Chart Beat

With summer over — not officially until Sept. 23, but for chart purposes, given that Billboard has announced the season-end 2023 Songs of the Summer chart, which measures performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 between Memorial Day and Labor Day — a look at the season’s biggest hits reveals what the average summer smash sounded like this year.

Here is an analysis of compositional characteristics of the survey’s top 10 titles at the season’s close.

To recap, here is a rundown of the Songs of the Summer chart’s top 10 for 2023:

No. 1, “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen

No. 2, “Fast Car,” Luke Combs

No. 3, “Calm Down,” Rema & Selena Gomez

No. 4, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus

No. 5, “All My Life,” Lil Durk feat. J. Cole

No. 6, “Cruel Summer,” Taylor Swift

No. 7, “Karma,” Taylor Swift feat. Ice Spice

No. 8, “Snooze,” SZA

No. 9, “Kill Bill,” SZA

No. 10, “Fukumean,” Gunna

Summer of Love

Love was in the air in the summer of 2023. A hefty 80% of the Song of the Summer chart’s season-wrapping top 10 features a love/relationship lyrical theme, with the majority sporting romantic subject matter. Among them, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” chronicles his continued desire for his love interest despite their push-and-pull dynamic, while Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” and SZA’s “Kill Bill” narrate breakups.

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Also notably, and logically, the positive songs about love include major-key tonalities, while the more negative ones are complemented by minor-key tonalities.

Meanwhile, only one song in the above 10 leaned toward the platonic end of the spectrum: Taylor Swift’s “Karma” featuring Ice Spice.

Playing Hooky, in the Summer

The biggest summer 2023 hits were earworms, even if they weren’t as fast as might be expected.

While all hits in the season-end Songs of the Summer top 10 feature catchy hooks, largely in their choruses, many bolster their hook presence by hitting the listener with a notable, recognizable hook in their intros (60% of the 10 songs) and/or following their choruses with additional post-chorus hook reiteration (70%).

Meanwhile, when most people think of summer hits, they typically think of uptempo, highly danceable bangers. However, summer 2023’s top 10 includes only three songs at over 100 beats per minute, two of which have a notable dance/club influence: “Flowers” (118 BPM) and Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” (107 BPM).

The greatest share of the summer’s top 10 is 80-99 BPM (four titles), including Luke Combs’ “Fast Car,” Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and “Karma,” and “Kill Bill.”

The remaining three songs are under 79 BPM, comprising the R&B/hip-hop hits “All My Life” by Lil Durk featuring J. Cole, SZA’s “Snooze” and Gunna’s “Fukumean.”

Familiar, But Unique

While hit songs possess a host of commonalities that make them familiar to audiences and enable them to easily connect, most also have unique qualities that help them stand out from the pack. The 10 biggest hits on 2023’s Songs of the Summer chart for the season are no exception. Among them:

“Fast Car” has an unusual song structure by today’s mainstream standards. Most hits are based on a core A-B-A-B-C-B form (whereby A: verse; B: chorus; and C: bridge). “Fast Car,” written by Tracy Chapman, who first sent the song to the weekly Hot 100’s top 10 in 1988, features an I-A-T-A-T-A-T-PC-T-B-T-A-T-B-T-A-T-B-T-PC-O form (I: intro; A: verse; T: turnaround; PC: pre-chorus; B: chorus; and O: outro).

“Calm Down” features standout qualities including repetition, more than the other season-end summer top 10s, and the weekly Hot 100’s top 10 in general; hooks combining proper language, slang, nonsensical phrases and Nigerian Pidgin; and an Afrobeats sound, which, despite gaining traction, is still relatively uncommon in the Hot 100’s top 10 and is not present in any of the other top 10 songs of the summer.

Plus, “Flowers” is the only top 10 hit of the summer with a 1970s disco influence and “Kill Bill” features an atypical ‘60s psychedelic influence, while its lyrical hook (“I might kill my ex”) definitely sets it apart.

David and Yael Penn are the co-founders of Hit Songs Deconstructed. In 2022, Hit Songs Deconstructed and fellow song analysis platform MyPart partnered to launch ChartCipher, a new platform analyzing hit songs, as defined by Billboard’s charts.

Jimmy Buffett’s signature song “Margaritaville,” among his many classics, returns to the Billboard Hot 100 this week, re-entering at No. 38 on the Sept. 16-dated ranking. It reached No. 8 in July 1977 and had last appeared on the chart dated Aug. 27, 1977.

Meanwhile, Buffett posthumously boasts the week’s top-selling song with the single, as well as the top-selling album, Songs You Know By Heart: Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hit(s).

As previously reported, the singer-songwriter died Sept. 1 at age 76. As announced on his website and social media accounts, “Jimmy passed away on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” the Sept. 2 post reads. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”

“Margaritaville” contributes to Buffett’s big week on multiple Billboard charts, as fans flocked to his trademark feel-good sound following his death. In the Sept. 1-7 tracking week, his song catalog surged by 1,476% to 78.6 million official on-demand streams and 7,022% to 103,000 paid downloads in the U.S., according to Luminate. His albums collectively soared by 2,378% to 109,000 equivalent album units in that span. Further, his all-format radio airplay audience bounded by 338% to 21.2 million.

‘Margaritaville’ & More on Song Charts

“Margaritaville” gained by 720% to 8.1 million streams; 954% to 1.9 million in airplay audience among Hot 100-reporting stations; and 8,415% to 16,000 sold in the tracking week. It re-enters as Buffett’s first No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart and at No. 41 on Streaming Songs. It’s also No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales and Rock Digital Song Sales and No. 10 on Rock Streaming Songs and No. 17 on Country Streaming Songs.

Before this week, Buffett last charted on the Hot 100 dated Oct. 8, 2011, as featured on Zac Brown Band’s No. 18-peaking “Knee Deep,” the most recent of 13 songs, including seven top 40 hits, that he sent onto the survey during his lifetime.

Along with its Hot 100 re-entry, “Margaritaville” places at No. 7 on Hot Rock Songs, No. 9 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and No. 14 on Hot Country Songs, all of which share the Hot 100’s multimetric methodology.

Alan Jackson and Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” also re-enters Hot Country Songs, at No. 22, with 6.1 million streams (up 346%), 2.3 million in airplay audience (up 66%) and 7,000 sold (up 3,543%). The song dominated the chart for eight weeks in 2003.

Plus, Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” from 1978, hits Hot Rock Songs at No. 19 and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 22, with 4.5 million streams (up 1,454%), 554,000 in radio reach (up from a nominal sum) and 6,000 sold (up 5,402%).

With 12 Buffett titles on the latest Digital Song Sales chart, here’s a recap:

No. 1, “Margaritaville,” 16,000 sold

No. 3, “Come Monday,” 14,000

No. 6, “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” with Alan Jackson, 7,000

No. 8, “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” 6,000

No. 10, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” 6,000

No. 11, “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” 5,000

No. 15, “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” 4,000

No. 26, “Fins,” 3,000

No. 38, “Southern Cross (Live),” 2,000

No. 44, “Why Don’t We Get Drunk,” 1,900

No. 46, “Volcano,” 1,700

No. 48, “Brown Eyed Girl (Live),” 1,700

‘Greatest Hit(s)’ & ‘Ballads’ on Album Charts

On the Billboard 200, Songs You Know By Heart: Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hit(s), featuring “Margaritaville” (as referenced in the set’s wry title), re-enters at No. 4, up 2,106% to 52,000 equivalent album units Sept. 1-7, according to Luminate. Released in 1985, the album previously peaked at No. 100 that year. The collection also holds the No. 2 spot on Top Country Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums. With 15,000 copies sold, it re-enters Top Album Sales at No. 1, ranking as the week’s top-selling album among all genres.

Additionally, Boats Beaches Bars & Ballads, Buffett’s best-of release from 1992 that includes rarities and previously unreleased songs, re-enters the Billboard 200 at a new No. 53 high, with 15,000 units (up 4,750%). It’s also No. 11 on Top Rock Albums and No. 15 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums.

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“I’m glad I got 50 years of albums in me,” the Billboard alum mused in 2020. “This thing’s been an absolute joy. We’ve figured out ways to keep it going. I think it’s really about learning to be a performer before anything else and always trying to better yourself on stage. That’s the key, that core experience, and what’s kept me going. It’s been a good run.”

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart (dated Sept. 16). It’s her first leader on the list, since it began in September 2020, and the first rap No. 1 on the ranking this year.
Meanwhile, Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, adds an eighth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, encompassing its entire run on the survey so far.

Elsewhere, Japanese band King Gnu notches its first Global Excl. U.S. top 10, as “Specialz” debuts at No. 8.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.

Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.

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New Coat of ‘Paint’ Atop Global 200

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rises 2-1 on the Billboard Global 200, with 84 million streams (up 31%) and 12,000 sold (up 37%) worldwide Sept. 1-7. The viral hit is the rapper/singer’s first No. 1 since the list launched in September 2020, among six top 10s. It’s also the first rap leader this year; most recently for the genre before, Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex” topped the tally dated Nov. 19, 2022, upon its debut.

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, drops to No. 2 on the Global 200, after spending its first seven weeks on the chart at No. 1; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” keeps at its No. 3 high; Myke Towers’ “LaLa” lifts 7-4, after reaching No. 3; and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” holds at No. 5, after hitting No. 3.

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Eight Weeks for ‘Seven’ at No. 1 on Global Excl. U.S.

Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto, leads the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart for an eighth week, with 83.8 million streams (down 5%) and 3,000 sold (down 58%) outside the U.S. Sept. 1-7. Upon its debut, the song became the first No. 1 on the chart, as well as the Global 200, for a member of BTS as a soloist.

The entire Global Excl. U.S. top five holds in place, with “Seven” followed by Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” at its No. 2 high; Myke Towers’ “LaLa,” at No. 3 after it led for a week in July; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” at its No. 4 best; and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” at No. 5 after it hit No. 3.

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Plus, King Gnu claims its first Global Excl. U.S. top 10, as “Specialz” debuts at No. 8 with 15.9 million streams and 30,000 sold outside the U.S. Sept. 1-7. The Japanese group logs its fourth top 40 entry on the chart, having previously peaked as high as No. 26 with “Chameleon” in March 2022.

The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Sept. 16, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12). For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rises from No. 3 to No. 1 in its fifth week on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. It becomes the rapper/singer’s second career leader, following “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, in 2020.
Meanwhile, “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap Hot 100 No. 1 in over a year, ending the longest break for the genre atop the chart since 2001.

The Hot 100’s new No. 1 also brings late legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David back to the summit for the first time since 2004, thanks to its sample of Dionne Warwick’s classic “Walk on By.”

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 Sept. 16, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

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Here’s a look at the Hot 100 coronation of “Paint the Town  Red” (released on Kemosabe/RCA Records), the 1,155th No. 1 in the chart’s 65-year history.

Streams, sales & airplay: “Paint the Town Red” drew 32.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 14%) and 27.7 million streams (up 10%) and sold 8,000 downloads (up 32%) in the Sept. 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate, as it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming and Sales Gainer awards.

The single holds at its No. 2 high on the Streaming Songs chart and pushes 6-5 on Digital Song Sales and 17-15 on Radio Songs, hitting new bests on the latter two rankings.

Doja Cat’s second Hot 100 No. 1: Doja Cat claims her second Hot 100 leader, following  “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, for a week in May 2020. Two weeks ago, “Paint the Town Red,” which has ridden a wave of virality on TikTok, became her seventh top 10.

The song is from Doja Cat’s fourth studio album, Scarlet, due Sept. 22.

First rap No. 1 in over a year: “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap track (defined as songs that have hit or are eligible to appear on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart) to lead the Hot 100 since Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which ruled upon its debut atop the chart dated Aug. 27, 2022. Doja Cat ends a 54-week break between rap No. 1s (during which three rap titles peaked at No. 2: Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole; Drake’s “Search & Rescue”; and Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex”).

Before the 2022-23 break, the last time the Hot 100 went without a rap champ longer was pre- and post-Y2K: after Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West,” featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, reigned for a week in July 1999, rap was absent from the top spot until Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me,” featuring Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent, began a two-week command in February 2001 – ending a drought of 79 weeks, or just over 18 months, and 22 No. 1s without a rap leader.

In the 54 frames between the dominations of “Super Freaky Girl” and “Paint the Town Red,” 15 songs topped the Hot 100, ranging from pop to R&B, country and rock/alternative. Click here for a deeper dive into key factors that contributed to rap’s shutout from No. 1 over the past year-plus until this week.

Country’s command halted: Meanwhile, with the return of rap atop the Hot 100, a streak for country ends, as “Paint the Town Red” stops a record run of four consecutive country No. 1s, over the past six weeks. On the Sept. 9-dated chart, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, debuted at No. 1, supplanting Anthony Oliver Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” after two weeks on top (Aug. 26 and Sept. 2). Before that, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” rebounded for its last two of 16 total weeks at No. 1 (Aug. 12 and 19), directly following Jason Aldean’s one-week reign with “Try That in a Small Town” (Aug. 5).

Five-week climb to No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” reaches No. 1 in its fifth week on the Hot 100, competing what’s become a rare multiple-week ascent to the top in 2023; it debuted at No. 15 on the Aug. 19 chart. The previous five new No. 1s (discounting “Last Night,” which logged a record-tying five distinct stays at No. 1 beginning in March) all debuted at the apex: “I Remember Everything”; “Rich Men North of Richmond”; “Try That in a Small Town”; Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto (July 29); and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (July 15).

Before the launch of “Vampire” (and 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for “Last Night” in May-July), SZA’s “Kill Bill” hit No. 1 in its 19th week on the chart (April 29) – helped in part by a remix released in that survey’s tracking week with Doja Cat (who did not receive billing on SZA’s song, as the remix did not account for a majority of its consumption that week).

Bacharach, David, back at No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” samples Dionne Warwick’s standard “Walk on By,” which hit No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1964. Thanks to its inclusion, legendary late songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David crown the Hot 100 for the first time since Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, ruled for a week in 2004; that song samples Luther Vandross’ cover of Warwick’s fellow 1964 release “A House Is Not a Home.”

Bacharach, who passed away Feb. 8, has now co-written eight Hot 100 No. 1s, which have reigned in five distinct decades – the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, 2000s and ‘20s – and spanned over 55 years.

Burt Bacharach’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)

Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)

Dionne & Friends (Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder), “That’s What Friends Are For” (four, beginning Jan. 18, 1986)

Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, “On My Own” (three, beginning June 14, 1986)

Christopher Cross, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (three, beginning Oct. 17, 1981)

Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)

B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)

Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

David, who died in 2012, has now co-penned five Hot 100 No. 1s (over the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘00s and ‘20s), all with Bacharach. Notably, the Songwriters Hall of Fame annually presents – this year to Post Malone – the Hal David Starlight Award, which, according to the organization, is given to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.”

Hal David’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)

Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)

Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)

B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)

Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

Adding to the new Hot 100’s No. 1 star power, Warwick’s voice appears atop the chart for the first time since “That’s What Friends Are For,” as noted above, in 1986. The ballad became her second leader, following her Spinners team-up “Then Came You” for a week in 1974.

‘Paint,’ ‘town’ & ‘red’ reigns: “Paint the Town Red” is the 11th Hot 100 No. 1 with either “paint,” “town” or “red” in its title. Here’s an eclectic recap of the others (with half the No. 1s with “town” in their titles having led since 2015).

“Paint It, Black,” The Rolling Stones, 1966

“Try That in a Small Town,” Jason Aldean, 2023

“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019

“Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2015

“Funkytown,” Lipps, Inc., 1980

“New Kid in Town,” Eagles, 1977

“Poor Side of Town,” Johnny Rivers, 1966

“Downtown,” Petula Clark, 1965

“Red Red Wine,” UB40, 1988

“Roses Are Red (My Love),” Bobby Vinton, 1962

No. 1 on R&B/hip-hop charts: “Paint the Town Red” concurrently tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a third week each. It became Doja Cat’s second No. 1 on the former, following “Say So,” and her first on the latter list.

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100, a week after its premiere. Still, it leads Streaming Songs (31.7 million streams, down 6%) and the multi-metric Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a second week each. Plus, parent LP Zach Bryan tops the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week.

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s No. 6-peaking 1988 Hot 100 hit “Fast Car” dips to No. 3 after eight weeks at its No. 2 high. It leads Radio Songs for a second week (77.8 million, down 1%).

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rebounds 5-4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3; Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” descends 4-5, following 16 weeks at No. 1, the most ever for a non-collaboration; Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” shimmies 9-6 for a new high; and SZA’s “Snooze” repeats at its No. 7 best, as it leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for an eighth week.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Gunna’s “Fukumean” lifts 10-8, after hitting No. 4; Olivia Rodrigo’s former leader “Vampire” climbs 12-9; and Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” rises 11-10, after reaching No. 3, as it rules the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-extending 54th week.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 16), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12).

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.