He’s only the second act to have notched new No. 1 albums in each of the last three years.

Rod Wave captures his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 30) as his latest release, Nostalgia, opens atop the tally. The set bows with 137,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 21, according to Luminate — the rapper/singer’s biggest week yet by units earned. Nearly all of the album’s first-week sum was driven by streaming activity of the set’s 18 tracks.

The artist previously led the Billboard 200 with his last two full-length projects, Beautiful Mind (2022) and SoulFly (2021). He’s only the second artist, following Taylor Swift, to have notched a new No. 1 album in each of the last three years. In total, Nostalgia is his sixth top 10-charting effort — the entirety of his entries on the Billboard 200.

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 Sept. 30, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (Sept. 26). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Nostalgia’s 137,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 21, SEA units comprise 135,000 (equaling 187.51 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 18 songs — the third-largest debut streaming week for an R&B/hip-hop album in 2023), album sales comprise 1,500 (it was only available to purchase as a digital download album) and TEA units comprise 500.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts falls to No. 2 after debuting atop the tally, as the set earned 134,000 in its second week (down 56%). Four more former No. 1s round out the top six, as Zach Bryan’s self-titled album is a non-mover at No. 3 (79,000; down 17%), Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time is stationary at No. 4 (76,000; down 3%), SZA’s SOS rises 6-5 (53,000; up 17%) and Travis Scott’s Utopia falls 5-6 (47,000; down 16%).

Peso Pluma’s Génesis is steady at No. 7 (46,000 equivalent album units; up 7%), Swift’s chart-topping Midnights stands still at No. 8 (42,000; up 1%) and Wallen’s former leader Dangerous: The Double Album holds at No. 9 (38,000; down 2%). The Barbie film soundtrack closes out the top 10, as it steps 11-10 with 36,000 units (down 4%).

Source: billboard.com

Plus, Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” jumps to a new No. 7 high, as her album Guts launches atop the Billboard 200.

Olivia Rodrigo’s former Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Vampire” surges back to the chart’s summit, from No. 9. Plus, her “Bad Idea Right?” roars to a new No. 7 high, from No. 26, as her sophomore album Guts, featuring both songs, launches at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Notably, as “Vampire” first led the Hot 100 in July and returns to the top after nine weeks below the top spot, it ties for the longest gap between No. 1 stays among songs in a single release cycle over the chart’s 65-year history; Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” ruled for two weeks in September-October 2013 before swinging back for a third frame in the lead that December, as a parody clip, with the song’s original audio, by YouTuber Stephen Kardynal, went viral.

(Among all songs, the only longer breaks between No. 1 Hot 100 runs belong to Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – each over multiple release cycles. The former returned to the top after a wait of a year, three months and three weeks, between 1960 and 1962, after it re-entered the chart thanks to new popularity among adult audiences; Carey’s Yuletide anthem has led for 12 total weeks, via annual reigns beginning in December 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.)

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

“Vampire” returns to No. 1 on the Hot 100 up 82% to 22.8 million streams in the Sept. 8-14 tracking week, while “Bad Idea Right?” vaulted by 121% to 22.1 million streams, as the latter wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer award. The first two singles from Guts skyrocket 12-3 (following a week at No. 1) and 26-4 (after reaching No. 3), respectively, on the Streaming Songs chart.

On Radio Songs, “Vampire” holds at its No. 6 high (55.8 million impressions, down 7%) and “Bad Idea Right?” bumps 43-39 (16.2 million, up 15%). Plus, the songs sold 4,000 (up 89%, good for top Sales Gainer honors on the Hot 100) and 2,000 (up 42%), respectively.

“Vampire” debuted atop the Hot 100 dated July 15 and has spent nine of its subsequent 10 weeks on the chart in the top 10. “Bad Idea Right?” previously peaked at No. 10 upon its Aug. 26 debut.

“Vampire” became Rodrigo’s third Hot 100 No. 1, after “Drivers License” dominated for eight weeks beginning in January 2021 and “Good 4 U” led for one week that May.

Guts, released on Geffen/Interscope Records, enters the Billboard 200 with 302,000 equivalent album units in its first week, Rodrigo’s biggest week on the chart. It’s her second Billboard 200 No. 1, after Sour premiered on top in June 2021 (with 295,000 units) and spent five weeks at the summit. Meanwhile, with “Vampire” serving as the lead single from Guts after “Drivers License” introduced Sour, Rodrigo became the first artist ever to debut the lead singles from two career-opening albums at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” retreats to No. 2 on the Hot 100, a week after it hit No. 1. It drew 37.2 million in radio reach (up 16%) and 27.3 million streams (down 2%) and sold 7,000 (down 10%) Sept. 8-14. A week earlier, the song became the rapper/singer’s second leader, following “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, for a week in 2020. It also became the chart’s first rap No. 1 in over a year.

“Paint the Town Red” concurrently crowns the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a fourth week each. The track is from Doja Cat’s fourth studio album, Scarlet, due Friday (Sept. 22).

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, dips 2-3 on the Hot 100, two weeks after it debuted at No. 1. It leads Streaming Songs (30.1 million, down 5%) and the multi-metric Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a third week each.

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s No. 6-peaking 1988 Hot 100 classic “Fast Car” backs up 3-4 after eight weeks at its No. 2 high. Still, it tops Radio Songs for a third week (77.3 million, down 1%).

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” descends 4-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3, and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” drops 5-6, following 16 weeks at No. 1, the most ever for a non-collaboration.

Below Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” at No. 7 on the Hot 100, as the track also rebounds for a second week at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Alternative Songs chart, SZA’s “Snooze” slips to No. 8 from its No. 7 Hot 100 best, as it leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a ninth week; Gunna’s “Fukumean” falls 8-9 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 4; and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” retreats to No. 10 from its No. 6 high.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 23), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 19).

Source: billboard.com

Plus, V and Tyler Childers bow in top 10.

Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, Guts, debuts atop the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 23), scoring the singer-songwriter her second No. 1 set, following her 2021 debut Sour. The new album starts with 302,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 14, according to Luminate. That marks the fourth-largest week for any album in 2023 and Rodrigo’s best week yet.

With both Sour and Guts having debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Rodrigo is the first female artist to start atop the chart with two first chart entries in nine years. Ariana Grande was the last woman to debut at No. 1 with two initial chart entries, with Yours Truly in 2013 and My Everything in 2014.

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, BTS’ V debuts at No. 2 with Layover, while Tyler Childers’ Rustin’ in the Wind launches at No. 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 Sept. 23, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Sept. 19. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Guts’ 302,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 14, SEA units comprise 151,000 (equaling 199.59 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 12 songs — the sixth-largest debut streaming week of 2023), album sales comprise 150,000 (powered by 94,000 in vinyl sales — the seventh-largest week for a vinyl album since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991) and TEA units comprise 1,000.

Guts was introduced by its first single “Vampire,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (dated July 15), marking her third leader. (She previously topped the chart with Sour’s “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.”) Before Guts’ arrival, it spun off another Hot 100 hit with “Bad Idea Right?,” which debuted and peaked (through the most recently published chart dated June 16) at No. 10 (Aug. 26 chart).

Rodrigo ushered in the album with major promotional appearances, including performances on NBC’s Today (Sept. 8, the day of the album’s release) and the MTV Video Music Awards (Sept. 12). She also did interviews with Today (Sept. 10) and with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1’s New Music Daily (Sept. 8), and made an appearance at the American Express and Spotify Guts Gallery pop-up activation in New York on Sept. 7. Further, her upcoming Guts World Tour was announced on Sept. 13, with the trek starting on Feb. 23 in Palm Springs, Calif.

Guts’ first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across 13 different vinyl variants (including a signed edition), two deluxe boxed sets containing a vinyl LP and branded merchandise, four CD editions (including a signed version), two deluxe boxed sets containing a CD and branded merchandise, and a cassette tape.

BTS’ V sees his first solo studio album, Layover, launch at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, earning 100,000 equivalent album units in its first week. Of that sum, album sales comprise 88,000, SEA units comprise 9,000 (equaling 12.95 million on-demand official streams of the set’s six tracks) and TEA units comprise 3,000. Layover’s debut was enhanced by its availability in 13 collectible CD iterations, all with randomized branded merch elements contained inside, with exclusive variants sold via Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and the Weverse store.

Zach Bryan’s self-titled album falls to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (95,000 equivalent album units; down 18%) after spending its first two weeks at No. 1. Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time slips 2-4 (78,000; down 7%), Travis Scott’s former No. 1 Utopia drops 3-5 (56,000; down 22%), and SZA’s former leader SOS is a non-mover at No. 6 (45,000; up 1%).

Peso Pluma’s Génesis rises one spot to No. 7 (43,000 equivalent album units; up 4%), Taylor Swift’s former No. 1 Midnights falls 5-8 (42,000; down 7%), and Wallen’s first No. 1, Dangerous: The Double Album, ascends 10-9 (39,000; down 4%).

Childers rounds out the top 10, as his latest release, Rustin’ in the Rain, debuts at No. 10 with 38,000 equivalent album units earned — his best week yet by total units. It’s the second top 10-charting effort for the artist, following Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven (No. 8 in 2022). Of Rain’s 38,000 first-week units, album sales comprise 25,000 and SEA units comprise 13,000 (equaling 17.39 million on-demand official streams of the set’s seven songs), rounded out by a negligible amount of TEA units.

Source: billboard.com

The single ascends from No. 3 – and becomes the first rap song to top the chart since August 2022.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” rises from No. 3 to No. 1 in its fifth week on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. It becomes the rapper/singer’s second career leader, following “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, in 2020.

Meanwhile, “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap Hot 100 No. 1 in over a year, ending the longest break for the genre atop the chart since 2001.

The Hot 100’s new No. 1 also brings late legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David back to the summit for the first time since 2004, thanks to its sample of Dionne Warwick’s classic “Walk on By.”

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

Here’s a look at the Hot 100 coronation of “Paint the Town  Red” (released on Kemosabe/RCA Records), the 1,155th No. 1 in the chart’s 65-year history.

Streams, sales & airplay: “Paint the Town Red” drew 32.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 14%) and 27.7 million streams (up 10%) and sold 8,000 downloads (up 32%) in the Sept. 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate, as it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming and Sales Gainer awards.

The single holds at its No. 2 high on the Streaming Songs chart and pushes 6-5 on Digital Song Sales and 17-15 on Radio Songs, hitting new bests on the latter two rankings.

Doja Cat’s second Hot 100 No. 1: Doja Cat claims her second Hot 100 leader, following  “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj, for a week in May 2020. Two weeks ago, “Paint the Town Red,” which has ridden a wave of virality on TikTok, became her seventh top 10.

The song is from Doja Cat’s fourth studio album, Scarlet, due Sept. 22.

First rap No. 1 in over a year: “Paint the Town Red” marks the first rap track (defined as songs that have hit or are eligible to appear on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart) to lead the Hot 100 since Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” which ruled upon its debut atop the chart dated Aug. 27, 2022. Doja Cat ends a 54-week break between rap No. 1s (during which three rap titles peaked at No. 2: Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole; Drake’s “Search & Rescue”; and Drake and 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex”).

Before the 2022-23 break, the last time the Hot 100 went without a rap champ longer was pre- and post-Y2K: after Will Smith’s “Wild Wild West,” featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee, reigned for a week in July 1999, rap was absent from the top spot until Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me,” featuring Ricardo “RikRok” Ducent, began a two-week command in February 2001 – ending a drought of 79 weeks, or just over 18 months, and 22 No. 1s without a rap leader.

In the 54 frames between the dominations of “Super Freaky Girl” and “Paint the Town Red,” 15 songs topped the Hot 100, ranging from pop to R&B, country and rock/alternative. Click here for a deeper dive into key factors that contributed to rap’s shutout from No. 1 over the past year-plus until this week.

Country’s command halted: Meanwhile, with the return of rap atop the Hot 100, a streak for country ends, as “Paint the Town Red” stops a record run of four consecutive country No. 1s, over the past six weeks. On the Sept. 9-dated chart, Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, debuted at No. 1, supplanting Anthony Oliver Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” after two weeks on top (Aug. 26 and Sept. 2). Before that, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” rebounded for its last two of 16 total weeks at No. 1 (Aug. 12 and 19), directly following Jason Aldean’s one-week reign with “Try That in a Small Town” (Aug. 5).

Five-week climb to No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” reaches No. 1 in its fifth week on the Hot 100, competing what’s become a rare multiple-week ascent to the top in 2023; it debuted at No. 15 on the Aug. 19 chart. The previous five new No. 1s (discounting “Last Night,” which logged a record-tying five distinct stays at No. 1 beginning in March) all debuted at the apex: “I Remember Everything”; “Rich Men North of Richmond”; “Try That in a Small Town”; Jung Kook’s “Seven,” featuring Latto (July 29); and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (July 15).

Before the launch of “Vampire” (and 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 for “Last Night” in May-July), SZA’s “Kill Bill” hit No. 1 in its 19th week on the chart (April 29) – helped in part by a remix released in that survey’s tracking week with Doja Cat (who did not receive billing on SZA’s song, as the remix did not account for a majority of its consumption that week).

Bacharach, David, back at No. 1: “Paint the Town Red” samples Dionne Warwick’s standard “Walk on By,” which hit No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1964. Thanks to its inclusion, legendary late songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David crown the Hot 100 for the first time since Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, ruled for a week in 2004; that song samples Luther Vandross’ cover of Warwick’s fellow 1964 release “A House Is Not a Home.”

Bacharach, who passed away Feb. 8, has now co-written eight Hot 100 No. 1s, which have reigned in five distinct decades – the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, 2000s and ‘20s – and spanned over 55 years.

Burt Bacharach’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

• Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)
• Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)
• Dionne & Friends (Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder), “That’s What Friends Are For” (four, beginning Jan. 18, 1986)
• Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, “On My Own” (three, beginning June 14, 1986)
• Christopher Cross, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (three, beginning Oct. 17, 1981)
• Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)
• B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)
• Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

David, who died in 2012, has now co-penned five Hot 100 No. 1s (over the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘00s and ‘20s), all with Bacharach. Notably, the Songwriters Hall of Fame annually presents – this year to Post Malone – the Hal David Starlight Award, which, according to the organization, is given to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.”

Hal David’s No. 1 Hot 100 Songwriting Credits:

Artist billing, Title (Weeks at No. 1, Peak date)

• Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (one to date, Sept. 16, 2023)
• Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz” (one, Feb. 21, 2004)
• Carpenters, “(They Long To Be) Close to You” (four, beginning July 25, 1970)
• B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (four, beginning Jan. 3, 1970)
• Herb Alpert, “This Guy’s in Love With You” (No. 1 for four weeks, beginning June 22, 1968)

Adding to the new Hot 100’s No. 1 star power, Warwick’s voice appears atop the chart for the first time since “That’s What Friends Are For,” as noted above, in 1986. The ballad became her second leader, following her Spinners team-up “Then Came You” for a week in 1974.

‘Paint,’ ‘town’ & ‘red’ reigns: “Paint the Town Red” is the 11th Hot 100 No. 1 with either “paint,” “town” or “red” in its title. Here’s an eclectic recap of the others (with half the No. 1s with “town” in their titles having led since 2015).

• “Paint It, Black,” The Rolling Stones, 1966
• “Try That in a Small Town,” Jason Aldean, 2023
• “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, 2019
• “Uptown Funk!,” Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, 2015
• “Funkytown,” Lipps, Inc., 1980
• “New Kid in Town,” Eagles, 1977
• “Poor Side of Town,” Johnny Rivers, 1966
• “Downtown,” Petula Clark, 1965
• “Red Red Wine,” UB40, 1988
• “Roses Are Red (My Love),” Bobby Vinton, 1962

No. 1 on R&B/hip-hop charts: “Paint the Town Red” concurrently tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a third week each. It became Doja Cat’s second No. 1 on the former, following “Say So,” and her first on the latter list.

Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything,” featuring Kacey Musgraves, drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100, a week after its premiere. Still, it leads Streaming Songs (31.7 million streams, down 6%) and the multi-metric Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts for a second week each. Plus, parent LP Zach Bryan tops the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week.

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s No. 6-peaking 1988 Hot 100 hit “Fast Car” dips to No. 3 after eight weeks at its No. 2 high. It leads Radio Songs for a second week (77.8 million, down 1%).

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” rebounds 5-4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3; Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” descends 4-5, following 16 weeks at No. 1, the most ever for a non-collaboration; Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” shimmies 9-6 for a new high; and SZA’s “Snooze” repeats at its No. 7 best, as it leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for an eighth week.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Gunna’s “Fukumean” lifts 10-8, after hitting No. 4; Olivia Rodrigo’s former leader “Vampire” climbs 12-9; and Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” rises 11-10, after reaching No. 3, as it rules the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a record-extending 54th week.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 16), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 12).

Source: billboard.com

Plus, three country albums are in the top four of the chart for the first time in over a decade.

Zach Bryan’s self-titled album spends a second week atop Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 16), as the set earned 115,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Sept. 7 (down 42%) according to Luminate.

Also in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200 chart, the late Jimmy Buffett — who died on Sept. 1 — returns to the top five as his best-of collection Songs You Know by Heart: Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hit(s) re-enters the list at No. 4. It marks the album’s highest rank ever — and first week in the top 10, or even top 40, dating to its release in 1985 — and Buffett’s 13th top 10-charting album.

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

Of Zach Bryan’s 115,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 7, SEA units comprise 111,000 (down 77%, equaling 144.08 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 16 songs), album sales comprise 3,000 (down 50%), and TEA units comprise 1,000 (down 36%).

Bryan’s genre-blending album is categorized as country, Americana/folk and rock on Billboard’s charts. It is the first rock effort to spend its first two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in seven years — since the Suicide Squad soundtrack logged its first two weeks at No. 1 (Aug. 27-Sept. 3, 2016 charts). It’s the first Americana/folk project to spend its first two weeks at No. 1 since Chris Stapleton’s Traveller also ruled in its first two frames in 2015 (Nov. 21 and 28). Country, Americana/folk and rock albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s Top Country Albums, Americana/Folk Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, respectively.

A pair of former No. 1s trails Bryan, as Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time climbs 3-2 (84,000 equivalent album units; up 1%) and Travis Scott’s Utopia dips 2-3 (72,000; down 21%).

The late Buffett’s first best-of compilation, the 1985 release Songs You Know by Heart: Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hit(s), re-enters the Billboard 200 at a new peak of No. 4. The album initially peaked at No. 100 the year of its release.

In the tracking week ending Sept. 7, Songs You Know by Heart earned 52,000 equivalent album units (up 2,122%) following the singer-songwriter’s death on Sept. 1 at age 76. It marks the 13th top 10-charting album for Billboard’s most famous alumnus. Buffett was a Nashville-based reporter for Billboard in 1969-70, before the release of his first album.

Songs You Know by Heart contains Buffett’s only Billboard Hot 100 top 10-charting hit, “Margaritaville,” which reached No. 8 in 1977. It also houses the top 40-charting tunes “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Come Monday” and “Fins.”

Like Bryan’s latest album, Buffett’s Songs You Know by Heart is also categorized as a country, Americana/folk and rock album. In turn, with Wallen’s own country set One Thing at a Time at No. 2, there are three country albums in the top four on the Billboard 200 for the first time in over a decade. The feat last happened when the entire top three were country efforts on the Nov. 20, 2010-dated list, with Swift’s Speak Now, Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party and Sugarland’s The Incredible Machine at Nos. 1-3, respectively.

Taylor Swift’s chart-topping Midnights falls 4-5 on the new Billboard 200 (45,000 equivalent album units; down 8%), SZA’s former leader SOS descends 5-6 (nearly 45,000; down 7%), the Barbie soundtrack drops 6-7 (42,000; down 11%), Peso Pluma’s Génesis slips 7-8 (42,000; down 3%), Swift’s former No. 1 Lover falls 8-9 (41,000; down 3%), and Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album is a non-mover at No. 10 (nearly 41,000; up 1%).

Source: billboard.com

Plus, Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” rules radio and Miley Cyrus’ “Used to Be Young” starts at No. 8.

Continuing his chart breakthrough that began in 2022, singer-songwriter Zach Bryan’s “I Remember Everything” featuring Kacey Musgraves launches at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song – each singer-songwriter’s first Hot 100 leader – is from Bryan’s self-titled LP, which concurrently premieres at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” keeps at its No. 2 Hot 100 high and takes over as the most-heard song on radio, a rare feat for a country hit.

Plus, Miley Cyrus’ “Used to Be Young” debuts at No. 8 on the Hot 100, marking her 12th career 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 Sept. 9, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 6, a day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. yesterday, Sept. 4). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Here’s a look at the coronation of “I Remember Everything,” the 1,154th song to top the Hot 100 over the chart’s 65-year history, and the 70th to debut at No. 1.

Streams, sales & airplay: Released Aug. 25 on Belting Bronco/Warner Records, “I Remember Everything” drew 33.7 million streams and sold 10,000 downloads in the tracking week ending Aug. 31, according to Luminate. Not being formally promoted to radio, it also tallied 263,000 radio airplay audience impressions, with two-thirds (175,000) from reporters to Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

The single also debuts at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart (notably, it snagged the top spot on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist upon its release) and No. 4 on Digital Song Sales.

Bryan, Musgraves’ first No. 1: Bryan and Musgraves each achieve their first Hot 100 No. 1 with “I Remember Everything.” Bryan charted four entries prior to this week, with one hitting the top 10: His first charted song, “Something in the Orange,” reached No. 10 in January; with 66 total weeks on the tally (May 7, 2022-Aug. 5, 2023), it became the longest charting country hit by a solo male in the survey’s history. Plus, the U.S. Navy veteran, born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in Oologah, Okla., won for new male artist of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May.

Musgraves completes over a decade’s journey to No. 1 on the Hot 100, having first reached the chart with “Merry Go ‘Round” (No. 63 peak, 2013; it’s also her lone Country Airplay top 10 to date). She previously charted highest on the Hot 100 with “Follow Your Arrow” (No. 60, 2014) and added her other entry before this week, “Rainbow” (No. 98, 2019). The Golden, Texas, native has won six Grammy Awards, with her most recent LP, 2018’s Golden Hour, claiming album of the year honors at the 61st Grammy Awards.

A Hot 100, country and rock first: “I Remember Everything” concurrently opens at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts (as well as Hot Rock Songs), which use the same methodology as the Hot 100. It’s the first song to top the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (dating to 2009, when the lattermost list began).

Bryan tops all three genre charts for a second time, after “Something in the Orange” led Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs for six, 20 and 20 weeks, respectively. Musgraves leads each ranking for the first time.

“I Remember Everything” is the 24th song to have topped both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs (dating to 1958, when the Hot 100 originated and Hot Country Songs became the country genre’s singular Billboard chart). Four such songs have led the Hot 100 in 2023, the most in a year since 1975.

Songs to Have Hit No. 1 on Both the Hot 100 & Hot Country Songs Charts:

• “I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves, 2023
• “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Anthony Oliver Music, 2023
• “Try That in a Small Town,” Jason Aldean, 2023
• “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen, 2023
• “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift, 2021
• “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift, 2012
• “Amazed,” Lonestar, 1999-2000
• “Islands in the Stream,” Kenny Rogers, duet with Dolly Parton, 1983
• “I Love a Rainy Night,” Eddie Rabbitt, 1981
• “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton, 1981
• “Lady,” Kenny Rogers, 1980
• “Southern Nights,” Glen Campbell, 1977
• “Convoy,” C.W. McCall, 1975-76
• “I’m Sorry,” John Denver, 1975
• “Rhinestone Cowboy,” Glen Campbell, 1975
• “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” John Denver, 1975
• “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Freddy Fender, 1975
• “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” B.J. Thomas, 1975
• “The Most Beautiful Girl,” Charlie Rich, 1973
• “Honey,” Bobby Goldsboro, 1968
• “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” Jeannie C. Riley, 1968
• “Big Bad John,” Jimmy Dean, 1961
• “El Paso,” Marty Robbins, 1959-60
• “The Battle of New Orleans,” Johnny Horton, 1959

As Billboard reported in July, country music has surged this year: consumption for the genre in the United States was up 20.3% year-over-year in the first 26 weeks of 2023, according to Luminate. (Comparatively, country grew by 2.5% over the same period in 2022.)

Four country No. 1s in a row for the first time: On the newest, Sept. 9-dated Hot 100, “I Remember Everything” supplants Anthony Oliver Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” at No. 1, after the latter led the last two weeks (Aug. 26 and Sept. 2). Before that, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” rebounded for the last two of its 16 weeks on top (Aug. 12 and 19), directly following Jason Aldean’s one-week reign with “Try That in a Small Town” (Aug. 5).

Four country songs have topped the Hot 100 consecutively for the first time in the chart’s history, extending a record run for the genre. Previously, country hits reigned back-to-back twice: in 1981 (Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “I Love a Rainy Night”) and 1975 (Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”).

Zach, Kacey, Kenny and Dolly: “I Remember Everything” is just the second shared Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs No. 1 by a male and female artist together. It joins Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s 1983 classic “Islands in the Stream” (written by the Bee Gees).

Zach, Kacey, Ed and Bey: Bryan and Musgraves also co-wrote “I Remember Everything,” which Bryan solely produced. It’s the first Hot 100 No. 1 by a male and female artist also boasting co-writing credit with no other billed writers since Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé’s “Perfect,” which reached the top of the chart dated Dec. 23, 2017. (Sheeran wrote and originally recorded the love song solo; Beyoncé joined for its remix and gained co-writing credit.)

Bryan begins atop Billboard 200 and Hot 100: Zach Bryan logs just the ninth instance of an act debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 simultaneously. As “I Remember Everything” opens atop the Hot 100, parent LP Zach Bryan soars onto the Billboard 200, likewise as his first No. 1, with 200,000 equivalent album units.

Bryan joins only Taylor Swift, BTS, Drake and Future and having scored such a double debut. Swift initiated the club and has earned the honor four times, while Drake has done so twice.

Artists to Have Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 & Hot 100 Simultaneously:

• Zach Bryan: Zach Bryan, Billboard 200 & “I Remember Everything” (feat. Kacey Musgraves), Hot 100, Sept. 9, 2023
• Taylor Swift: Midnights & “Anti-Hero,” Nov. 5, 2022
• Drake: Honestly, Nevermind & “Jimmy Cooks” (feat. 21 Savage), July 2, 2022
• Future: I Never Liked You & “Wait for U” (feat. Drake & Tems), May 14, 2022
• Taylor Swift: Red (Taylor’s Version) & “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” Nov. 27, 2021
• Drake: Certified Lover Boy & “Way 2 Sexy” (feat. Future & Young Thug), Sept. 18, 2021
• Taylor Swift: Evermore & “Willow,” Dec. 26, 2020
• BTS: BE & “Life Goes On,” Dec. 5, 2020
• Taylor Swift: Folklore & “Cardigan,” Aug. 8, 2020

Zach Bryan also bows at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts.

Warner back at No. 1: With “I Remember Everything,” Warner Records rules the Hot 100 for the first time since the label notched three No. 1s in 2013, when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop” (featuring Wanz) and “Can’t Hold Us” (featuring Ray Dalton) led for six and five weeks starting that February and May, respectively (with the songs on ADA/Warner); in between, Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” (Jeffree’s/Mad Decent/Warner) reigned for five frames beginning that March.

The label formed in 1958 and first reached No. 1 with The Everly Brothers’ “Cathy’s Clown” in May 1960. It rebranded from Warner Bros. to Warner Records in 2019, making “I Remember Everything” its first leader under its newer name.

Bryan’s Belting Bronco imprint scores its first placement atop the Hot 100.

We ‘remember’ ‘everything’: Here’s something to remember. Thanks to “I Remember Everything,” the word “remember” is in the title of a Hot 100 No. 1 for the first time. Previously, Madonna notched the highest charting such song, as “I’ll Remember” reached No. 2 in 1994.

Meanwhile, the word “everything” appears atop the Hot 100 for a ninth time (and for a second time by an artist with Bryan in his name):

• “I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves, 2023
• “Give Me Everything,” Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer, 2011
• “Everything You Want,” Vertical Horizon, 2000
• “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” Bryan Adams, 1991
• “I’ll Be Your Everything,” Tommy Page, 1990
• “Everything She Wants,” Wham!, 1985
• “I Just Want to Be Your Everything,” Andy Gibb, 1977
• “Everything Is Beautiful,” Ray Stevens, 1970
• “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” The Byrds, 1965

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s self-written 1988 Hot 100 top 10 “Fast Car” adds an eighth week at its No. 2 high, steady in rank. It concurrently crowns the Radio Songs chart, rising 2-1 with 78.8 million in audience.

As it led Country Airplay for five weeks, the song is just the fifth – and the first by a solo male with no accompanying acts – to have topped the Country Airplay and all-format Radio Songs charts, dating to the surveys’ 1990 inceptions (and the latter list’s 1998 expansion to include country panelists, among other format reporters). Here’s a recap, with all five songs having achieved both country and pop radio success.

Radio Songs No. 1s That Also Topped Country Airplay:

• “Fast Car,” Luke Combs, one week to date atop Radio Songs, 2023
• “I Hope,” Gabby Barrett feat. Charlie Puth, one, 2020 (Barrett was solely credited on Country Airplay; Puth joined for its pop remix)
• “Meant to Be,” Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, five weeks, 2018
• “Need You Now,” Lady A, two, 2010
• “You Belong With Me,” Taylor Swift, two, 2009

(As a writer, Chapman previously peaked as high as No. 2 on Radio Songs with her own single “Give Me One Reason,” in 1996.)

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” pushes from No. 5 to a new No. 3 Hot 100 high, as it wins top Airplay Gainer honors (up 25% to 28.2 million in airplay audience). It leads the multimetric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a second week each.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” descends 3-4 on the Hot 100, following 16 weeks at No. 1 – the most ever for a non-collaboration; Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” slips 4-5, after reaching No. 3; and Oliver Anthony Music’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” falls to No. 6 after spending its first two weeks on the chart at No. 1 (down 8% to 21.2 million streams and 71% to 34,000 sold, although it leads Digital Song Sales for a third week; it’s up 7% to 2.4 million in radio audience).

SZA’s “Snooze” returns to the Hot 100’s top 10, at a new No. 7 best, from No. 11, up 64% to 17.3 million streams following the Aug. 25 premiere of its official video, good for the chart’s top Streaming Gainer award. It leads the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs chart for a seventh week.

Miley Cyrus’ “Used to Be Young” bounds onto the Hot 100 at No. 8, with 25.9 million in airplay audience, 17.8 million streams and 19,000 sold from its release Aug. 25 through Aug. 31. It opens at No. 2 on Digital Song Sales, No. 9 on Streaming Songs and No. 19 on Radio Songs – it’s the second song to start in the Radio Songs top 20 this year, after Cyrus’ “Flowers” began at No. 18 in January (on its way to an 18-week command, the longest ever for a song by a woman).

Cyrus collects her 12th Hot 100 top 10. Her previous top 10s, including one under her former Hannah Montana alter ego: “Flowers” (No. 1, eight weeks, 2023); “Without You,” with The Kid LAROI (No. 8, 2021); “Malibu” (No. 10, 2017); “Wrecking Ball” (No. 1, three weeks, 2013); “We Can’t Stop” (No. 2, 2013); “Can’t Be Tamed” (No. 8, 2010); “Party in the U.S.A.” (No. 2, 2009); “He Could Be the One” (Hannah Montana; No. 10, 2009); “The Climb” (No. 4, 2009); “7 Things” (No. 9, 2008); and “See You Again” (No. 10, 2008).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” holds at No. 9, after reaching No. 7, and Gunna’s “Fukumean” drops 7-10, after hitting No. 4.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 9), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Sept. 6).

Source: billboard.com

The new self-titled country-rock set follows his breakthrough album, and major-label debut, “American Heartbreak.”

Zach Bryan lands his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as his new self-titled set bows atop the tally (dated Sept. 9). The 16-song country-rock effort, his fourth full-length studio album, launches with 200,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 31, according to Luminate — the largest week for any rock album in four years. It’s also the first rock effort to hit No. 1 in more than a year. The set’s opening frame is largely powered by streaming activity — and the album boasts the biggest streaming week ever for a rock album.

Beyond Bryan’s rock achievements, his self-titled set also marks the third country title to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023, and garners the fifth-largest debut streaming week for a country album.

Country and rock albums are defined as those that are eligible for, or have charted on, Billboard’s Top Country Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, respectively. Bryan is among a handful of recent acts that have placed a genre-blending album on both the Top Country Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. Others include Jelly Roll, HARDY, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Koe Wetzel.

Bryan’s first No. 1 comes after sustained momentum on the Billboard 200 in the last year-plus from his previous studio effort, American Heartbreak. It debuted and peaked at No. 5 in June 2022 and spawned the top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Something in the Orange.” Heartbreak has yet to depart the weekly top 40 of the Billboard 200 in its 67 consecutive weeks on the list (it climbs 16-14 on the new tally).

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 Sept. 9, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Sept. 6 — one day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 4, in the U.S. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Zach Bryan’s 200,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Aug. 31, SEA units comprise 181,000 (equaling 233.09 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 16 songs — the largest streaming week ever for a rock set, and the fifth-largest streaming debut week for a country album), album sales comprise 17,000 (it was only available to purchase as a digital download, as its CD and vinyl LP are due out on Oct. 13) and TEA units comprise 2,000.

As noted above, Zach Bryan is the first rock album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in more than a year. The last to do so was Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Unlimited Love, which spent one week at No. 1 — its debut frame — on the list dated April 16, 2022. Zach Bryan also logs the largest week, by equivalent album units earned, for a rock album in four years, since Tool’s Fear Inoculum launched at No. 1 on the Sept. 19, 2019, chart with 270,000 units.

A little over a year ago, Bryan earned his first Billboard 200 chart entry with his third studio album — and major label debut — American Heartbreak, debuting and peaking at No. 5 on the June 4, 2022-dated list. The album has generated 2.6 billion on-demand official streams for its songs in the U.S. and has been a consistent streaming star since its debut. The set has been among the week’s top 20 most-streamed albums, by on-demand streams, in all but three weeks since its debut.

The Heartbreak single “Something in the Orange” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, reached the top three on the all-genre Streaming Songs chart, and hit No. 10 on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Following Heartbreak, Bryan placed five more titles on the list, including his new self-titled effort.

Four former No. 1s trail Bryan on the new Billboard 200. Travis Scott’s Utopia falls to No. 2 (91,000 equivalent album units earned; down 44%) after spending its first four chart weeks at No. 1. Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time dips 2-3 (83,000; down 8%), Taylor Swift’s Midnights rises 5-4 (49,000; down 8%) and SZA’s SOS vaults 11-5 (48,000; up 15% after increased sales and streams generated by its current single “Snooze,” including the release of its official music video and new remixes).

The Barbie soundtrack falls 4-6 (48,000 equivalent album units earned; down 14%) and Peso Pluma’s Génesis climbs 9-7 (43,000; down 3%). Swift has two more former leaders in the top 10, as Lover in a non-mover at No. 8 (43,000; down 8%) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) dips 7-9 (41,000; down 14%). Rounding out the top 10 is Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album, holding steady at No. 10 with 40,000 units (down 5%).

Source: billboard.com

Plus, Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” vaults to No. 5.

Oliver Anthony Music’s viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. A week earlier, the song rocketed in on top, making the singer-songwriter the first artist ever to launch atop the survey with no prior chart history in any form. It now takes over as the most-streamed song of the week, continues as the top-selling track and is gaining in radio airplay.

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 Sept. 2, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 29). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

“Rich Men North of Richmond” drew 22.9 million streams (up 31%) and sold 117,000 downloads (down 20%) in the Aug. 18-24 tracking week, according to Luminate. Not being promoted to radio, the song also tallied 2.3 million airplay audience impressions (up 310%).

The single logs a second week at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart and surges 4-1 on Streaming Songs. Notably, it makes a rare second-week gain in streams for a No. 1-debuting Hot 100 hit: Of the 34 songs to premiere atop the Hot 100 this decade, it’s just the second to increase in streams (17.5 million to 22.9 million) in its second week, following Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” (43.2 million to 62.7 million) on the charts dated May 29-June 5, 2021 – and Rodrigo’s hit was boosted by the No. 1 Billboard 200 arrival of her debut album, Sour.

As previously reported, “Richmond” also debuts on Country Airplay at No. 45, with 90% of its overall airplay (2 million of 2.3 million in reach) from the chart’s panel of reporting stations.

“Richmond” has become a lightning rod for both the right and left politically since its official release Aug. 11, even spurring the opening talking point in the first Republican presidential primary debate last Wednesday, Aug. 23. (“The one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up into this,” Anthony responded in a YouTube clip.)

The track by the Farmville, Va.-based singer-songwriter and former factory worker, born Christopher Anthony Lunsford (whose stage name honors his grandfather, Oliver Anthony), first drew buzz online, including on TikTok, where he boasts 2.1 million followers (up from 1.5 million a week ago), prior to its Aug. 11 posting on the radiowv YouTube account, which spotlights unsigned Americana and country acts in the Virginia/West Virginia region.

“Richmond” concurrently tops Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100, for a second week.

The song has also, unsurprisingly, sparked the curiosity of chart fans. Jesper Tan, of Subang Jaya, Malaysia, wrote in noting that Oliver Anthony Music is just the second act with “music” in its name to top the Hot 100, following C+C Music Factory with “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” in 1991. Tan also shouts out the two No. 1s with “music” in their titles: “Play That Funky Music,” by Wild Cherry, in 1976 and “Music,” by Madonna, in 2000.

Plus, Jeff Lerner points out that “Richmond” is only the eighth Hot 100 No. 1 to name-check a U.S. city in its title (two are odes to Philadelphia), and the first since 1985:

• “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Oliver Anthony Music (2023)
• “Miami Vice Theme,” Jan Hammer (1985)
• “Philadelphia Freedom,” Elton John (1975)
• “The Night Chicago Died,” Paper Lace (1974)
• “T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia),” MFSB (1974)
• “El Paso,” Marty Robbins (1960)
• “The Battle of New Orleans,” Johnny Horton (1959)
• “Kansas City,” Wilbert Harrison (1959)

(Lerner adds that The Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville,” from 1966, “is not on this list as lyricist Bobby Hart has insisted that he wrote the song about a fictional town, not the real city of Clarksville, Tenn.” Meanwhile, Baauer’s 2013 No. 1 “Harlem Shake” also doesn’t count, as Harlem is a neighborhood in New York City. The last city at all named in the title of a Hot 100 No. 1 prior to “Richmond”? Cuba’s capital, as Camila Cabello’s “Havana,” featuring Young Thug, led in 2018.)

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” posts a seventh week at its No. 2 Hot 100 high, where it’s steady in rank, and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” holds at No. 3, following 16 weeks at No. 1 – the most ever for a non-collaboration. Thanks to “Richmond,” “Fast Car” and “Last Night,” country hits (as defined by those that have hit Hot Country Songs) claim the Hot 100’s top three spots in a single week for only the third time, following the same songs a week earlier and Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” “Last Night” and “Fast Car,” at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the Hot 100 dated Aug. 5.

“Last Night,” meanwhile, tops Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart for a 13th week, having led each week since the list returned.

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” keeps at No. 4 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3.

Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” roars 15-5 on the Hot 100, with 22.6 million in airplay audience (up 37%), 21.1 million streams (up 49%) and 5,000 sold (up 81%), as it takes top Streaming and Sales Gainer honors.

The song, which debuted at No. 15 on the Hot 100 two weeks earlier and has since ridden a wave of virality on TikTok, becomes Doja Cat’s seventh top 10, following “Vegas” (No. 10 peak, October 2022); Post Malone’s “I Like You (A Happier Song),” on which she’s featured (No. 3, October 2022); “Woman” (No. 7, May 2022); “Need To Know” (No. 8, November 2021); “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA (No. 3, July 2021); and “Say So,” featuring Nicki Minaj (No. 1, one week, May 2020).

Meanwhile, “Paint the Town Red” samples Dionne Warwick’s standard “Walk on By,” which hit No. 6 on the Hot 100 in 1964. Thanks to its inclusion, legendary late songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David appear in the Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time since Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, reigned for a week in 2004; that song samples Luther Vandross’ cover of Warwick’s fellow 1964 release “A House Is Not a Home.”

Bacharach, who passed away Feb. 8, wrote seven Hot 100 No. 1s, which reigned in four distinct decades (the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s and 2000s). David died in 2012. Notably, the Songwriters Hall of Fame annually presents (this year to Post Malone) the Hal David Starlight Award, which, according to the organization, is given to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs.”

“Paint the Town Red” concurrently bounds to the top of the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (5-1) and Hot Rap Songs (4-1) charts. Doja Cat earns her second No. 1 on the former, following “Say So,” and her first on the latter list.

Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” descends 5-6, after reaching No. 3, on the Hot 100, as it claims a 10th week atop the Radio Songs chart (83.5 million, down 3%). It tops the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a 52nd week, extending the longest command since the ranking began over a year ago.

Gunna’s “Fukumean” repeats at No. 7 on the Hot 100, after hitting No. 4, and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” falls 6-8, after it debuted as her third No. 1 in July.

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10 are two hits from the soundtrack Barbie: The Album: Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” dips 8-9, after reaching No. 7, although it wins the chart’s top Airplay Gainer award (57.7 million, up 16%), and Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” with Aqua, descends 9-10, also after climbing to No. 7.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Sept. 2), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 29).

Source: billboard.com

Plus: Hozier and J-Hope hit the top 10 with their latest releases.

Travis Scott’s Utopia makes it a month at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Sept. 2), as the set spends a fourth total and consecutive week in the lead. The effort earned 161,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 24 (down 13%), according to Luminate. Utopia surpasses Astroworld as Scott’s album with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Utopia is also the first rap album to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in five years, since Drake’s Scorpion logged all five of its weeks at No. 1, from its debut frame (July 14-Aug. 11, 2018). The last rap set with four weeks at No. 1, in total, was Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, which tallied five nonconsecutive frames at No. 1 between Sept. 18 and Nov. 6, 2021.

Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200, Hozier scores his third top 10-charting album as Unreal Unearth launches at No. 3, while J-Hope’s year-old Jack in the Box album reaches the top 10 for the first time, as it re-enters the list at No. 6 following its expanded reissue and debut on CD in multiple collectible iterations.

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 Sept. 2, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Aug. 29. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Of Utopia’s 161,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Aug. 24, album sales comprise 92,000 (down 7%), SEA units comprise 69,000 (down 20%, equaling 92.07 million on-demand official streams of the streaming set’s 19 songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (down 19%). For a second week in a row, the album’s sales profit from a promotional offer in Scott’s official webstore, which deep-discounted the Utopia vinyl LP (available in multiple variants) from $50 to only $5 for a limited time. Of Utopia’s 92,000 sales for the week, vinyl accounted for 89,000.

Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time is a non-mover at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 91,000 equivalent album units earned (down 4%).

Hozier captures his third top 10-charting set — all of which have reached the top five — as Unreal Unearth debuts at No. 3. The album bows with 62,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 39,000, SEA units comprise 23,000 (equaling 29.58 million on-demand official streams of the set’s 16 songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The album was preceded by the hit single “Eat Your Young,” which marked Hozier’s third No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart (May 20-dated list).

Unreal Unearth’s first-week album sales were bolstered by vinyl sales, which accounted for 60% of its opening-week sales figure (23,000 of 39,000). The album was released in five different vinyl iterations, including exclusive color variants for Amazon, independent record stores and Hozier’s official webstore.

The Barbie soundtrack is steady at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 55,000 equivalent album units (down 15%), while Taylor Swift’s former leader Midnights climbs one spot to No. 5 with 53,000 units (down 8%).

J-Hope’s year-old Jack in the Box album bounces back onto the list for its first week in the top 10 (and second week on the chart), as it re-enters at No. 6 with 50,000 equivalent album units earned (up 5,107%). The album was originally released on July 15, 2022, and debuted and first peaked at No. 17 on the July 30, 2022, chart. It was reissued with additional bonus tracks on — and on CD for the first time — on Aug. 19, 2023. The set initially was released only as a digital download album and through streaming services.

Of the set’s 50,000 units earned in the week ending Aug. 24, album sales comprise 47,000 (up 13,238%), SEA units comprise 2,000 (up 250%, equaling 2.99 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (up 44,125%). The CD edition of the album was available in four collectible editions, including exclusive versions for Target and Walmart, all containing assorted branded merchandise (some of which was randomized).

J-Hope is the third member of BTS to score a top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200, following his bandmates RM and Jimin. RM reached the top 10 in 2022 with Indigo (peaking at No. 3) and Jimin reached No. 2 with Face earlier this year. BTS itself has logged seven top 10s, with six reaching No. 1.

Two more chart-topping Swift sets follow J-Hope, as Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) falls 5-7 (48,000 equivalent album units earned; down 21%) and Lover dips 7-8 (46,000; down 14%). Peso Pluma’s Génesis descends 8-9 (nearly 45,000; down 4%) and Wallen’s former No. 1 Dangerous: The Double Album is steady at No. 10 (43,000; down 3%).

Source: billboard.com

“The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song,” the singer-songwriter tells Billboard exclusively.

Oliver Anthony Music’s breakout viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Among other chart achievements for the singer-songwriter, he’s the first artist ever to launch atop the list with no prior chart history in any form.

Plus, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” enters the Hot 100 at No. 10, marking her sixth career 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 Aug. 26, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 22). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Here’s a look at the coronation of “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the 1,153rd song to top the Hot 100 over the chart’s 65-year history, and the 69th to debut at No. 1.

Streams, sales & airplay: Officially released Aug. 11, “Rich Men North of Richmond” drew 17.5 million streams and sold 147,000 downloads in the tracking week ending Aug. 17, according to Luminate. Not being promoted to radio, the song also tallied 553,000 radio airplay audience impressions, the bulk on country stations.

The single also debuts at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, and No. 4 on Streaming Songs.

The track by the Farmville, Va.-based singer-songwriter and former factory worker, born Christopher Anthony Lunsford (whose stage name honors his grandfather, Oliver Anthony), first drew buzz online, including on TikTok, where he boasts 1.5 million followers, prior to its Aug. 11 posting on the radiowv YouTube account, which spotlights unsigned Americana and country acts in the Virginia/West Virginia region. (The radiowv recording features simply Anthony’s voice and a Gretsch guitar.)

The song has drawn both praise from the right and opposition from the left, with its lyrics referencing “your dollar taxed to no end ’cause of rich men north of Richmond,” as well as “the obese milkin’ welfare.” Stated Anthony in a video posted Aug. 7, “I sit pretty dead center down the aisle on politics and always have.” He added on Facebook Aug. 17, “I am sad to see the world in the state it’s in, with everyone fighting with each other.”

Anthony’s reaction: Says Anthony exclusively to Billboard, “The hopelessness and frustration of our times resonate in the response to this song. The song itself is not anything special, but the people who have supported it are incredible and deserve to be heard.”

“There was not a whole lot of planning involved,” Draven Riffe, Anthony’s manager, told Billboard Saturday (Aug. 19) of the song’s release. Riffe is also the sole producer of “Richmond,” as well as the co-founder of radiowv, which launched in 2018. “We just knew if we got the video out there, people were going to love the song and it would resonate with a lot of folks. There wasn’t some big, massive planning team around this. I had a few friends who helped us push the song out there, like my friend Josh [Baer], who has a page called Country Central. We all coordinated and Oliver’s following [did], as well; we just tried to push it out there all at once with our little group of friends and that’s how it happened.”

First No. 1, first chart appearance: Prior to this week, Oliver Anthony Music had not appeared on any Billboard chart in any form, making him the first such artist ever to debut atop the Hot 100.

He’s just the sixth artist ever to debut a first solo Hot 100 entry at No. 1, following Zayn, Baauer, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia and Clay Aiken. Zayn’s debut solo single “Pillowtalk” opened on top in 2016, after he had become established as a member of One Direction; Baauer’s viral hit “Harlem Shake” debuted a week after first appearing on dance/electronic rankings; and Underwood, Fantasia and Aiken soared in, driven by sales, after the season finales of American Idol in 2005 (when Underwood won), 2004 (when Fantasia won), and 2003 (when Aiken finished second). “Inside Your Heaven” brought Underwood to the Hot 100 in her first sole-credited role after she first charted via the group effort “When You Tell Me That You Loved Me,” billed to American Idol Finalists Season 4; “I Believe” marked Fantasia’s debut chart hit, although it reached rankings other than the Hot 100 the week before (as with Baauer’s Hot 100 arrival); and Aiken had charted prior to “This Is the Night” as a singer on the collaborative “God Bless the U.S.A.,” billed to American Idol Finalists.

Unsigned, undeterred: With Oliver Anthony Music doubling as the label credit for the self-released “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the singer-songwriter marks a rare unsigned artist at No. 1 on the Hot 100. Lisa Loeb became the first such act, when “Stay (I Missed You)” led in 1994, although the song was released on RCA Records, from the hit Reality Bites soundtrack. (Loeb subsequently signed with Geffen Records.)

“We are working on a full [lineup] of shows with bigger accommodations in the near future,” Anthony wrote on Facebook. “Everyone in the ‘industry’ is rushing me into signing something, but we just want to take things slow right now. I appreciate your patience.”

Solo-written No. 1: “Rich Men North of Richmond” is the first solo-written Hot 100 No. 1 since Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves,” penned by the band’s frontman, Dave Bayley, dominated for five weeks in March-April 2022.

“Richmond” is the first Hot 100 leader written entirely and sung by a soloist since Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” logged its last of six weeks at No. 1 in January 2018.

Hot 100 & Hot Country Songs No. 1s: “Rich Men North of Richmond” concurrently opens atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100.

The track marks the 23rd song to have topped both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs. With Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” having ruled the Hot 100 for 16 weeks, nonconsecutively, from March through last week (tied for the second-longest command in the survey’s history), and Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” leading for a week earlier this month, 2023 is the first year with at least three shared Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs leaders since 1975.

Plus, “Richmond” is the first song by a solo male to start atop both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs simultaneously. It’s the second overall, after Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” opened atop both rankings dated Nov. 27, 2021. (The charts have shared methodology since October 2012.)

Songs to Have Hit No. 1 on Both the Hot 100 & Hot Country Songs Charts:

• “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Anthony Oliver Music, 2023
• “Try That in a Small Town,” Jason Aldean, 2023
• “Last Night,” Morgan Wallen, 2023
• “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift, 2021
• “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift, 2012
• “Amazed,” Lonestar, 1999-2000
• “Islands in the Stream,” Kenny Rogers, duet with Dolly Parton, 1983
• “I Love a Rainy Night,” Eddie Rabbitt, 1981
• “9 to 5,” Dolly Parton, 1981
• “Lady,” Kenny Rogers, 1980
• “Southern Nights,” Glen Campbell, 1977
• “Convoy,” C.W. McCall, 1975-76
• “I’m Sorry,” John Denver, 1975
• “Rhinestone Cowboy,” Glen Campbell, 1975
• “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” John Denver, 1975
• “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Freddy Fender, 1975
• “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” B.J. Thomas, 1975
• “The Most Beautiful Girl,” Charlie Rich, 1973
• “Honey,” Bobby Goldsboro, 1968
• “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” Jeannie C. Riley, 1968
• “Big Bad John,” Jimmy Dean, 1961
• “El Paso,” Marty Robbins, 1959-60
• “The Battle of New Orleans,” Johnny Horton, 1959

Of the 23 songs listed above, 12 were concentrated in 1973-83. Meanwhile, Glen Campbell, John Denver, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and Taylor Swift are the only acts with two songs each that have crowned both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs.

As Billboard reported July 6, country music has surged this year: consumption for the genre in the United States was up 20.3% year-over-year in the first 26 weeks of 2023, according to Luminate. (Comparatively, country grew by 2.5% over the same period in 2022.)

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” adds a sixth week at its No. 2 Hot 100 high, where it’s steady in rank, and Wallen’s “Last Night” falls to No. 3. Thanks to “Rich Men North of Richmond,” “Fast Car” and “Last Night,” country hits (as defined by those that have hit Hot Country Songs) claim the Hot 100’s top three spots in a single week for only the second time; Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” “Last Night” and “Fast Car” placed at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the Hot 100 dated Aug. 5.

“Last Night,” meanwhile, tops Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart for a 12th week, having led each week since the list returned.

Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” dips to No. 4 from its No. 3 Hot 100 high, and Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” descends 4-5, after reaching No. 3, as it posts a ninth week atop the Radio Songs chart (85.9 million, down 2%). “Calm Down” also tops the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a 51st week, extending the longest reign since the ranking began over a year ago.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” holds at No. 6 on the Hot 100, six weeks after it debuted as her third No. 1, and Gunna’s “Fukumean” falls 5-7, after hitting No. 4, as it rules the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for a fifth week each.

Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” backtracks to No. 8 from its No. 7 Hot 100 best and Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” with Aqua – also from the soundtrack Barbie: The Album – slips 8-9, after reaching No. 7, while winning top Airplay Gainer honors for a second consecutive week (36.8 million, up 41%).

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” debuts at No. 10, with 19.7 million streams, 5.3 million in airplay audience and 4,000 sold.

The song is Rodrigo’s sixth top 10, with all having debuted in the region, following “Vampire”; “Drivers License” (No. 1 for eight weeks, beginning in January 2021); “Good 4 U” (No. 1, one week, May 2021); “Deja Vu” (No. 3, June 2021); and “Traitor” (No. 9, June 2021). Her first four top 10s are from her first LP, Sour, while her two latest are from follow-up Guts, due Sept. 8.

Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated Aug. 26), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Aug. 22).

Source: billboard.com