Chart Beat
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Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” becomes the latest country hit to top Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart in 2024, debuting at No. 1 on the Nov. 2-dated tally.
In the week ending Oct. 24, “Love Somebody” earned 31.1 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.
It’s Wallen’s first No. 1 debut as a lead act; earlier this year, he started atop the ranking as a featured act on Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” which reigned for two weeks, one in May and one in August.
He also led the chart for 19 weeks with “Last Night” in 2023, though the song did not reach No. 1 until its sixth week on the list.
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“Love Somebody” is the fourth No. 1 from the country genre on Streaming Songs in 2024. The year began with Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” reigning on the Jan. 6 list (after ruling for the final four weeks of 2023), followed by the aforementioned Malone/Wallen collaboration and then Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” for nine weeks to date beginning in July. “Love Somebody” takes over from “A Bar Song” atop the latest ranking.
In 2023, four country songs topped the list, including Lee, plus Wallen’s “Last Night,” Zach Bryan’s Kacey Musgraves-featuring “I Remember Everything” and Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond.” The genre has not yet boasted more than four rulers in a year.
In the preceding nine years (2013-2022) of the chart, only Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” had represented the country genre at No. 1 on Streaming Songs, doing so in 2021.
On Country Streaming Songs, “Love Somebody” is Wallen’s 12th leader, twice as many as the next-closest acts, Swift and Florida Georgia Line, with six apiece.
Concurrently, as previously reported, “Love Somebody” debuts at No. 1 on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100, becoming Wallen’s third ruler.
ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” moves in at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.
BLACKPINK member ROSÉ achieves her second No. 1 as a soloist on each chart, after “On the Ground” likewise led in its debut week in March 2021. As a group, BLACKPINK boasts two leaders on the Global 200 and three on Global Excl. U.S. She is the first member of the quartet with multiple No. 1s on the charts; the act’s Jennie and LISA have notched one Global Excl. U.S. No. 1 each.
Mars, meanwhile, dethrones his first No. 1 on both surveys: “Die With a Smile,” with Lady Gaga, dips to No. 2 on each chart. He’s both the first act to replace himself at No. 1 and take the top two spots simultaneously on each list since Sabrina Carpenter earlier this year with “Espresso” and follow-up “Please Please Please.”
Elsewhere, Oscar Maydon and Fuerza Regida’s “Tu Boda” bounds to the top 10 of both the Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S.; Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” launches at No. 8 on the Global 200; and One Direction’s “Night Changes” hits the Global Excl. U.S. top 10 following the passing of the group’s Liam Payne.
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The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
Released Oct. 18, “APT.” arrives atop the Global 200 with a staggering 224.5 million streams, as well as 29,000 sold, worldwide through Oct. 24. The song claims the second-biggest streaming week since the Global 200 began.
Here’s a look at all five weeks in which songs topped 200 million streams worldwide (with one belonging to BLACKPINK):
289.2 million, “Butter,” BTS, June 5, 2021
224.5 million, “APT.,” ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, Nov. 2, 2024
217.1 million, “Seven,” Jung Kook feat. Latto, July 29, 2023
217.1 million, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Feb. 4, 2023
212.1 million, “Pink Venom,” BLACKPINK, Sept. 3, 2022
“APT.” introduces ROSÉ’s solo studio album, rosie, due Dec. 6.
Despite dropping to No. 2 on the Global 200, following eight weeks at No. 1 (the most for any song this year), “Die With a Smile” drew 120.6 million streams (up 10% week-over-week) worldwide Oct. 18-24. The song has tallied more than 100 million streams globally in each of the last eight weeks, the most in a row since The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” linked nine triple-digit weeks in August-October 2021.
Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” slips 2-3 on the Global 200, following three weeks at No. 1 beginning in August.
Oscar Maydon and Fuerza Regida’s “Tu Boda” blasts 22-4 on the Global 200, led by 75.1 million streams (up 119%). Each act reaches the top 10 for the first time.
Rounding out the Global 200’s top five, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” descends 4-5, following three nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in June.
Plus, Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” debuts at No. 8 on the Global 200 with 38.2 million streams and 19,000 sold worldwide from its Oct. 18 release through Oct. 24. The country star scores his third top 10 on the chart.
“APT.” concurrently starts atop Global Excl. U.S. with 200 million streams and 21,000 sold outside the U.S. Oct. 18-24.
As on the Global 200, “Die With a Smile” ranks at No. 2 on Global Excl. U.S. following eight weeks at No. 1.
Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” keeps at No. 3 on Global Excl. U.S., following three weeks at No. 1 beginning in August, and Jennie’s “Mantra” places at No. 4, a week after it opened at No. 2.
Oscar Maydon and Fuerza Regida’s “Tu Boda” jumps 17-5 on Global Excl. U.S., with 60.1 million streams (up 111%). The acts each appear in the top 10 for the first time.
Additionally, One Direction’s “Night Changes” surges 95-10 on Global Excl. U.S., up 131% to 37.6 million streams and 573% to 3,000 sold outside the U.S. Oct. 18-24, after the group’s Liam Payne died Oct. 16. The song becomes the boy band’s first top 10 since the Global 200 began; it hit No. 31 on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100 in 2014.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Nov. 2, 2024) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Oct. 29. 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.
Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” leaps onto the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1.
The single, released Oct. 18, arrives as Wallen’s third Hot 100 leader, after Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Wallen, opened on top in May and reigned for six weeks, and “Last Night” dominated for 16 weeks in 2023.
Notably, Wallen maintains the longest Hot 100 reign of the 2020s with “Last Night” – his new No. 1 dethrones Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which a week earlier tallied its 15th week in the top spot (and remains tied with Harry Styles’ 2022 hit “As It Was” for the second-longest command this decade).
“Love Somebody,” on Mercury/Big Loud/Republic, becomes the 1,175th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 66-year history, and the first to debut atop the chart since “I Had Some Help.”
“‘Love Somebody’ is a little bit of a new approach lyrically and sonically,” Wallen shared in a statement upon the release of the longing love song, which he co-wrote. “I wanted to try something different, with what I wanted to talk about … how I wanted it to sound, and we were inspired by Latin-leaning influences. I’m really excited about this song and pumped that it is out.”
Plus, ROSÉ and Bruno Mars soar onto the Hot 100 at No. 8 with “APT.” BLACKPINK member ROSÉ earns her first top 10 as a soloist, outpacing the group’s No. 13 best set by “Ice Cream,” with Selena Gomez, in 2012. She also makes history as the first female artist prominent in K-pop (Korean pop) to hit the top 10. Mars, meanwhile, adds his milestone 20th Hot 100 top 10.
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 Nov. 2, 2024) will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Oct. 29). 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.
‘Love Somebody’ Streams, Airplay & Sales
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” (Island Records) refuses to let go of its grip on the U.K. Official Singles Chart, securing a ninth consecutive week at No. 1.
The unstoppable track remains the most-streamed song in the U.K. for the week, racking up over 5.2 million streams and cements its place as the longest-running No. 1 single of 2024, marking yet another milestone for Carpenter.
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The popstar’s impressive achievements with “Taste” follow a remarkable streak in 2024. Earlier this year, she became the first artist in 71 years to spend 20 weeks at No. 1 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart within a single year. This record includes her chart-toppers “Espresso” (seven weeks at No. 1) and “Please Please Please” (five weeks at No. 1). The last time an artist accomplished such a feat was Frankie Laine in 1953.
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But the competition for the top spot is heating up. Gigi Perez’s viral indie release “Sailor Song” climbed to No. 2, putting pressure on “Taste”, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars landed at No. 3 with “Die With A Smile” (Interscope).
Meanwhile, ROSÉ of BLACKPINK made U.K. chart history this week. Her track “APT.” (Black Label and Atlantic) featuring Bruno Mars debuts at No. 4, making her the first female solo K-pop artist to land in the Top 10 of the U.K. Official Singles Chart. This marks ROSÉ’s first solo Top 40 hit, as she previously peaked at No. 43 with her 2021 single “On The Ground” (YG Entertainment and Interscope). Two of her BLACKPINK bandmates, JISOO and JENNIE, have also had solo success, with “FLOWER” (BLISSOO) and “Mantra” (Odd Atelier and Columbia Records) respectively reaching the Top 40.
Elsewhere on the chart, the resurgence of One Direction continues following the passing of Liam Payne.
Two of the band’s fan-favorite tracks have re-entered the Top 10: “Night Changes” (Syco Music and Columbia Records) hits a new peak at No. 6, surpassing its original 2013 peak of No. 7, while “Story Of My Life” returns to No. 9. “What Makes You Beautiful” also sees renewed interest, climbing back to No. 23.
Additionally, three of Payne’s solo releases have re-entered the wider chart, including “Strip That Down” (Capitol) with Quavo at No. 41, “For You” (Universal Studios and Republic Records) with Rita Ora at No. 43, and his final solo release “Teardrops” (Capitol Records) making its chart debut at No. 85.
Adding to the movement on the charts, Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” (Columbia) rises two spots to No. 12, Billie Eilish’s “WILDFLOWER” (Interscope) blooms at a new peak of No. 17, and Gracie Abrams secures her second Top 20 entry with “That’s So True” (Interscope) landing at No. 19.
Further down, Teddy Swims climbs 10 spots with “Bad Dreams” (Warner) at No. 25, while Morgan Wallen secures his third Top 40 hit in the U.K. with “Love Somebody” (Mercury Records/Republic Records) reaching No. 40.
As “Taste” holds on for another week, fans are eager to see whether Sabrina Carpenter can extend her streak into the double digits – or will a new challenger finally emerge?
Yeat lands his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as Lyfestyle debuts atop the list dated Nov. 2. The set earned 89,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Oct. 24, according to Luminate — his best week ever by units, largely driven by album sales. Lyfestyle is the fifth total and consecutive top 10-charting set for the rapper, who had gone as high as No. 2 in March with 2093.
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Also in the new top 10 of the Billboard 200, SEVENTEEN snares its sixth top 10 effort, all earned consecutively, as SPILL THE FEELS debuts at No. 5. Meanwhile, Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us surges 19-8 following a deluxe reissue with added songs, for its first week in the top 10 since it debuted at No. 2 in July.
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 Nov. 2, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Oct. 29). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
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Of Lyfestyle’s 89,000 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 60,000 (Yeat’s best sales week ever; it’s No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart), SEA units comprise 29,000 (equaling 39.67 million on-demand official streams of the songs on the streaming edition of the album; it debuts at No. 17 on the Top Streaming Albums chart) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Lyfestyle’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across many variants, exclusively sold through the artist’s webstore. Lyfestyle’s opening-week sales actually exceed the cumulative sales of Yeat’s entire album catalog before this past week. Until Lyfestyle’s release, his catalog of albums had sold a combined 35,000 copies.
The new album, his fifth full-length studio effort, was issued as a widely-available 22-track digital download and streaming set, and in a CD and vinyl edition exclusively sold through his webstore. (It’s the first time Yeat has released an album on CD.) The CDs were only available as part of deluxe boxed sets (exclusive to his webstore), and all CDs and vinyls were signed by the artist. There were six different deluxe CD boxed sets, each containing a T-shirt and a CD inside a branded box. There were also three webstore-exclusive CD variants, signed by the artist, and each contained two additional bonus tracks unique to the CD (one has “Style Lyfe” and “Back Thën,” the second has “5Brazy” and “Barbarian” and the third has “Graveyard” and “Gonë”)
In addition, Yeat’s webstore offered two exclusive digital download album variants — one with the bonus track “Project Lyfestyle” and one with four bonus tracks: “Project Lyfestyle,” “For Lyfe,” “Night Come” and “5Brazy Remix,” featuring Quavo.
All of the bonus tracks on the CD and download album variants were not available to purchase as stand-alone tracks through any retailer, nor available to stream through an official service.
In total, of Lyfestyle’s first-week sales of 60,000, digital downloads comprise 43,500; CD sales comprise 12,000 and vinyl sales comprise 4,500.
Yeat’s last album, 2093, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 earlier this year, was available in its first week across three digital download variants, but only one of them was exclusive to the artist’s webstore. 2093 sold 12,000 copies in its first week — all from downloads.
Sabrina Carpenter’s chart-topping Short n’ Sweet climbs 4-2 on the Billboard 200 with 79,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%). After debuting at No. 1, Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken falls to No. 3 with 68,000 (down 58%). Rod Wave’s Last Lap dips 2-4 in its second week with 67,000 units (down 47%).
SEVENTEEN collects its sixth top 10-charting effort on the Billboard 200 as SPILL THE FEELS debuts at No. 5 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 64,000 (it’s No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 2,000 (equaling 2.61 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The album’s sales were bolstered by its availability across 17 CD variants, each containing collectible branded paper ephemera (such as photocards, posters, lyric books and stickers, some randomized).
Morgan Wallen’s former leader One Thing at a Time rises 9-6 on the Billboard 200 with 50,000 equivalent album units earned (up 5%), GloRilla’s Glorious falls 5-7 in its second week with nearly 50,000 (down 27%), and Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us surges 19-8 with 49,000 units (up 78%). The latter vaults up the chart, and back into the top 10 for the first time since its No. 2 debut in July, thanks to its Oct. 18 deluxe reissue on digital download and streaming services with seven additional tracks. Of the 49,000 units The Secret of Us earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise the bulk of the sum — a little over 45,000 (up 89%).
Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 are Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft (falling 7-9 with a little over 48,000 equivalent album units earned; down 4%) and BigXthaPlug’s Take Care (8-10 in its second week; with 48,000; up less than 1%).
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.
Hozier earns his fifth straight No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart as “Nobody’s Soldier” lifts two spots to the top of the Nov. 2-dated survey.
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The song continues a streak that also includes “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca” in 2023 and “Too Sweet,” for 10 weeks beginning in May, plus his co-lead turn on Noah Kahan’s “Northern Attitude,” for five weeks starting in January.
With five rulers in a row, Hozier is one away from the chart’s all-time best run, held by U2, which strung together six from 2001’s “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” through 2005’s “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own.”
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In all, Hozier now boasts seven No. 1s on Adult Alternative Airplay, first reigning with “Take Me to Church” in 2014. He also led with “Nina Cried Power,” featuring Mavis Staples, in 2018.
Hozier is the first soloist to score three new Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1s in a single year, thanks to “Nobody’s Soldier,” “Too Sweet” and “Northern Attitude.” Only two groups previously achieved the feat, dating to the chart’s January 1996 launch: Coldplay with “Violet Hill,” “Viva La Vida” and “Lost!,” featuring Jay-Z, in 2008, and Dave Matthews Band with “I Did It,” “The Space Between” and “Everyday” in 2001.
Concurrently, “Nobody’s Soldier” ranks at No. 39 on Alternative Airplay, after reaching No. 37. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, it rises 23-22 with 1.4 million audience impressions, up 7%, in the week ending Oct. 24, according to Luminate.
“Nobody’s Soldier” debuted at its No. 16 best on the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart dated Aug. 31 following its release on Hozier’s EP Unaired. The song has also been appended to the deluxe edition of his 2023 album Unreal Unearth, with the latest edition – Unreal Unearth: Unending – due Dec. 6 as a three-LP deluxe edition and a one-LP companion version.
All Billboard charts dated Nov. 2 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Marshmello and Kane Brown’s “Miles on It” rises two spots to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Nov. 2). The song increased by 14% to 31.5 million audience impressions Oct. 18-24, according to Luminate.
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Marshmello reigns in his rookie Country Airplay appearance. The prominent DJ notches the first debut No. 1 at the format since Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” began its seven-week domination in August.
Brown banks his 12th Country Airplay leader. It’s also his seventh in succession, the longest active streak among all artists. Notably, behind Brown with five consecutive career-opening chart-toppers is Jelly Roll, whose latest single, “I Am Not Okay,” holds at its No. 2 high (30.3 million, up 3%).
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Prior to “Miles on It,” Brown last topped Country Airplay for one week in March with “I Can Feel It.” He first led with “What Ifs” (featuring Lauren Alaina) for a week in October 2017.
Meanwhile, “Miles on It” isn’t the first Marshmello and Brown collaboration. The two topped the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart with “One Thing Right” for a week in October 2019. They are among the co-writers of their new leader, which has hit No. 4 on the ranking and which introduces Brown’s LP The High Road, due Jan. 24, 2025.
Dasha Kicks Up First Top 10
Dasha’s co-penned “Austin” ascends 12-9 on Country Airplay (16.4 million, down 1%). The breakthrough single by the San Luis Obispo, Calif., native becomes the first freshman entry by a woman to hit the top 10 since Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange,” which reached No. 4 in July 2023.
‘Beautiful’ Music
Plus, Thomas Rhett earns his 24th top 10 as“Beautiful as You” climbs 12-10 (16.1 million, up 7%). The single follows “Mamaw’s House” (featuring Morgan Wallen), which in March became Rhett’s 20th No. 1.
BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ has become the highest-charting female solo K-pop act ever on the U.K. Singles Charts. The singer lands at No. 4 with “APT.”, her collaborative single with Bruno Mars, and marks only her third solo single release. She previously peaked at No. 43 in 2021 with single “On the Ground.” Her BLACKPINK bandmates JISOO […]
Kylie Minogue has scored her 10th No. 1 album on the U.K. Official Albums Chart.
The Aussie singer’s Tension II, a sequel to her September 2023 album of the same name, is her 17th studio album and features contributions from Diplo, Bebe Rexha and The Blessed Madonna.
Tension II is a continuation of the dancefloor-focused electronic sound that she’s found success with in recent years. Her 2023 single “Padam Padam” from Tension reached the top 10 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart.
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With her 10th No. 1 album in the U.K., Kylie joins only a handful of acts to reach double figures, drawing level with Coldplay, Queen, Michael Jackson and ABBA.
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Kylie now trails only The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Robbie Williams, Elvis, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Eminem and U2 for No. 1s on the Albums Chart.
The pop icon has previously topped the chart with Kylie (1988), Enjoy Yourself (1989), Greatest Hits (1992), Fever (2001), Aphrodite (2010), Golden (2018), Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection (2019), DISCO (2020) and Tension (2023).
Rag’n’Bone Man re-enters with his third consecutive top 3 album with What Do You Believe In? The British solo artist topped the Albums Chart on his previous two outings, 2017’s Human and 2021’s Life By Misadventure.
Australian-born, London-based dance group Confidence Man land their first top 10 album with 3AM (LA LA LA), their first after signing to Polydor. Their third album comes in at No. 9 in this week’s edition.
All five of One Direction’s albums have returned to the charts following the death of member Liam Payne, who died earlier this month at age 31. Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013), Made In The A.M. (2015) and Four (2015) all chart in the top 40.
Fans worldwide have been holding vigils for the late singer, who died following a fall from a hotel balcony. Zayn Malik recently postponed his first ever solo tour following the news, while his 1D bandmates have paid tribute to their late friend.
See the full list at the Official Albums Chart website.
On Oct. 27, 1984, Alabama’s “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas” rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The classic was co-written by Murry Kellum and Dan Mitchell and produced by the band and Harold Shedd.
Formed near Fort Payne, Ala., in the early ‘70s, Alabama was initially billed as Wildcountry, consisting of cousins Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen. They recruited drummer Mark Herndon in 1979.
Starting with Alabama’s 1980 Hot Country Songs No. 1 “Tennessee River” and through its featured turn on Brad Paisley’s “Old Alabama” in 2011, the band banked 33 leaders, among 51 top 10s, both the most among duo/groups. Also beginning with “Tennessee River,” Alabama rattled off a record 21 No. 1s in a row (counting proper, nonseasonal singles) through 1987.
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“We were lookin’ for a song that would use a fiddle,” “Texas” co-producer Shedd shared in Tom Roland’s The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits. “After ‘Tennessee River’ and [Alabama’s ninth No. 1, 1983’s] ‘Dixieland Delight,’ it became a trademark, so we wanted to do some of those things. If it’s working, you don’t want to get too far away from that. You gotta touch your home base. [“Texas”] was something we could out a fiddle on that would not sound manufactured or contrived.”
“Texas” was released as the third of four singles – all of which topped Hot Country Songs – from Alabama’s eighth LP, and fourth Top Country Albums No. 1, Roll On. It followed “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)” and “When We Make Love” and preceded “(There’s A) Fire in the Night.”
In 2015, Southern Drawl, Alabama’s first set of new music since 2001, arrived at its No. 2 peak on Top Country Albums. It became the group’s 26th top 10 set, a sum that includes 11 No. 1s logged between 1981 and 2006.
Alabama was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Cook passed away on Nov. 8, 2022, at his home in Destin, Fla. He was 73. Currently touring, the band makes its next stop in St. Augustine, Fla., on Nov. 8.