Chart Beat
Raye Eyes First U.K. No. 1 With ‘Escapism’
With Christmas tunes marching down and out the charts, Raye is targeting her first U.K. No. 1 single. The U.K.-based singer and songwriter leads the midweek U.K. chart with “Escapism” (up 6-1), ahead of SZA’s “Kill Bill” (RCA/Top Dawg) and Central Cee‘s “Let Go” (Central Cee), respectively. A multiple BRIT Award nominee best known for tracks including “Bed” (U.K. No. 3); “Secrets” with Regard; (U.K. No. 6) and Jax Jones’ “You Don’t Know Me” (U.K. No. 3), Raye in flourishing in her new, independent phase. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Escapism” is released through Human Re Sources, J. Erving’s distribution and artist services company, which she signed to in 2022 after publicly splitting with Polydor a year earlier. “Imagine this pain,” s...
Taylor Swift Set to Take U.K. Chart Crown With ‘Midnights’
If 2022 was the year of Taylor Swift in the U.K., the New Year appears much the same as Swift’s Midnights (EMI) takes pole position on the midweek chart. Based on data published by the Official Charts Company, Midnights is on track for the first No. 1 of 2023, and land a fourth non-consecutive week at the summit. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news If it keeps its momentum, the OCC notes, Midnights will eclipse Swift’s 2020 LP Folklore to become her longest-reigning album in the U.K. Meanwhile, SZA’s sophomore album SOS (RCA/Top Dawg) is set to lift 8-2, and the Weeknd’s career retrospective The Highlights (Republic Records/XO) could bounce 15-4 following the release of “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength),” the Canadian R&B singer’s single ...
Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ Returns to No. 1 In U.K.
Wham’s “Last Christmas” (via RCA) is the gift that keeps giving, as the ‘80s classic returns to No. 1 in the U.K. The holiday standard lifts 2-1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Dec. 30, for its second stint at the summit in 2022. According to the Official Charts Company, “Last Christmas” scoops over 79,000 combined chart units, including a market-leading 18 million streams, to bag the last No. 1 of the year. Less than a year earlier, “Last Christmas” was finally crowned on the survey, setting a new mark for the longest journey to the top, at 36 years. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The latest survey is brimming with Christmas spirit. Indeed, holiday numbers swamp the Top 40, taking out 34 spots, including nine of the top 10. Mari...
Michael Buble Enters 2023 With ‘Christmas’ No. 1
Michael Buble’s Christmas (via Reprise) is back on familiar territory — at No. 1 in the U.K. The Canadian crooner’s holiday classic lifts 3-1, for its fifth non-consecutive week at the summit. Christmas first led the Official U.K. Albums Chart following its release in 2011, and last reached the top in December 2021. With Christmas in the rearview, holiday albums are enjoying mixed fortunes. On the way down are Cliff Richard’s Christmas With Cliff (2-12 via EastWest/Rhino), the Bocellis’ A Family Christmas (5-20 via Decca), and Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss Orchestra’s Silver Bells (7-36 via Decca), while the late Bing Crosby bucks the trend with Christmas Classics (UMC/Virgin), up 91-27. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In the absence of any n...
SZA’s ‘SOS’ Tops Billboard 200 for Third Week in a Row
SZA’s SOS rules the Billboard 200 chart (dated Jan. 7) for a third straight and total week as the set earned 128,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 29 (down 29%), according to Luminate. Plus, five holiday albums populate the top 10 — the most in a year — led by Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 Christmas. 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...
23 No. 23 Billboard Hot 100 Hits for ’23: Bruce Springsteen, No Doubt, Taylor Swift & More
In case you partied too much last night, here’s a nice, easy scroll to usher in 2023: 23 memorable songs that peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. Among them: Bruce Springsteen’s first Hot 100 hit and a signature song; likewise, Pat Benatar’s breakthrough classic; No Doubt’s wry ode to girl power; Shakira’s anthem, featuring Alejandro Sanz, that ruled the Hot Latin Songs chart for 25 weeks; and one of Taylor Swift’s most observant, and sympathetic, songs. Plus, enduring anthems by Tom Petty, Dr. Dre, Britney Spears and more. Happy new year! [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”...
Mariah Carey Extends ‘Christmas’ Streak In Australia
Mariah Carey already locked up the Christmas No. 1, now she’s certain to see in the New Year as queen of the Australian singles chart. Carey’s nine-times platinum hit from 1994, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia/Sony), enters a third week at No. 1 on the latest ARIA Singles Chart, as holiday numbers flood the survey. “All I Want” leads an “all-Christmas” top ten, published Dec. 30, and is one of 18 Christmas songs impacting the top 20, with SZA’s “Kill Bill” (down 2-12 via RCA/Sony) and Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ former leader “Unholy” (down 3-14 via Capitol/Universal) the only exceptions. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A string of Xmas-themed tracks impact the upper tier of the chart for the first time, including the late Nat King ...
Taylor Swift Returns to No. 1 on Billboard Artist 100 for Record-Extending 58th Week
Taylor Swift rebounds to No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated Dec. 31), spending a record-extending 58th week as the top musical act in the U.S. thanks to the continued success of her album Midnights. Plus, RM re-enters the Artist 100 at No. 6, a new best for the BTS member as a soloist. Swift’s Midnights ranks at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart with 155,000 equivalent album units earned in its ninth week (Dec. 16-22), according to Luminate. Of those nine weeks, five have been spent at No. 1, making it her sixth album to have five or more weeks at the summit. Swift is the only woman with as many as six albums that have reigned for five or more weeks, tying her with Garth Brooks for the second-most among all acts, since the chart became a combined stereo and mono survey in 1963. ...
LadBaby Rings up Chart Record With U.K. Christmas No. 1
LadBaby lands the ultimate Christmas present with “Food Aid” (via BMG) earning the coveted Christmas No. 1 in the U.K. — and doing so in record-busting fashion. The charity single debuts at No. 1 on the Official Singles Chart with more than 65,000 chart sales, the Official Charts Company reports, for the fastest-selling week of any recording in 2022. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The husband-and-wife duo of Mark and Roxanne Hoyle become the first act to nab five Official U.K. Christmas No. 1 singles, beating the old mark held by the Beatles, who bagged four non-consecutive Christmas leaders in 1963, 1964, 1965 & 1967. Previously, LadBaby ruled the Christmas chart with “We Built This City” (in 2018), “I Love Sausage Rolls” (2019), “Don’t S...
K.S. Chithra’s ‘Soul of Varisu’ Rules Hot Trending Songs Chart
K.S. Chithra’s “Soul of Varisu” from the upcoming film Varisu crowns Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart dated Dec. 31. Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter and sponsored by Xfinity Mobile, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running Dec. 16-22. “Soul of Varisu” is one of multiple songs composed by Thaman S to be featured on the soundtrack to the Tamil-language film Varisu, out Jan. 12, 2023. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts...
The Longest-Leading Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s
Beginning with Debby Boone’s 1977 smash “You Light Up My Life,” a relatively select few smashes have led the Billboard Hot 100 chart for at least 10 weeks. How few? Just a mere 4% of all Hot 100 No. 1s dating to the chart’s launch on Aug. 4, 1958, have earned the achievement. In honor of the singles to claim the Hot 100’s top spot the longest, here’s a look at the elite leaders to rule for double-digit weeks, an exclusive club led by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Cyrus, a 19-week No. 1 smash in 2019. THE LONGEST-LEADING HOT 100 No. 1sWeeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Date Reached No. 1 [embedded content] 19, “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, April 13, 2019 16, “Despacito,” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber, May 27, 201716, “One Sweet Day,” Mariah...
Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ Dominates Down Under
Mariah Carey isn’t called the queen of Christmas for nothing. The U.S. pop veteran lives up to her nickname as her enduring holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” rings in Christmas as the No. 1 single in Australia. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Carey’s 1994 release bags a second consecutive week at the top Down Under, and a fifth year at No. 1 during the Christmas week, ARIA reports. Although it’s peak summer in Australia, a time when Aussies head to the beach en masse, those wintry yuletide classics dominate playlists in these parts, a fact that’s reflected by both main ARIA Charts. Four of the top 10 singles on the chart published Dec. 23 are Christmas numbers, including Wham’s “Last Christmas” (up 6-3), Michael Bublé’s “It’s Be...
