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Let’s open the most recent mailbag.
‘Choosin‘ ‘ Different No. 1s
Hi Gary,
Until Ella Langley’s present run of two consecutive weeks topping the Billboard Hot 100 with “Choosin’ Texas” (of its 4 complete weeks at No. 1), for six chart weeks in a row, from Feb. 7 by means of March 14, No. 1 songs did not repeat in back-to-back weeks:
- Feb. 7: “Aperture,” Harry Styles
- Feb. 14: “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley
- Feb. 21: “DtMF,” Bad Bunny
- Feb. 28: “Opalite,” Taylor Swift
- March 7: “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley
- March 14: “I Just Might,” Bruno Mars
(That stretch adopted the primary two weeks at No. 1, consecutively from its debut, for “I Just Might.”)
I used to be curious how usually this sort of change has occurred. So, I regarded by means of the chart’s archives and, whereas uncommon, it appears to be occurring extra usually previously few years. I’d think about that it’s seemingly tied to the rising phenomenon of songs debuting at No. 1? Not solely would that assist clarify the turnover, however these songs usually are inclined to spend solely their debut weeks within the prime spot.
Thanks,
Jesse Rifkin
Washington, D.C.
Thanks, Jesse.
(Revolving doorways are enjoyable, aren’t they? Almost no work, no germs. Swinging doorways, too, very old-timey. How a couple of time doorway? Much much less widespread.)
You’re right that such switchover atop the Hot 100 isn’t notably frequent traditionally, though on the rise this decade. Prior to the six-week streak of non-repeating No. 1s till the previous two weeks, the chart hosted five-week runs in March-April 2021, December 2020-January 2021 and May-June 2020, making for 4 intervals of 5 weeks or extra simply greater than midway by means of the last decade.
That’s twice the overall occurrences within the 2010s, when five-week runs have been linked in 2010 and 2018.
The newest stretch in February-March matched the longest for Hot 100 hits not holding at No. 1 in additional than 16 years:
- Oct. 17, 2009: “Down,” Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
- Oct. 24: “3,” Britney Spears
- Oct. 31: “Down,” Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
- Nov. 7: “Fireflies,” Owl City
- Nov. 14: “Whatcha Say,” Jason Derulo
- Nov. 21: “Fireflies,” Owl City
(As with “Choosin’ Texas” this 12 months, the weeks above additionally sport songs yo-yoing at No. 1 in Jay Sean and Owl City’s hits.)
Prior to fall 2009, no such six-week makeovers atop the Hot 100 had occurred since September-November 1990. The final to go even longer? A seven-week run that introduced notable selection to No. 1 the 12 months earlier than:
- June 3, 1989: “Rock On,” Michael Damian
- June 10: “Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler
- June 17: “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever),” New Kids on the Block
- June 24: “Satisfied,” Richard Marx
- July 1: “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” Milli Vanilli
- July 8: “Good Thing,” Fine Young Cannibals
- July 15: “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” Simply Red
Going again additional, likewise no No. 1s repeated for seven straight weeks in June-July 1977, following a six-week run that April-May and a seven-week streak in December 1975-January 1976.
The longest instance of Hot 100 No. 1s not staying at the summit? For 12 weeks greater than half a century in the past, chart watchers (and Casey Kasem and writers) celebrated these enduring single-week leaders:
- Jan. 18, 1975: “Mandy,” Barry Manilow
- Jan. 25: “Please Mr. Postman,” Carpenters
- Feb. 1: “Laughter in the Rain,” Neil Sedaka
- Feb. 8: “Fire,” Ohio Players
- Feb. 15: “You’re No Good,” Linda Ronstadt
- Feb. 22: “Pick Up the Pieces,” AWB
- March 1: “Best of My Love,” Eagles
- March 8: “Have You Never Been Mellow,” Olivia Newton-John
- March 15: “Black Water,” The Doobie Brothers
- March 22: “My Eyes Adored You,” Frankie Valli
- March 29: “Lady Marmalade,” Labelle
- April 5: “Lovin’ You,” Minnie Riperton
The solely different streaks of songs not retaining No. 1 for 5 weeks have been in 1974 (twice) and 1961.
All of which is to say that Hot 100 No. 1s traditionally have a tendency to remain in cost for greater than every week: maybe surprisingly, at a 64% majority amongst all 1,189 leaders relationship to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, begin.
Still, as you noticed, Jesse, extra turnover atop the chart is on the upswing. To recap, right here’s a breakdown by decade of runs of five-plus consecutive frames with songs not repeating at No. 1 week to week:
- 2020s: 4
- ‘10s: two
- ‘00s: one
- Nineteen Nineties: one
- ‘80s: one
- ‘70s: six
- ‘60s: one
1974-77 was an particularly energetic time atop the Hot 100, with this decade the closest comp. Modern No. 1 debuts, as famous above, by their nature draw first-week streaming totals that may be troublesome to keep up till radio attain catches up. In the current six-week window, that was the case for Styles’ “Aperture.” Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” then led round spikes for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl-boosted “DtMF,” a bodily gross sales surge for Swift’s “Opalite” and the discharge of Mars’ album, The Romantic, which helped ship “I Just Might” again to No. 1 (with halftime exhibits and the sudden launch of latest product neither viable nor generally practiced methods in prior eras).
Timing merely performs an element, too, as with many chart achievements. In 2009, as an illustration, previous to the six-week streak cited above, the Black Eyed Peas dominated the Hot 100 for a file 26 consecutive weeks, due to “I Gotta Feeling” (14 weeks) and “Boom Boom Pow” (12).
Meanwhile, six of the seven longest-leading Hot 100 No. 1s have run up their reigns previously decade, regardless of the rise of hits not staying at the highest in back-to-back weeks.
A Hot 100
Hi Gary,
Fun with adjoining Hot 100 tune titles this week:
No. 79, “Secondhand”
No. 80, “Plastic Cigarettes”
Eek, all that smoke.
Pablo Nelson
Oakland, Calif.
Thanks, Pablo.
And on Pop Airplay:
No. 34, “Go!,” Cortis
No. 35, “Go,” BLACKPINK
(But no Wham! classic or a sure Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band.)
