Your #1 style

[Love Plastic Love]

While procrastinating, I read that another member was talking about having BOBD at #1 for its 300th week. (Obviously exaggerated, but a very, very high number)
I was thinking about how that would NEVER happen on my chart even if I was obsessed with a song...just because I hate when songs dominate #1 for months at a time. There have been times that a song has been clearly above the other songs on my list and stayed for a month or a little over a month at #1...but I do not think I would ever have a 10+ week runner at #1.
I just like to switch things up and I always have a few songs I am in love with at a time.

So do you allow your chart to have a song be #1 for months at a time or do your #1s have relatively short stays up at the top?


(My longest running #1 ever right now is Vanessa Carlton with White Houses for 6 weeks nonconsecutive)

[Deleted]

I just let songs stay at #1 for however long I think they deserve.  Of course it also depends on the competition.

I've had 3 songs break the 10 week barrier.

11 Weeks
Janet Jackson - All For You
Anita Baker - You're My Everything

10 Weeks
Anita Baker - How Does It Feel

I actually think it's going to happen again this year. The average amount of weeks at #1 for a song on my chart is 3.2.

[chartfanatic]

Currently, I've had 319 weeks of charts with 177 number ones. That's an average of 1.8 weeks per number one single. That's an accurate assessment in that an average #1 song spend about 2 weeks @ #1.

Throughout my chart, only 4 songs have gone past the 4-week mark at number one. There's a fast turnover rate at number one, especially in the last year. I see it changing a little this year. I predict there's going to be a lot more multiple-week songs but I don't think there will be a song that will be #1 for more than a month.

I have fast turnover because there's a lot of good songs that I like and will put at #1 but there's not a lot of great songs that stay great even when overplayed. Nowadays, it takes a longer time to get #1 on the chart and there has been a lot of competition for all these songs so it's very competitive. The song took so much "chart energy" to get to the top that it doesn't have enough to stay there.

I don't know what the weeks-at-#1 average will be this year. It might be a little more than 2 but it will probably stay around the 2 week area.

[allow that]

In the 4 years and 1 month that I've had my chart, the longest run at the top is 8 weeks, which happened 3 times. I think it's a record that can be broken, but it'll need 2 factors A) I must LOVE the song and B) there has to be relatively no competition.

Here are the 3 singles that spent 8 weeks @ #1 and the reason they didn't make a ninth week:

"Yellow," Coldplay. By the end of 8 weeks, I was ready for a fresh #1 and the fact that one of my favorite artists, Janet, had a new lead single out with "All For You" kicked them out. Janet ended up spending 6 weeks at #1 with that song (she hasn't had another #1 since though ) I think if a song other than "Yellow" were at the top, Janet would've actually made it to #1 a week or two earlier.

"Fallen," Sarah McLachlan. This song had a stretched out run at #1. There was plenty of competition for the #1 spot but I kept it there for 8 weeks just because I wanted Sarah to have the longevity champ title.

"Boulevard...," Green Day. This song got 8 weeks at #1 because of the combo that I loved it mixed with the fact that "Wow, an awesome song is actually blowing up at radio!" which is rare these days. Honestly, it's not my favorite song of the past 4 years so it shouldn't have the longevity title based on that alone, but it is my favorite song to become as huge as it is. It still sounds fresh to me but I HAD to kick out because I'm really more into "Mr. Brightside" now. If "Mr. B" weren't out now, "BOBD" would still be at #1 for a 10th week. If "BOBD" weren't out now, "Mr. B" would've been there earlier.

So while I've never had a REALLY long run at #1, I don't like having a new song at #1 every week either. I try to reserve #1 not for songs that I like a lot, but for songs that I love. I HATE having 1 week #1's and try to avoid them, though since Jan. '01 I've had:

4 one-week #1's in 2001
3 one-week #1's in 2002
2 one-week #1's in 2003
3 one-week #1's in 2004 (though one of them was to quickly give blink-182 its deserved peak after playing musical catch up after returning to the US for the first time in 5 months)

I'd say most of my #1's spend between 3 and 6 weeks at #1.

[Matt4319]

I average ∏ weeks at #1. (Or at least very close to that -- 3.147.)

All-time leaders:
9 "Bring Me to Life"
8 "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
7 "Dare You to Move"
6 "Blurry"
6 "When I'm Gone"
6 "Bright Lights"
6 "My Immortal"

All three of the top songs' runs have been nonconsecutive, but "BMTL" logged 8 straight.

[billcs]

My longest #1 has been 6 charts (12 weeks). I suppose a #1 could last a maximum of 10 charts (20 weeks), after which EVERY song that lasts that song is removed from the chart. But it hasn't happened yet!

[eric]

Since I had my chart crappily done in 2003/2004...If I really liked them, they stayed in #1 till someone could knock them out...

So the only ones I have kept track of:

Linkin Park / Jay-Z "Numb / Encore" [2 @ 1]
Green Day "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" [3 @ 1]
Linkin Park "Breaking The Habit" [13 @ 1]
Vanessa Carlton "White Houses" [7 @ 1]
Mario "Let Me Love You" [1 @ 1]

[Love Plastic Love]

My average would be a little over 2 weeks per song.
In 2004 I had
one 6 week
one 5 week
one 4 week
six 3 week songs
two 2 weeks
and then 11 at one week-22 #1 songs total.

I guess it seems like I have a ton of #1 songs, but when I look back...they all deserved it. Even now...I normally have 3-4 songs that at any given time could be in the top spot and stay firmly in the top 4 for several weeks. Then I replace them with new songs that I have grown to love. There has rarely been a time when ONE song has so dominated my interests that I needed to keep it at #1 for many weeks-the closest has been V Carlton and even she only managed 6 weeks.

I wont say it will never happen though, because as soon as I do, it will

[iceman]

Like Rebirth said if a song deserves it, it'll stay on top for however long I feel it should.

Default's "Taking My Life Away" spent 18 weeks at #1 and I honestly wasn't getting tired of it but finally something stronger came along.

Other's:
14 weeks
Vertical Horizon-Everything You Want

12 weeks
Fuel-Hemorrhage
Puddle of Mudd-Blurry

The turnover rate for past couple of months has been unusually high though.

[Topay]

Since I started keeping tabs of #1s in 2003, I've had

7 one-week #1s
9 two-weekers
5 three-weekers
3 four-weekers
3 six-weekers
2 eight-weekers

And my two big ones...

a 10-weeker ("My Front Porch Looking In" by Lonestar - my #1 song of 2003, whose run was intertwined with Toby Keith's 8-week #1 "Beer For My Horses")

and a 13-weeker ("100 Years" by Five For Fighting - my #1 song of 2004, which had great longevity and had its #1 run split into 5 mini-runs at the top)

That's 30 #1s (not including my current #1), and 107 weeks, averaging 3.6 weeks at #1 for each song.

[velcro]

Umm... I get obsessed with a song and play it constantly for a few days... then I get kinda burned out and move on to a new one/ones. So one song would never really dominate my chart.

[shark cousteau]

velcro said:

Umm... I get obsessed with a song and play it constantly for a few days... then I get kinda burned out and move on to a new one/ones. So one song would never really dominate my chart.

yea that exaclty the case for me too. id love to have a chart, but it'd only be around 10 songs, with a #1 debut every week! so this year ive decided to record every song thats had this kinda effect on me, then ill probably make an end of year chart based on this.

[Control]

i'm kind of the opposite.. my #1's tend to have long stays on top, particularly if they're by one of my favorite artists.. it's like i feel they deserve it, so i'm ok with allowing such long runs

when one of my favorite artists don't have a song out, i kind of stuggle to decide what my #1 is, because it's usually not so clear cut, and i have trouble deciding how long a song should stay there and when and which new song should take over

so i've had quite a few double digit runs at #1, although all by just my two top artists...

15 WEEKS
"Beautiful" Christina Aguilera

14 WEEKS
"Fighter" Christina Aguilera

13 WEEKS
"Can't Hold Us Down" Christina Aguilera featuring Lil' Kim

12 WEEKS
"All Nite (Don't Stop)" Janet
"Dirrty" Christina Aguilera featuring Redman

11 WEEKS
"The Voice Within" Christina Aguilera

10 WEEKS
"I Want You" Janet

[Radical347]

#1s usually last awhile, almost two months or more. Songs with the most weeks at #1 on my chart have been:

22
Peter Gabriel - More Than This

21
Howie Day - Perfect Time of Day

15
Dexter Freebish - Leaving Town

12
Dave Matthews Band - Grey Street
New Radicals - You Get What You Give

11
Everclear - Wonderful
Josh Joplin Group - Camera One

10
Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)

9
Bruce Hornsby - Gonna Be Some Changes Made
Moby - Extreme Ways
Savage Garden - Crash and Burn

8
Lifehouse - Breathing
Pearl Jam - Last Kiss
Postal Service - Such Great Heights
Sense Field - Save Yourself

[dragoneyez]

The average stay at #1 on my chart comes out to 2.63 weeks. Usually I have to really love a song for it to go #1, and when it does, it typically stays for a long time. However, I've had songs that I put at #1 for a week at the last minute because they deserve it and I've neglected them (My Immortal is one recent example).

I've had a few extended chart runs for songs. The longest thus far has been with the Dixie Chicks' Landslide, which spent 10 weeks on top non-consecutively.

The second highest run at #1 is a tie between Bring Me to Life, Megalomaniac, and the recent Boulevard of Broken Dreams; all of which spent seven weeks at the summit.

For a song to spend that much time at #1, I have to really love it, and it doesn't hurt if I really enjoy it at first listen (that's been the case with all the songs mentioned). In order for a song to maintain a lengthy run at the top, there shouldn't be much competition, I can't become burned out on the song, and it helps if the song has reasonable success outside my own chart.

[Miguelín]

Live - "Heaven" (13 weeks)
Splender - "I think God Can Explain" (10 weeks)
Dave Matthews Band - "The Space Between" (9 weeks)
Straylight Run - "Existentialism On Prom Night (8+ weeks)
Creed - "My Sacrifice" (8 weeks)
Live - "Run To The Water" (7 weeks)
Matchbox 20 - "Bent" (7 weeks)
Splender - "Save it For Later" (7 weeks)
Unwritten Law - "Rest Of My Life (7 weeks)

[Libra]

Songs that have had 8 weeks or more:

Vanessa Carlton - Ordinary Day: 8 non-consecutive weeks
--Logged two weeks by the time that Shakira's "Objection (Tango)" was high enough to contend. I wanted "Objection" to at least hit #1, so that logged two weeks before the infamous "tie week" where both were #1. Then Vanessa reigned for 5 more weeks after because no one else was strong enough to be #1 (although "Sk8er Boi" was #2 for 3 weeks before taking over).

Frankie J - Don't Wanna Try: 8 weeks straight
--Rocketed to #1 in just four weeks. Jewel's "Intuition" was #2 for five weeks before taking over because while I did want her to hit #1, I just liked his song a bit more than hers for so long.

Nickelback - Someday: 8 non-consecutive weeks
--Was #1 for two weeks before I decided to give Chingy's "Holidae In" a week on top. He lost it to Nelly Furtado's "Powerless (Say What You Want)", and that logged two weeks before Nickelback returned to #1 for six weeks. Of note is that Nelly spent the next five weeks at #2 after losing #1.

Switchfoot - Meant to Live: 8 non-consecutive weeks
--Snuck in a week at #1 on 5-1-04, which was during a chaotic two-month period in my chart's Top 5. This had lost its bullet and was all the way down to #6 when they regained it and marched back to #1 for seven more weeks. No one was strong enough to beat them during those weeks, though Britney's "Everytime" certainly tried - that spent five weeks at #2.

Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending: 9 weeks straight
--Quite simply, no one was strong enough to beat her until she lost #1 to "On the Way Down". Of note is that the week that Ryan hit #1, I was all prepared for Kelly Clarkson to take it with "Breakaway". But by the end of the week, Ryan seemed more worthy of being #1.

Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway: 10 weeks straight
--Same basic situation as Avril, except Kelly lost #1 to Switchfoot's "Dare You to Move". Of note is that DYTM spent four weeks at #3 followed by four weeks at #2 before hitting #1.

By the way - after Switchfoot's seven-week stretch at #1, Ashlee Simpson spent a week on top with "Pieces of Me". That was followed by Avril's nine-week stretch, which was followed by "On the Way Down" for a week. Ryan was followed by Kelly's ten-week stretch. Yow... :o

So the pattern seems to be that if someone has a long run at #1, it's because no one else is strong enough to keep them out.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

I'm currently in a multi-week #1 now on my chart. I haven't made my chart for this passed weekend yet but if Avril can hold on for that one, 'Nobody's Home' will have had 18 weeks at #1!
The previous record was 13 weeks for 'Bright Lights'. 'Standing Still' and 'Don't Tell Me' have had 11 and 'Before You' and 'Bonnie & Clyde II' have had 10 weeks.
www.geocities.com/themaxonline/numberones.html
Hitting #1 for a long time isn't THAT common on my chart though. I'd say the average length of time a #1 will hit for is maybe 3 or 4 weeks. There are always exceptions though.

[kingLUKE22]

I'm pretty sure I was the guy with BOBD at #1 for its 300th week, so my answer is clearly...

however long it takes, that's how long the song will stay at #1. Rarely do I get THAT obsessed with a song that it stays on top for more than 5 or 6 weeks, but on occasion, it does happen. BOBD just finished up its 16 week run at #1, and before that, both Santana and Evanescence had #1's for 12 weeks.

[GiggaWho]

MikeK102 said:

So the pattern seems to be that if someone has a long run at #1, it's because no one else is strong enough to keep them out.

That seems to be my pattern as well.

[coolcat13]

Well personally, this is the only the second week I've had a chart.

But the song has been #1 for both weeks! But I can almost garuntee by next Monday it'll be knocked off by another song.

A song has to be very good to stay at my #1 for a while, I just can't see any song being my favourite for 2 or 3 months.

[Joe1240]

I just let songs I like stay number one as long as I think they deserve to. Since 2003,only three have even hit over 10 weeks on the Top 20 at #1. It also depends on what the song is up againest also that determines the top spot on my chart.

15 Weeks
Britney Spears-"Toxic"

12 Weeks
Britney Spears F/Madonna-"Me Againest The Music"

11 Weeks
Christina Aguilera-"Fighter"

[Love Plastic Love]

Well, I feel like one of the only ones who doesnt do 10 week plus weeks at #1
lol.
It always irks me when that happens on Billboard and I think it would irk me if I did that on my own chart.
It will be interesting to see if a song ever gets to 10+ weeks-I wont say it will never happen. If I keep the chart going for years upon years, something may change.

[prenatt1166]

since 1978...

1415 chart weeks
538 number one songs

2.63 average

The following songs spent 10 weeks or more at number one.

16 wks - Alan Jackson "Where Were You"
12 wks - Madonna "Into The Groove"
12 wks - Alanis Morissette "Head Over Feet"
11 wks - Scandal "The Warrior"
11 wks - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill "It's Your Love"
11 wks - Elton John "Candle In The Wind 1997"
10 wks - Human League "Don't You Want Me"
10 wks - Billy Joel "Allentown"
10 wks - Matchbox Twenty "If You're Gone"

:)

[[upsilon]™]

I also agree with what Rebirth said; if it deserves to stay at that number one spot, I'll let it. Otherwise, any other competitive song that I like'll take that spot in a heartbeat.

My number ones do not last much at that spot. It's highly uncommon for my chart to leave a song in the #1 spot for more than a week.

"How Did You Know?" by Mynt f/ Kim Sozzi was number one from early September to mid-November, a rare 10 week run. None other song has come close since I've done my chart since 2002, except probably The Rasmus' "In The Shadows" (some 7 or 8 weeks, I think).

[[upsilon]™]

said:

I'm pretty sure I was the guy with BOBD at #1 for its 300th week, so my answer is clearly...

As much as I liked "BOBD", it never charted, and probably won't ever, at this point. Ha. Personally, I think there're better songs out there (*cough* "Holiday" *cough*).