Monthly Archives: December 2023

Plus: Half of the top 10 albums are holiday titles.

Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) locks up a fifth nonconsecutive week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Jan. 6, 2024), as the set earned 98,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 28 (down 28%), according to Luminate. With a fifth week at No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) equals the total combined weeks at No. 1 of Swift’s three previous re-recorded albums. The Taylor’s Version editions of Fearless, Red and Speak Now notched two weeks, one week and two weeks on top, respectively.

In addition, Swift’s total weeks at No. 1 — across all 13 of her chart-topping releases — climbs to 68 weeks, surpassing Elvis Presley for the most weeks at No. 1 by a soloist. He logged 67 weeks at No. 1 across 10 chart-topping albums spanning 1956-2002. Only The Beatles have more weeks at No. 1, with an overall record 132 weeks on top, across 19 No. 1 albums in 1964-2001.

Swift’s first No. 1 album came with Fearless, which spent 11 weeks atop the list in late 2008 and early 2009. She followed it with the chart-toppers Speak Now (six weeks at No. 1, 2010-11); Red (seven, 2012-13); 1989 (2014-15); Reputation (four, 2017-18); Lover (one, 2019); Folklore (eight, 2020-21); Evermore (four, 2020-21); Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (two, 2021); Red (Taylor’s Version) (one, 2021); Midnights (six, 2022-23); Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (two, 2023); and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (five, 2023-24).

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, half of the region consists of holiday albums for the first time since a year ago this week, led by Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 Christmas, which rises 4-2.

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 Jan. 6, 2024-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Jan. 3, one day later than normal due to the New Year’s Day holiday on Jan. 1. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Of 1989 (Taylor’s Version)’s 98,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 28, album sales comprise 61,000 (down 36%), SEA units comprise 36,000 (down 10%, equaling 48.5 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (up 31%).

Bublé’s chart-topping Christmas climbs 4-2 with 78,000 equivalent album units earned (up 11%). It’s the highest rank for the title in two years, since it spent two weeks in a row at No. 2 on the Jan. 1 and 8, 2022-dated charts. Christmas was released in 2011 and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2011-12.

Christmas is the first of five holiday titles in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, the most seasonal sets in the region in a year. The top 10 last hosted five holiday albums on the Jan. 7, 2023 ranking.

Nicki Minaj’s former No. 1 Pink Friday 2 dips 2-3 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned (down 35%), while Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song hits a new peak, rising 8-4 with 64,000 units (up 15%). The album previously topped out at No. 5 a year ago, on the Jan. 7, 2023, chart. The set includes Cole’s classic title track, along with Billboard Holiday 100-charting favorites including “Deck the Halls,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Joy to the World” and “Caroling, Caroling.”

Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time is a non-mover at No. 5 with 60,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%), while Drake’s former No. 1 For All the Dogs is stationary at No. 6 with 57,000 units (down 10%).

The classic multi-artist holiday album A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector jumps 14-7 — a new peak — with 56,000 equivalent album units earned (up 17%). The album, first released in 1963, previously peaked at No. 8 a year ago (on the Jan. 7, 2023, chart). It first reached the top 10 on the Jan. 8, 2022, chart, when it stepped 11-10. The album, produced by Spector, includes familiar favorites heard during the holiday season that were initially recorded for the project. Among them are Holiday 100-charting hits including The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” and Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “Winter Wonderland.”

Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas jingles 10-8 with 56,000 equivalent album units (up 7%) and Swift’s Midnights falls 3-9 with 53,000 (down 29%).

Rounding out the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 is Pentatonix’s The Greatest Christmas Hits, which vaults 60-10, a new peak, with 51,000 equivalent album units earned (up 147%). The 31-song set is the vocal group’s latest release, and it includes 23 previously-released holiday favorites, along with eight new recordings.

The Greatest Christmas Hits marks Pentatonix’s 11th top 10-charting set, and its first since the group’s last compilation, 2019’s The Best of Pentatonix Christmas, peaked at No. 7 on the Dec. 28, 2019, chart.

Here’s a recap of Pentatonix’s 11 top 10-charting albums on the Billboard 200, six of which are holiday sets: PTXmas (No. 7, 2013); PTX: Vol. II (No. 10, 2013); PTX: Vol. III (No. 5, 2014); That’s Christmas to Me (No. 2, 2014); Pentatonix (No. 1, 2015); A Pentatonix Christmas (No. 1 for two weeks, 2017); PTX Vol. IV: Classics (No. 4); PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1 (No. 10, 2018); Christmas Is Here! (No. 7, 2018); The Best of Pentatonix Christmas (No. 7, 2019); and The Greatest Christmas Hits (No. 10, 2024).   

As The Greatest Christmas Hits houses songs by Pentatonix that are on multiple albums by the act, SEA and TEA for those songs contribute to whichever Pentatonix album containing those songs sells the most in traditional album sales in a week. A song such as “Mary, Did You Know?” appears on three Pentatonix albums: the studio set That’s Christmas To Me, and the later-released compilations The Best of Pentatonix Christmas and The Greatest Christmas Hits. SEA and TEA for “Mary” is assigned on the chart to whichever of those three albums sells the most in a given week. In the tracking week ending Dec. 28, The Greatest Christmas Hits sold nearly 2,500 copies, more than any other Pentatonix album. Thus, Greatest is assigned all of the SEA and TEA on the chart for any songs it shares across other Pentatonix albums.

Source: billboard.com

Carey is the first artist with three No. 1s of at least 14 weeks each.

Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a second consecutive week – as it logs a 14th total week at No. 1, dating to its first coronation in December 2019.

Notably, the modern Yuletide standard is Carey’s third Hot 100 leader of at least 14 weeks – as she becomes the first artist in the chart’s history with three such No. 1s. She previously reigned for 16 weeks with “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, in 1995-96 and for 14 weeks with “We Belong Together” in 2005.

“Christmas” has ruled the Hot 100 over five holiday seasons. It was originally released on Carey’s album Merry Christmas in November 1994 and, as streaming has grown and holiday music has become more prominent on streaming services’ playlists, it hit the top 10 for the first time in December 2017 and has now led during the holidays in 2019 (for three weeks), 2020 (two), 2021 (three), 2022 (four) and 2023 (two to date).

Elsewhere, José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” returns to the Hot 100’s top 10, dashing from No. 12 to No. 9.

In all, nine seasonal songs infuse the Hot 100’s top 10 – tying for the most in a single week; nine holiday hits first decorated the tier on the chart dated Jan. 2, 2021.

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 Dec. 30, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 27, a day later than usual due to the Christmas holiday). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Streams, airplay & sales: Carey’s “Christmas,” on Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, drew 48.4 million streams (up 15%) and 31.7 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 21%) and sold 7,000 downloads (down 7%) in the U.S. Dec. 15-21, according to Luminate.

The single holds at No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart, following 18 weeks at No. 1; dips 3-4 on Digital Song Sales, following four frames at No. 1; and rises 22-17 on Radio Songs, where it hit a No. 11 high last season.

Carey’s record third Hot 100 No. 1 of 14 weeks or more: Carey is the first artist with three songs that have dominated the Hot 100 for 14 or more weeks each. She one-ups Boyz II Men, who have notched three leaders of 13 or more frames apiece, with Carey and the group having teamed for the 16-week No. 1 smash “One Sweet Day.”

Here’s a recap of Carey’s three such Hot 100 No. 1s:

16 weeks, “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, 1995-96
14 weeks (to-date), “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” 2019-23
14 weeks, “We Belong Together,” 2005

Carey’s record third Hot 100 No. 1 of 14 weeks or more: Carey is the first artist with three songs that have dominated the Hot 100 for 14 or more weeks each. She one-ups Boyz II Men, who have notched three leaders of 13 or more frames apiece, with Carey and the group having teamed for the 16-week No. 1 smash “One Sweet Day.”

Here’s a recap of Carey’s three such Hot 100 No. 1s:

16 weeks, “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, 1995-96
14 weeks (to-date), “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” 2019-23
14 weeks, “We Belong Together,” 2005

“Christmas” became Carey’s 19th Hot 100 No. 1, the most among soloists and one away from The Beatles’ overall record 20. It also made Carey the first artist to have ranked at No. 1 on the chart in four distinct decades, dating to her first week on top in August 1990 with her debut hit, “Vision of Love.”

Holiday hits atop the Hot 100: Now up to 14 weeks, Carey’s “Christmas” extends its mark as the holiday song with the most time tallied atop the Hot 100, among three such No. 1s. “The Chipmunk Song,” by The Chipmunks with David Seville, spent four weeks on top beginning in December 1958, followed by Brenda Lee’s two weeks on top to begin this holiday season with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” also released in 1958.

No. 1 in record 64th week on Hot 100: Carey’s “Christmas” rules the Hot 100 in its 64th week on the chart. It passes Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” for the latest, by total chart weeks, that a song has led the list. The latter completed a record 59-week trip to No. 1 in March 2022 and reigned for five consecutive weeks, through its 63rd frame; it went on to amass a record 91 weeks on the chart.

No. 1 on Holiday 100: Plus, Carey’s “Christmas” concurrently keeps atop the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100. It leads for a 60th week, of the chart’s 67 total weeks since the list originated in 2011. It also rules as the top title on the Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs recap.

At No. 2 on the Hot 100, Lee’s “Rockin’ ” adds a fifth week atop Streaming Songs (49.4 million streams, up 17%, good for top Streaming Gainer honors on the Hot 100).

The rest of the all-holiday top five on the Hot 100 holds in place: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” released in 1957, at its No. 3 high; Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” from 1984, at its No. 4 best; and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” from 1964, at No. 5, after reaching No. 4.

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” keeps at No. 6 on the Hot 100, four weeks after it became his third No. 1. The chart’s top nonholiday title wins the list’s top Airplay Gainer award (50.2 million, up 16%) and claims a sixth week each atop the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” from 1963, repeats at No. 7 on the Hot 100, having hit No. 5. The late singer now sports a record span of 64 years, two months and three weeks from his first week in the top 10 with “Lonely Street” in October 1959 through his latest week in the bracket.

Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!,” from 1959, rises 10-8 on the Hot 100, returning to its best first reached in the 2020 holiday season.

José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” returns to the Hot 100’s top 10, jingling 12-9 with 24.9 million streams (up 19%), 23.8 million in airplay audience (up 5%) and 2,000 sold (up 12%). The 1970 classic hit a No. 6 high over the 2020 holiday season.

The beloved entertainer, 78, was honored with the first Billboard Legend Award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Putting a bow on the Hot 100’s top 10, The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” backtracks to No. 10 from its No. 8 high. The act now boasts a span of 60 years, three months and one week in the top 10, dating to its iconic No. 2-peaking “Be My Baby” in September 1963 – the longest among groups. (Excluding holiday fare, The Beatles broke the record for the longest top 10 span among all acts last month: 59 years, nine months and three weeks, from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in 1964 to the debut of their newly-released single “Now and Then.”)

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Dec. 30), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 27).

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas returns to the top 10 for the first time this season.

Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) rises 2-1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 30), marking the fourth nonconsecutive week atop the list for the set. It earned 136,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 21 (up 25%) according to Luminate. The set, along with many of Swift’s titles, continues to benefit from vinyl sales encouraged by holiday shopping and promotions.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) spent its first two weeks at No. 1 (Nov. 11-18), had another week in the lead on the Dec. 9 chart, and then bounces back to the top on the new chart.

Swift has a total of three albums in the top 10 on the new chart, as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is joined by former No. 1s Midnights (7-3 with 75,000 – up 31%) and Lover (9-7; 60,000 – up 22%).

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 Dec. 30, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Dec. 27, one day later than normal due to the Christmas Day holiday on Dec. 25. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 falls to No. 2 with 100,000 equivalent album units (down 56%) after debuting atop the list a week ago. Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 Christmas climbs 5-4 (70,000; up 10%), Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time bumps 6-5 (just over 64,000; up 2%), and Drake’s former leader For All the Dogs dips 3-6 (64,000; down 6%).

Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song ascends 11-8 (56,000 equivalent album units; up 17%), SZA’s former leader SOS falls 8-9 (54,000; up 2%), and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas returns to the top 10 for the first time this season, rising 12-10 (52,000; up 14%). Merry peaked at No. 3 in its initial chart run, on the Dec. 17, 1994-dated chart. This is the sixth consecutive season the album has revisited the top 10.

Source: billboard.com

The carol leads in an unprecedented fifth holiday season, for a 13th total week.

Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as it adds a 13th total week at the chart’s highest bough.

The carol reigns in a record-extending fifth holiday season. It was originally released on Carey’s album Merry Christmas in November 1994 and, as streaming has grown and holiday music has become more prominent on streaming services’ playlists, it hit the Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time in December 2017 and the top five for the first time in the 2018 holiday season. It led at last, prior to this week, over the holidays in 2019 (for three weeks), 2020 (two), 2021 (three) and 2022 (four).

“When I wrote [it], I had absolutely no idea the impact the song would eventually have worldwide,” Carey marveled of “Christmas” in 2021. “I’m so full of gratitude that so many people enjoy it with me every year.”

The song tops the Hot 100 after Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” spent the last two weeks at No. 1, having led for the first time 65 years after its release.

Plus, two fellow holiday classics return to the Hot 100’s top 10: The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” (14-8) and Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!” (12-10).

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 Dec. 23, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 19). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Streams, airplay & sales: Carey’s “Christmas,” on Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, rises 2-1 on the Hot 100. It drew 42.2 million streams (up 10%, boosted by the Dec. 8 premiere of its “Festive Lambs Edition” video, which features the song’s original audio) and 26.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 8%) and sold 8,000 downloads (up 68%, aided by the iTunes Store’s 69-cent sale-pricing, for multiple holiday titles) in the U.S. Dec. 8-14, according to Luminate.

Also during the tracking week, Carey continued her Merry Christmas One and All! tour, including her Dec. 9 show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The single holds at No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart, following 18 weeks at No. 1; jumps 7-3 on Digital Song Sales, following four frames at the summit; and pushes 29-22 on Radio Songs, where it hit a No. 11 best last season.

Holiday hits atop the Hot 100: Now up to 13 weeks, Carey’s “Christmas” extends its mark as the holiday song with the most time tallied atop the Hot 100, among three such No. 1s. “The Chipmunk Song,” by The Chipmunks with David Seville, spent four weeks on top beginning in December 1958, followed by Lee’s two weeks on top with “Rockin’.”

Thanks to Carey’s and Lee’s No. 1s, two holiday songs have led the Hot 100 in the same holiday season for the first time.

No. 1 in a fifth season: Carey’s “Christmas” is the first song to top the Hot 100 in five distinct runs on the chart, its latest coronation following its commands in the 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 holiday seasons. (Just one other song has led in each of even two stays: Chubby Checker’s “The Twist,” in in 1960 and 1962.)

Plus, “Christmas” makes its record-breaking sixth nonconsecutive ascent to No. 1 on the Hot 100, having previously led for three straight weeks in the 2019 holiday season; two nonconsecutive weeks over the 2020 holidays; three weeks in a row during the 2021 holidays; and four straight weeks last season. With its sixth distinct rise to No. 1, it surpasses Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” both of which made five separate climbs to the top, this year and in 2022, respectively.

No. 1 in 63rd week: Carey’s “Christmas” rules the Hot 100 in its 63rd week on the chart. It ties Glass Animals’ seasonally-opposite “Heat Waves” for the latest, by total chart weeks, that a song has led the list. The latter completed a record 59-week trip to No. 1 in March 2022 and reigned for five consecutive weeks, through its 63rd frame; it went on to log a record 91 weeks on the chart.

Carey’s third No. 1 of 13 weeks or more: Carey ties Boyz II Men as the only artists with three songs that have topped the Hot 100 for 13 or more weeks each. Notably, Carey and the group teamed for one smash that contributes to the feat: “One Sweet Day.”

Mariah Carey:

• 16 weeks, “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, 1995-96
• 14 weeks, “We Belong Together,” 2005
• 13 weeks (to-date), “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” 2019-23

Boyz II Men:

• 16 weeks, “One Sweet Day,” with Carey, 1995-96
• 14 weeks, “I’ll Make Love to You,” 1994
• 13 weeks, “End of the Road,” 1992

Carey’s record 92nd week atop Hot 100: With “Christmas,” Carey adds her record-extending 92nd week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, inception.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot 100:

• 92, Mariah Carey
• 60, Rihanna
• 59, The Beatles
• 56, Drake
• 50, Boyz II Men
• 47, Usher
• 43, Beyoncé
• 37, Michael Jackson
• 34, Adele
• 34, Elton John
• 34, Bruno Mars
• 34, Taylor Swift

“Christmas” became Carey’s 19th Hot 100 No. 1, the most among soloists and one away from The Beatles’ overall record 20. It also made Carey the first artist to have ranked at No. 1 on the chart in four distinct decades, dating to her first week on top in August 1990 with her debut hit, “Vision of Love.”

No. 1 on Holiday 100: Carey’s “Christmas” concurrently rebounds to No. 1 on the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100, for a 59th week at the apex, of the chart’s 66 total weeks since the it originated in 2011. It also rules as the top title on the Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart.

At No. 2 on the Hot 100, Lee’s “Rockin’ ” adds a fourth week atop Streaming Songs (42.4 million streams, up 3%).

Rounding out a fully festive top five on the Hot 100, Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” released in 1957, holds at its No. 3 high; Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” from 1984, keeps at its No. 4 best; and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” from 1964, climbs 7-5, having hit No. 4.

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” dips 5-6 on the Hot 100, three weeks after it became his third No. 1. The chart’s top nonholiday title becomes Harlow’s fourth leader on Digital Song Sales (2-1; 8,000 sold) and notches a fifth week each atop the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” from 1963, lifts 8-7 on the Hot 100, having reached No. 5. The late singer now sports a record span of 64 years, two months and two weeks from his first week in the top 10 with “Lonely Street” in October 1959 through his latest week in the region.

The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” dashes 14-8 on the Hot 100, hitting a new high, led by 23.7 million streams (up 16%). Originally released in 1963, the same year that the act posted its lone other top 10 – the iconic No. 2-peaking “Be My Baby” – “Sleigh Ride” previously ranked in the top 10, at No. 10, for a week over the 2021 holidays (shortly before the passing of group co-founder Ronnie Spector). The Ronettes now boast a span of 60 years and three months in the Hot 100’s top 10 – the longest among groups. (Excluding holiday fare, The Beatles broke the record for the longest top 10 span among all acts last month: 59 years, nine months and three weeks, from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in 1964 to the debut of their newly-released single “Now and Then.”)

Tate McRae’s “Greedy” rebounds 16-9 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 7, as her new album Think Later debuts at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, marking her first top 10 set.

Wrapping the Hot 100’s top 10, Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!,” from 1959, rises 12-10 (22.3 million streams, up 5%). The song hit a No. 8 best in the 2020 holiday season, having become the fourth top 10 for the late legendary singer. He posted his first three top 10s in 1964-65: “Everybody Loves Somebody” (No. 1, one week), “The Door Is Still Open to My Heart” (No. 6) and “I Will” (No. 10).

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Dec. 23), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 19).

Source: billboard.com

The classic gained by another 18% in streams, following its historic coronation a week earlier.

Brenda Lee spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with her holiday standard “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” A week earlier, the song led the list for the first time – 65 years after its release – and became Lee’s third Hot 100 No. 1, and her first since 1960.

Lee – who celebrates a birthday today (Dec. 11), as she turns 79 years young – reminisced to Billboard on Dec. 4 about recording the carol, when she was 13, after learning of its ascent to No. 1 at last from Universal Music Group Nashville chair/CEO Cindy Mabe. “The producer cut the air way down in the studio,” Lee recalled. “He had a big Christmas tree and everyone was there – the Anita Kerr Singers and the ‘A-team’ [of Nashville studio musicians], as we called them. It was like a little touch of magic kind of sprinkled in, and it turned out to be magic. It really did.”

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

Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” on Decca/MCA Nashville/UMe, drew 41.3 million streams (up 18%) and 20.5 million radio airplay audience impressions (down 1%) and sold 6,000 downloads (up 109%) in the Dec. 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The single holds at No. 1 for a third total week atop the Streaming Songs chart, after it first ruled the last frame of the 2022 holiday season; rebounds to its No. 4 high, from No. 12, on Digital Song Sales; and keeps at No. 33 on Radio Songs, where it has hit a No. 17 best.

The song was originally recorded and released in 1958. Written by Johnny Marks and produced by Owen Bradley, it first hit the Hot 100 in December 1960 and reached an original No. 14 peak two weeks later. It went on to spend nine weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 between December 2019 and last holiday season.

For its 65th anniversary this year, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” received its first official video, featuring cameos from country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, Nov. 3. Plus, Lee performed it on NBC’s Christmas at the Opry, which aired Dec. 7. She has also joined TikTok, where she’s been sharing posts about the song and her career.

The song is just the third holiday No. 1 ever on the Hot 100, with all three now having led for multiple weeks. “The Chipmunk Song,” by The Chipmunks with David Seville, also from 1958, spent four weeks on top beginning that December, and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” released in 1994, has notched 12 weeks at No. 1, from its first scaling of the summit in December 2019 through last holiday season.

With another week at No. 1, Lee extends her record for the longest span of an artist topping the Hot 100: 63 years and five months, from her first week at No. 1 with “I’m Sorry” (July 18, 1960) through the latest list.

Plus, Lee, at 79 years of age as of today, expands by another week her mark as the senior-most artist to have ruled the Hot 100.

Meanwhile, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” leads the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100, for a second week.

Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” repeats at No. 2 on the Hot 100, with across-the-board gains in streams (38.5 million, up 19%), airplay (24.1 million, up 12%) and sales (5,000, up 29%). With its 2019 triumph, Carey claimed her 19th Hot 100 No. 1, extending her record for the most among soloists and moving to within one of The Beatles’ overall record 20. The single also reigns as the No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs retrospective.

Next up among holiday songs on the Hot 100, two carols return to their best ranks: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” (4-3), from 1957, and Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (5-4), from 1984.

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” slips 3-5 on the Hot 100, two weeks after it became his third No. 1. Still, the chart’s top nonholiday song wins the list’s top Airplay Gainer award for a second consecutive week (37.7 million, up 26%, as it becomes his third top 10 on Radio Songs, surging 17-10), while also increasing in streams (27.6 million, up 10%). It concurrently tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a fourth week each.

Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” is steady at No. 6 on the Hot 100, with the 1964 nugget having hit a No. 4 high.

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” holds at No. 7 on the Hot 100, following four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 beginning in October. It also rebounds for a seventh week atop Radio Songs (63.6 million, down 3%) – surpassing the six-week reign of “Blank Space” in 2014-15 as the sole longest-leading No. 1 of Swift’s eight career leaders on the airplay chart.

Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” originally released in 1963, lifts 10-8 on the Hot 100. The late singer now sports a record span of 64 years, two months and one week from his first week in the top 10 with “Lonely Street” in October 1959 through his latest frame. (Excluding holiday fare, The Beatles broke the record for the longest top 10 span last month: 59 years, nine months and three weeks, from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in 1964 to the debut of their newly-released single “Now and Then.”)

SZA’s “Snooze” keeps at No. 9 on the Hot 100’s top 10, after reaching No. 2, as it leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a 19th week. As noted Dec. 9, upon the one-year anniversary of the release of parent album SOS, “Snooze” is the only song to have appeared on the Hot 100 each week in 2023 to date.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” descends 8-10, after it led for three nonconsecutive weeks beginning in September.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Dec. 16), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 12).

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Nat King Cole’s ‘The Christmas Song’ returns to top 10.

ATEEZ’s THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 16), marking the first chart-topper for the Korean pop group. The set earned 152,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 7, according to Luminate, nearly entirely from traditional album sales. Its album sales were bolstered by its availability across more than 30 collectible editions.

THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL is the fourth top 10-charting effort from the act, all posted consecutively. The group previously charted as high as No. 2 with its last entry, THE WORLD EP.2: OUTLAW, in July.

While ATEEZ has logged six charting efforts on the Billboard 200 in total (four top 10s, plus two more that charted outside the region), the act has yet to notch a charting song on any U.S. Billboard airplay or streaming chart, the Billboard Hot 100, or the Billboard Global 200 or Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. (The latter two 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.)

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song returns to the region for a sixth consecutive holiday season, as the set rises 16-10.

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 Dec. 16, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Dec. 12. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Of THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL’s 152,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 7, album sales comprise 146,000 (with 99% of that sum driven by physical album sales and 1% via digital album downloads), SEA units comprise 5,500 (equaling 7.59 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 12 tracks) and TEA units comprise 500 units.

As is typical for major K-pop releases, THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL was issued in multiple collectible physical configurations, 33 in total. All have the same 12-song tracklist, but have alternative packaging and contain different branded paper merchandise (some randomized, including photocards). Of the 33 editions, 26 are CDs and seven are vinyl. Among the variants are retail-exclusives sold through the likes of Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart.

Each variant of the physical album in the U.S. was sold with a minimum of two random photocards, but could contain up to five depending on where the customer bought the album. K-pop photocards are similar to sports trading cards, in that each card typically has a photo of a member of the group. Each random photocard is from a set of eight total cards (one for each member). In total, there were a dozen sets of eight photocards, with assorted sets assigned to the retail-exclusive versions of the album.

As THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL album is mostly in the Korean language, it is the 23rd mostly non-English language album to hit No. 1, and the seventh of 2023 (and of those seven, the fifth in mostly Korean). The other six are: Stray Kids’ ROCK-STAR, Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, NewJeans’ 2nd EP ‘Get Up,’ Stray Kids’ 5-STAR, Karol G’s Spanish Mañana Será Bonito and TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s The Name Chapter: Temptation.

THE WORLD EP.FIN: WILL is the only debut in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200. The rest of the top seven comprises former No. 1s, with Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) falling 1-2 (101,000 equivalent album units; down 28%), Drake’s For All the Dogs dipping 2-3 (76,000; down 10%), Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time stationary at No. 4 (65,000; up 3%), Michael Bublé’s Christmas jingling 9-5 (60,000; up 28%), Swift’s Midnights dropping 3-6 (55,000; down 15%) and SZA’s SOS steady at No. 7 (51,000; up 7%).

Noah Kahan’s Stick Season rises 13-8 for its highest rank since its deluxe reissue pushed it 100-3 (its peak) on the June 24-dated chart. The album earned 48,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week – up 26%. The set’s gain follows Kahan’s performances on NBC’s Saturday Night Live on Dec. 2.

Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Folklore descends 5-9 with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (down 22%).

Rounding out the top 10 is Nat King Cole’s holiday album The Christmas Song, climbing 16-10. It visits the top 10 for a sixth consecutive holiday season (having reached a high of No. 5 in January). It earned 44,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week – up 21%. The album boasts Cole’s classic title track, along with Billboard Holiday 100-charting favorites including “Deck the Halls,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Joy to the World” and “Caroling, Caroling.”

Source: billboard.com

Lee leads for the first time since 1960, with only the third holiday No. 1 in the chart’s history.

Brenda Lee dances merrily to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with her holiday classic “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The song rewrites multiple records as it tops the chart for the first time – 65 years after its release. Lee, meanwhile, adds her third No. 1 – and her first since 1960.

Plus, four other carols return to the Hot 100’s top 10: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” up from No. 12 to No. 4; Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (13-5); Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (16-6); and Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (28-10).

Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” on Decca/MCA Nashville/UMe, becomes the 1,161st No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 65-year archives. Below, let’s unwrap the coronation of the song, whose history dates back just as long.

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 Dec. 9, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 5). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Michael Bublé’s chart-topping Christmas jingles back to the top 10, dashing 24-9.

Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 9), as the set rises 2-1 for its third total week atop the tally. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Nov. 11-dated chart and spent its second week in the lead, before dipping to No. 2 for the next two weeks and bouncing back to the top on the new chart. The set earned 141,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 30 (up 3%), according to Luminate.

Swift has a stranglehold on the new Billboard 200’s top 10, as she has five titles concurrently in the region. After 1989 (Taylor’s Version), four more former No. 1s follow: Midnights (rising 6-3), Folklore (9-5), Lover (8-6) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (17-10). Swift’s titles, like many on the entire chart, see sales gains gleaned partially from retail promotions associated with Black Friday and holiday campaigns.

With five titles in the top 10, Swift is the first living act to have five albums concurrently in the top 10 since the Billboard 200 was combined from its previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one all-encompassing list in August of 1963. The only other act to hold at least five of the top 10 at the same time was Prince, on the May 14, 2016-dated list, following his death. That week in the top 10, he had The Very Best of Prince (falling 1-2), the Purple Rain soundtrack (with The Revolution; 2-3), The Hits/The B-Sides (6-4), Ultimate (61-6) and 1999 (31-7).

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Michael Bublé’s chart-topping Christmas returns, vaulting 24-9. The set, first released in 2011, spent five weeks at No. 1 in December 2011 and early January 2012 and has returned to the top 10 in every following holiday season.

With three weeks at No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) has the most weeks atop the chart of Swift’s four re-recorded projects. The Taylor’s Version releases of Fearless, Red and Speak Now ruled for two, one and two weeks, respectively. Further, Swift’s total weeks at No. 1 – across all 13 of her chart-topping releases – climbs to 66 weeks, just one week from the most for a soloist. Elvis Presley has the most weeks at No. 1 among soloists, with 67, while only The Beatles have more than Swift and Presley, with 132 weeks.

Drake’s chart-topping For All the Dogs falls to No. 2 on the new Billboard 200 with 85,000 equivalent album units earned (down 42%), after its rush back to No. 1 a week ago in the wake of its deluxe reissue with six bonus tracks. Swift’s Midnights rises 6-3 with 65,000 units (up 16%), Morgan Wallen’s former leader One Thing at a Time climbs 5-4 with 63,000 units (down 7%) and Swift’s Folklore flies 9-5 with 60,000 units (up 33%).

Swift’s Lover bumps 8-6 with 53,000 equivalent album units earned (up 4%), SZA’s chart-topping SOS ascends 10-7 with 48,000 units (up 8%), Olivia Rodrigo’s former No. 1 Guts bolts 14-8 with 47,000 units (up 20%), Bublé’s Christmas climbs 24-9 with 46,000 units (up 56%) and Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) flies 17-10 with nearly 46,000 units (up 23%).

Source: billboard.com