teddy Swims hit single “Lose Control” lifts into the U.K. top 5 for the first time, its parent album climbs to a new peak. I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1) (Atlantic) rises 24-21 in its second week on the tally, the OCC reports.Finally, British singer and songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones earns his first solo top 40 album with Iechyd Da (meaning “good luck” in Welsh), his fifth LP. Released through indie label Domino Recordings, the album is new at No. 30. As a member of The Coral, Ryder-Jones landed a U.K. No. 1 in 2003 with Magic and Medicine.
Noah Kahan sticks to No. 1 in the U.K., winning a chart race that goes down to the wire.
The Vermont singer and songwriter’s folky hit “Stick Season” enters a third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, Jan. 19, edging Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?,” for a Republic Records 1-2.
Grande’s comeback track is the week’s top debut, entering at No. 2 for her 21st U.K. top 10, and 32nd top 40 appearance in the U.K.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Yes, And?” is the most-streamed song (8.2 million streams) during the cycle, the Official Charts Company confirms, and finishes the week just 600 chart units behind “Stick Season.”
Helmed by master Swedish producer Max Martin, “Yes, And?” is Grande’s first solo hit since “Test Drive” rode in at No. 38 in March 2021.
Completing the podium is Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s Saltburn-fueled 2001 disco tune “Murder on the Dancefloor” (Polydor), dipping 2-3.
Teddy Swims continues to make a splash with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), which becomes the U.S. artist’s first U.K. top 5 single. It’s up 6-5 on the latest tally.
As expected, Natasha Bedingfield pens another chapter in her chart history with “Unwritten” (Phonogenic), which rebounds to No. 18, powered by its prominent sync to the romcom Anyone But You. Originally released in 2004, “Unwritten” peaked at No. 6 that year and is one of the British singer’s five career U.K. top 10s.
D-Block Europe’s “Eagle” (D-Block Europe) featuring Albanian artist Noizy becomes the British rap pair’s 30th top 40 single, new at No. 19. “Eagle” swoops in as D-Block Europe land their first No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with Rolling Stone, an effort that extends their record tally of U.K. top 10 albums to eight – the most of any British rap act in Official Charts history.
Also new to the singles chart top 40 is Flo Milli’s “Never Lose Me” (’94 Sounds/RCA). The U.S. rapper’s viral release flies 41-24, for Milli’s first top tier appearance. “Never Lose Me” has sported a range of trends on TikTok since its release, and finally bagged top spot on the Jan. 20-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart in its seventh week on the survey.
Following the release of American Dream (Columbia), his first solo U.K. top 10 album, 21 Savage lands three cuts on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, the maximum permitted from any album under OCC rules. Leading the charge from the London-born, Atlantic-based hip-hop artist is “redrum” (No. 11), “née-nah” with Travis Scott and Metro Boomin (at No. 23), and “n.h.i.e.” featuring Doja Cat (No. 27). American Dream starts at No. 2 on the albums tally. That’s one spot behind his 2022 collaborative LP with Drake, Her Loss, which reached No. 1, and eclipses 2020’s Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin, which peaked at No. 10.
21 Savage scores his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as American Dream debuts atop the tally (dated Jan. 27). The set bows with 133,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Jan. 18, according to Luminate, nearly completely powered by streaming activity.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
All four of the rapper’s leaders have come consecutively, starting with I Am > I Was in 2019, and followed by Savage Mode II (with Metro Boomin in 2020), Her Loss (with Drake in 2022) and American Dream.
American Dream launches with 21 Savage’s best week, by units earned, for any of his non-collaborative projects (surpassing his previous high of 131,000 in the debut frame of I Am > I Was). The set also boasts his biggest streaming week for any of his non-collaborative sets, as its collected songs generated 169.53 million on-demand official streams in its first week (again, beating the opening stanza of I Am > I Was, with 151.87 million).
American Dream was released with little warning, as the set was announced on Jan. 9 and premiered on Jan. 12. The 15-song album boasts guest turns from the likes of Metro Boomin, Doja Cat, Lil Durk, Travis Scott, Young Thug and Summer Walker.
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Kali Uchis logs her highest-charting album ever, as her second Spanish-language full-length set, Orquideas, starts at No. 2 — and with her biggest week ever by units earned (69,000).
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 Jan. 27, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Jan. 23. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of American Dream’s 133,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Jan. 18, SEA units comprise 128,500 (equaling 169.53 million on-demand official streams of the 15 songs on the album), album sales comprise 4,000 and TEA units comprise 500.
Kali Uchis achieves her highest-charting album ever on the Billboard 200, as Orquideas starts at No. 2 with 69,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum — her best week ever — SEA units comprise 38,000 (equaling 51.01 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 14 songs; her biggest streaming week ever for an album), album sales comprise 31,000 (her largest sales week, and the top-selling album of the week) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Orquideas is Uchis’ second top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200, following the mostly-English-language Red Moon in Venus, which debuted and peaked at No. 4 in March 2023.
Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time falls 1-3 on the Billboard 200 with 61,000 equivalent album units earned (down 1%). Drake’s chart-topping For All the Dogs dips 2-4 (52,000; down 10%) and Taylor Swift’s former leader 1989 (Taylor’s Version) descends 3-5 (50,000; down 11%).
Noah Kahan’s Stick Season slips 5-6 with 45,000 equivalent album units (down 1%), while the rest of the top 10 comprises former No. 1s: Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 falls 4-7 (44,000; down 16%), Swift’s Folklore rises 10-8 (43,000; up 24%), SZA’s SOS drops 6-9 (41,000; down 6%) and Swift’s Lover falls 8-10 (38,000; down 8%).
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.
DNCE’s “Cake By the Ocean” rules Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), after it was heard in an episode of the premiere season of Netflix’s My Life With the Walter Boys.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of December 2023.
“Cake By the Ocean” appears in the third episode of teen drama series My Life With the Walter Boys, whose first season premiered Dec. 7, 2023. Its synch comes a little over eight years after the song’s initial release; the track is the Joe Jonas-fronted DNCE’s highest charting song to date, peaking at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2016.
In December 2023, “Cake By the Ocean” earned 8.7 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads, according to Luminate.
It reigns over Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain,” which bows at No. 2 after an appearance in fellow newcomer series Fellow Travelers. The Showtime historical miniseries initially premiered in October 2023, and the episode featuring “Maggot Brain,” episode seven, first aired Dec. 10 as the penultimate edition of the show.
“Maggot Brain,” featured on Funkadelic’s 1971 album of the same name, racked up 296,000 streams in December 2023.
The most featured series on the December 2023 Top TV Songs chart is The Crown, which sports three appearances from its sixth season, episodes five through 10 of which premiered Dec. 14. Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” leads the group at No. 5 (3.3 million streams, 1,000 downloads), followed by Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You” at No. 7 (3.2 million streams, 1,000 downloads) and Portishead’s “Glory Box” at No. 9 (2 million streams, 1,000 downloads).
See the full top 10, also featuring music from Lawmen: Bass Reeves, For All Mankind, Reacher and A Murder at the End of the World, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)
“Cake By the Ocean,” DNCE, My Life With the Walter Boys (Netflix)
“Maggot Brain,” Funkadelic, Fellow Travelers (Showtime)
“Unholy War,” Jacob Banks, Lawmen: Bass Reeves (Paramount+)
“That’s Life,” Frank Sinatra, For All Mankind (Apple TV+)
“Torn,” Natalie Imbruglia, The Crown (Netflix)
“Possum Kingdom,” Toadies, Reacher (Amazon Prime Video)
“Music Sounds Better With You,” Stardust, The Crown (Netflix)
“Showdown,” Electric Light Orchestra, Reacher (Amazon Prime Video)
“Glory Box,” Portishead, The Crown (Netflix)
“Texas Sun,” Khruangbin & Leon Bridges, A Murder at the End of the World (FX)
Cody Johnson rolls up his third top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “The Painter” climbs from No. 11 to No. 8 on the ranking dated Jan. 27.
In the Jan. 12-18 tracking week, the song increased by 10% to 20.7 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins and Ryan Larkins co-wrote the song, which Trent Willmon produced. It’s the lead single from Johnson’s LP Leather, which arrived on Top Country Albums at its No. 5 peak in November, becoming his fifth top 10. On the Jan. 20-dated list, Leather placed at No. 20 (10,000 equivalent album units, up 2%).
[embedded content]
Johnson, from Sebastopol, Texas, scores his third Country Airplay top 10 in succession. “The Painter” follows “Human,” which hit No. 8 last June, and “‘Til You Can’t,” which ruled for two frames starting in March 2022. He charted his first of 11 entries with “With You I Am,” which reached No. 40 in May 2017.
Johnson has two additional tracks on Country Airplay. His duet with Ian Munsick, “Long Live Cowgirls,” ranks at No. 56 and “Dirt Cheap” enters at No. 58 (600,000, up 42%).
Six-Alarm ‘Fire’
Nate Smith’s “World on Fire” leads Country Airplay for a sixth total and consecutive week (35.5 million, down 1%). It became his second straight career-opening No. 1, following “Whiskey on You,” which dominated for two weeks last February.
“World on Fire” marks the first title to top Country Airplay for at least six weeks since Morgan Wallen’s crossover smash “Last Night” reigned for eight weeks beginning last May. The latter went on to lead the 2023 Country Airplay Songs recap, as well as the year-end all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100 Songs survey.
Surely continuing to spark warm thoughts amid winter, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” climbs to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, dated Jan. 27.
The song, released on Republic Records, becomes Swift’s ninth AC leader, extending her mark for the most among all acts over the 2000s, ‘10s and ‘20s. In that span, Adele, Michel Bublé and Josh Groban rank second with six No. 1s each.
Meanwhile, “Cruel Summer” halts the record 37-week No. 1 run on Adult Contemporary of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.”
Here’s a recap of Swift’s nine Adult Contemporary No. 1s:
“Cruel Summer,” one week to date at No. 1, Jan. 27, 2024
“Anti-Hero,” three weeks, beginning March 25, 2023
“Delicate,” 10, Sept. 15, 2018
“Style,” two, July 11, 2015
“Blank Space,” four, Feb. 21, 2015
“Shake It Off,” nine, Nov. 22, 2014
“Mine,” one week, Dec. 11, 2010
“You Belong With Me,” 14, Oct. 31, 2009
“Love Story,” six, June 6, 2009
[embedded content]
“Cruel Summer” was originally released on Swift’s 2019 album Lover. Republic began promoting the song as a single last June, after Swift began performing it on her The Eras Tour, her first in which she’s been able to spotlight songs from Lover, which was released shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The song also adds a new milestone atop the Adult Pop Airplay chart, where it logs a 20th week at No. 1, becoming just the fourth hit to have reigned for at least that long since the survey began in Billboard’s pages in March 1996. “Cruel Summer” trails only the commands of Santana’s “Smooth,” featuring Rob Thomas (25 weeks, 1999-2000), and The Calling’s “Wherever You Will Go” (23 weeks, 2001-02) and ties the rule of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” in 2020.
Among other chart honors for “Cruel Summer,” it became the landmark 10th of Swift’s 11 career No. 1s on the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100, reigning for four weeks, and her record-breaking 12th No. 1, and her longest-leading (10 weeks), on Pop Airplay.
Plus, “Cruel Summer” is Swift’s sixth song to triple up with No. 1 ranks on Adult Contemporary, Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay, joining “Anti-Hero,” “Delicate,” “Style,” “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off.” She now solely boasts the most such leaders, one-upping Adele’s five at each of the three formats (“Rolling in the Deep,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Hello,” “Send My Love [To Your Lover]” and “Easy on Me,” in 2011-22).
As for yet one more Swift chart feat this week, her “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]” jumps 11-8 on Adult Pop Airplay. It becomes her record-extending 30th top 10 on the tally, further distancing herself from Maroon 5, second with 27, and P!nk (20).
All charts dated Jan. 27 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas One and All! tour grossed $29.6 million and sold 214,000 tickets according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. On a per-show basis, the tour’s 15 dates sold more tickets than any Carey tour in 25 years, dating back to the Butterfly World Tour in 1998.
Carey released Merry Christmas in 1994, featuring the iconic and evergreen smash single, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” That would be enough to cement her status as the Queen of Christmas, but Carey has put in the work each year and assumed her throne on stage as well. For every year since 2014 (except for the 2020-21 COVID years), she has toured and/or held mini residencies honoring her holiday material.
For four years, Carey played a stint at New York’s Beacon Theatre, building from 16,200 tickets in 2014, to 20,700 in 2015, and to 23,400 in 2016. She cut down to just three shows at the Beacon in 2017, before rebuilding at Madison Square Garden in 2019, 2022 and 2023. Her two shows there in December sold a combined 28,700 tickets and grossed $4.5 million, both of which are bigger than ever.
Not only has Carey increased her efficiency in New York, she’s built out across the country and into Europe. What began as a NYC-only event in 2014, expanded to Europe in 2017 and 2018, plus more North American cities in 2019. After last year’s post-pandemic return focused on just New York and Toronto, the 2023 tour boasts Carey’s biggest holiday routing yet, never playing to fewer than 12,500 fans across the U.S. and Canada. Holiday classics or not, it’s her first such major arena tour since 2006.
Considering “All I Want for Christmas Is You” re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 based on the tracking week of Nov. 10-16, and stayed at No. 2 through the first week of 2024, it’s possible she could expand beyond the Nov. 17-Dec. 17 window of this year’s run.
The Merry Christmas One and All! tour averaged $2 million and 14,200 tickets per show. Those revenue figures are Carey’s biggest ever, dating back more than 30 years since she crashed the Billboard charts.
But while a bustling concert economy and decades of inflation can explain some of her recent success, Carey’s reach – the sheer number of tickets she sold – is also sky high. That 14,200 average is the best per-show attendance for any of her tours since 1998, when she was supporting the previous year’s Butterfly.
Leading up to that 1998 tour, Carey amassed four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and 12 No. 1 songs on the Hot 100. Since then, there have been another two No. 1 albums and seven No. 1 songs, including 14 weeks on top, spread across the last five holiday seasons, for “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” In 2019, one month before that track reached the summit, Carey ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Artists chart, leading among women and Black artists.
Still, Carey has never toured with the same intensity as many of the acts that surrounded her on that list, such as Elton John, Madonna or Taylor Swift. Her first three concert tours, in the midst of her ‘90s chart-topping spree, each lasted for no more than 11 shows, almost one eighth of Swift’s calendar for 2024.
It’s encouraging that Carey has arguably been busier than ever on the road in the last decade, including her annual holiday series, two Las Vegas residencies and three international tours. Far removed from releasing her last chart-topper, her 2023 upswing in concert attendance, not to mention the all-time-high grosses, tells a positive story about Carey’s legacy as the Queen of Christmas, using her unique niche (and 19 No. 1 hits – a record among soloists – expanding their presence in the holiday show setlist) to fill arenas.
Taylor Swift’s long reign over Australia’s albums chart has come to an end, toppled by 21 Savage’s American Dream (via Epic/Sony).
The London-born, Atlanta-based rapper’s sixth studio album starts at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, published Friday, Jan. 19, for his first solo leader.
Previously, ARIA reports, Savage’s highest charting solo album was I Am > I Was, which reached No. 30 in 2018, though his collaborative albums flew into the top 10. His top chart position came with 2022’s Her Loss featuring Drake (at No. 2) and 2020’s Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin (No. 4). A handful of tracks from American Dream impact the ARIA Chart, including “Redrum” at No. 23 and “Née-Nah” (with Travis Scott and Metro Boomin) at No. 34.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
With Savage claiming the throne, Swift’s reign with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via Universal) ends at 11 successive weeks. The fourth in Swift’s re-recording projects, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was the best-seller for 2023, according to year-end data published by ARIA earlier this month. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is one of five Swift titles in the ARIA top 10, a position of power that is unlikely to change anytime soon; Swifties will crank-up the listening frenzy when her The Eras Tour bounces into the market next month for seven stadium shows across Sydney and Melbourne.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Jack Harlow logs a ninth non-consecutive week at No. 1 with “Lovin On Me” (Atlantic/Warner). That’s the longest run at the top by a solo male artist — excluding collaborations and featured artists — since The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” stayed at the summit for 11 weeks in 2020. It’s worth noting, “Blinding Lights” is now recognized as the most-streamed song ever on Spotify, clocking up more than 4 billion plays across the DSP’s global network.
Ariana Grande returns to the chart with “Yes, And?” (Universal), her first solo top 40 hit in Australia in almost three years. It’s new at No. 2, her 19th top 10 single — a tally that includes four No. 1s (“No Tears Left To Cry” and “Thank U, Next” in 2018, “7 Rings” in 2019, and “Positions” in 2020).
Lifted from Grande’s forthcoming seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine (due out March 8), “Yes, And?” is Grande’s first new solo hit since “POV” peaked at No. 29 in 2021.
Two early noughts pop hits from the U.K. are rocketing up the ARIA Singles Chart, thanks to the magic of movies. Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 hit “Murder On The Dancefloor” (Universal), blasts 25-12, following its sync to Emerald Fennell’s dark flick Saltburn. Also, Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” (Sony), which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary, is back in the top 20 following its inclusion in the rom-com Anyone But You. “Unwritten” reenters at No. 18, just five places below its peak position of No. 13 set back 2004.
Finally, Morgan Wallen has another notch on his chart belt as “Thinkin’ Bout Me” (Mercury/Universal) appears at No. 48 on the ARIA Chart. “Thinkin’ Bout Me” is the sixth single lifted from the country star’s chart-leading LP One Thing at a Time.
