For all of us who haven’t been keeping track of what’s been happening in pop music, here’s what’s been up in a nutshell.
Taylor Swift has extended her record atop the Artist 100 to 5 weeks after topping both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 for yet another week. She simply cannot be stopped; capturing another Billboard feat, Swift replaces herself at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as Blank Space zooms to #1 from #13 last week. She became the first woman to replace herself at #1 on the Hot 100. The former #1 Shake It Off falls to #3 this week while Meghan Trainor’s eight-week-number-one debut single continues to go strong at #2.
Below the scurry for the coveted #1 spot is Maroon 5’s Animals, which falls from its #3 peak this week to #4. Notably, the band captured another #1 on the Pop Songs chart and now tie Destiny’s Child for the most #1s on the Pop Songs chart for a duo/group. Tove Lo’s #3 hit Stay High falls to #5 this week followed by rising hit Take Me to Church by Hozier, coming in at #6. Hozier’s hit reaches a new peak this week and could quite possibly continue its ascent up the charts as it is currently sitting at #2 on the iTunes download chart while also rising on the On Demand Songs chart.
Bobby Shurmda’s #6-peaking hit Hot N***a falls by one this week to #7 while holding on to the top spot on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj continue their Hot 100 streak with Bang Bang as it falls from #5 to #8 this week.
Last but not least, this week the Hot 100 welcomes two new top 10 hits as Sam Smith increases his number to three, as I’m Not the Only One climbs to #9. As stated, it is his third top ten, following his #2-peaking Stay With Me and his assist on Disclosure’s Latch, which peaked at #7. Following Smith is Nick Jonas at #10 with Jealous. Jonas’s solo set also makes its debut this week on the Billboard 200 with 37,000 copies at #6.
Speaking of the Billboard 200, the highest debut this week was by the Foo Fighters, with their album ‘Sonic Highways’, which debuted with 190,000 copies. This set could have easily debuted at #1 on a number of weeks this year, but I guess the Foo Fighters couldn’t fend off the unstoppable might of Taylor Swift and her latest LP ‘1989’, which logs in another 312,000 copies sold. It is the only album chart 3 consecutive 300,000 plus selling weeks since Beyoncé’s self titled set in 2013 (‘Beyoncé’ the album debuted with 617,000 copies in just three days, then charted another 374,000 followed by another 310,000 copies sold). Other debuts include Pink Floyd, whose album ‘The Endless River’ arrives at #3 with 170,000 copies sold, Garth Brooks, whose album ‘Man Against the Machine’ debuts with 130,000 copies. The rest of the top ten includes Big K.R.I.T. (debuts at #5 with 44,000 copies sold), the self titled Nick Jonas album at #6, Now 52 at #7 with roughly 37,000, Pentatonix’s ‘That’s Christmas to Me’ (#8 with 34,000 sold), Sam Smith’s ‘In the Lonely Hour’ (just over 30,000 at #9) and closing us out is George Strait’s ‘The Cowboy Rides Away’ (30,000 at #10).’
Like what you see? Be sure to check back next time for the breakdown of the Billboard Charts. And be sure to spill the tea below on what you think next week’s chart might look like.
Le Grande-POP 