Chart Moves: Coldplay Ties U2’s No. 1 Record; Sam Smith Hits Hot 100 Post-‘SNL’; The Pretty Reckless Ties Joan Jett For Mainstream Rock History
As previously reported, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” crowns the Billboard Hot 100 for a seventh week. Who else deserves a hats off on Billboard song charts this week?
— Justin Timberlake: “Not a Bad Thing” pushes 20-14 on the Hot 100. It surges 16-11 on Radio Songs (60 million all-format audience impressions, up 14 percent, according to Nielsen BDS) and 14-12 on Digital Songs (75,000, up 16 percent, according to Nielsen SoundScan). On the Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart, the pure-pop track becomes his 17th solo top 10, and returns him to the top tier after prior R&B-leaning singles “Take Back the Night” (No. 14) and “TKO” (No. 12) fell shy of the region. At six weeks, “Thing” marks his fastest climb to the Mainstream Top 40 top 10 as a lead act since “LoveStoned” (also six weeks, 2007).Timberlake boasts an additional nine Mainstream Top 40 top 10s as a member of ‘N Sync (1998-2002).
— Passenger: While the English folk/rocker (aka, Mike Rosenberg) holds at No. 4 on Hot Rock Songs with former five-week No. 1 “Let Her Go” (down 19-21 on the Hot 100), his next single, “Scare Away the Dark,” debuts at No. 39 on Hot Rock Songs. It starts with 90 percent of its chart points from sales, opening on Rock Digital Songs at No. 27 with 9,000 sold (up 122 percent). The song is first single from Passenger’s album “Whispers,” due June 10.
— Florida Georgia Line: The duo lands its fifth Country Airplay top 10 with “This Is How We Roll” (featuring Luke Bryan), which shoots 11-8. Florida Georgia Line and Brooks & Dunn are the only two acts in the Country Airplay chart’s 24-year history to take each of their first four singles to No. 1. A solo share of the tally’s history awaits FGL if “Roll” can become its fifth career-opening topper. “Roll” rules Hot Country Songs for a fourth week and climbs 26-22 on the Hot 100.
— Paramore: “Ain’t It Fun” enters the Hot 100’s top 40 (41-34), powered by jumps on Digital Songs (29-25; 52,000, up 12 percent) and Radio Songs (41-30; 37 million, up 17 percent). With Paramore’s prior single “Still Into You” having peaked at No. 24 on the Hot 100, the band has scored two top 40 hits on the chart from an album for the first time; the songs are from the trio’s self-titled fourth studio set, which became its first Billboard 200 No. 1 a year ago this month.
— Beyonce: As her “Partition” rises 38-35 on the Hot 100, it re-enters the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs top 10 (12-10). “Partition” peaked at Nos. 23 and 9 on the March 15 charts, respectively, aided by streaming activity, but is rebounding as radio continues to grow the song. On the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart, it jumps 3-1 to become Bey’s 10th No. 1, extending her record for the most leaders among women.
— Coldplay: The band ties U2 for the most No. 1s (11) in the Triple A chart’s 18-year history, as “Magic” lifts 2-1. Just a month ago, U2 had pulled ahead when “Invisible” became its 11th leader. (Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson follow the acts with nine No. 1s each.) Coldplay first ruled the list with “In My Place” in 2002 and had last dominated with “Paradise” in 2011. “Magic” previews the band’s sixth album, “Ghost Stories,” due May 19. On the Hot 100, “Magic” moves 67-66.
— Sam Smith: The British pop singer’s “Stay With Me” enters the Hot 100 at No. 68. He performed the song on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” on March 29; thus, the first full sales tracking week following the episode reflects 64 percent increase to 60,000 sold for the song, which vaults 37-17 on Digital Songs. Meanwhile, Disclosure’s “Latch,” on which he’s featured, re-enters the Hot 100 at a new high of No. 90 (24,000 sold, up 10 percent).
— KONGOS: “Come With Me Now,” which leads Alternative for a second week, enters the Hot 100 at No. 98. Last week, the track completed the quickest rise (10 weeks) to the Alternative summit for a rookie band since Evanescence also needed just 10 frames to reach No. 1 with “Bring Me to Life,” featuring Paul McCoy, in 2003. Epic begins promoting “Come With Me Now” to top 40 radio on April 14, while VH1 has chosen the band as its May You Oughta Know artist.
— Zedd, Matthew Koma, Miriam Bryant: “Find You,” the latest from Zedd (birth name: Anton Zaslavski) rises 2-1 on Dance Club Songs. It’s the fourth chart-topper (all consecutive) for Zedd, the second for Koma (both with Zedd, following 2012’s “Spectrum”) and first for featured vocalist Miriam Bryant. Remixes from Tritonal, Kevin Drew, Dave Aude, Syn Cole and Dash Berlin, among others, aided Zedd in his latest journey to No. 1. “Find You” also hits the top 10 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay (13-8). Zedd’s previous single, “Stay the Night,” featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams, enjoyed an 11-week run at No. 1 on the airplay tally beginning in December.
— J Balvin: Balvin (with the J short for Jose) scores his first Tropical Airplay No. 1, as “6 AM” (featuring Farruko) clocks a 3-1 shift. The Colombian reggaeton singer previously peaked as high as No. 4 with “Yo Te Lo Dije” last year.
— The Pretty Reckless: “Heaven Knows” spends a record-tying week at No. 1 on Mainstream Rock: the song equals the longest reign (five weeks) for a track sung by a woman. Actress/singer Taylor Momsen fronts the group. Dating to the chart’s 1981 launch, just one other song with a female singer on lead vocals has led for as many as five weeks: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ “I Love Rock & Roll” in 1982.
Additional reporting by Wade Jessen, Gordon Murray, Rauly Ramirez and Emily White
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