Private: Billboard Explains: Billie Eilish’s Chart Domination
From “Bury a Friend” to Barbie, Billie Eilish has been setting the culture ablaze with each of her releases. The acclaimed singer-songwriter is among the leading musicians of her generation, earning two Academy Awards, nine Grammys and a slew of eye-popping streaming achievements before the age of 23. As her highly anticipated new Hit Me Hard and Soft LP arrives May 17, Billboard takes a look back at Eilish’s impressive chart success.
She made her Billboard chart debut back in 2017 with her Dont Smile at Me EP, which has since spent more than 250 weeks on the all-genre Billboard 200, peaking at No. 14 (chart dated Jan. 26, 2019). 2017 also boasted Billie’s first charting song when “Ocean Eyes” entered Alternative Digital Song Sales at No. 21.
More from Billboard
On the Billboard Hot 100, Billie has notched a whopping 33 entries. Her first appearance came in 2018 by way of the haunting Khalid duet, “Lovely,” which peaked at No. 64 in early 2019. In the years since, Billie has collected five Hot 100 top 10 hits, including “Everything I Wanted” (No. 8), “Therefore I Am” (No. 2) and “Bad Guy,” which spent one week atop the chart in 2019.
Outside of her own music, Billie has also lent her songwriting talents to several blockbuster films, earning her some of the film industry’s highest honors. Two of her tracks — “No Time to Die” from the 2021 James Bond film of the same name and “What Was I Made For?” from 2023’s Barbie — earned the Academy Award for Best Original Song and reached the top 20 on the Hot 100. The former reached No. 16, while the latter peaked at No. 14.
Her Barbie smash also made a splash on the Alternative Songs Chart, where it spent 19 weeks at No. 1. Billie also holds two other chart-toppers on that ranking: 2020’s “My Future” (one week) and 2021’s “Happier Than Ever” (four weeks).
Billie has also landed five projects on the Billboard 200, including both of her studio albums: 2019’s When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? (No. 1, three weeks) and 2021’s Happier Than Ever (No. 1, three weeks).
With Hit Me Hard And Stuff due May 17, Billie is likely to add even more accomplishments to her stunning Billboard chart history.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains videos and learn about Peso Pluma and the Mexican music boom, the role record labels play, origins of hip-hop, how Beyoncé arrived at Renaissance, the evolution of girl groups, BBMAs, NFTs, SXSW, the magic of boy bands, American Music Awards, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Hot 100 chart, how R&B/hip-hop became the biggest genre in the U.S., how festivals book their lineups, Billie Eilish’s formula for success, the history of rap battles, nonbinary awareness in music, the Billboard Music Awards, the Free Britney movement, rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and more.
Best of Billboard
Solve the daily Crossword
