Billboard Hot 100 : 04/18/2015 - "Uptown Funk!" 14th week

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2015 12:13:56 GMT -5 dajross6 said:

But I think that's the point some are trying to make. Without radio on board (yet), the song can't become a long running #1 unless it holds on for maybe another 6-7 weeks of sales. Songs like SYA are a little unfortunate in that it has a chance at #1 solely based on one component. I'm guessing it's going to be a big song, but I could see a chart run going something like ...1-2-3-3-2-1-1-1-1... Just an example of sales/streaming trying to hold the song up while radio catches up. I'm not even sure a song has ever done that, but I think it's a good guess based on the data we have.

That's what happened with Shake It Off last year. It spent its first 12 weeks in the top 2 and would've been #1 that whole time had it not fallen prey to All About That Bass which was likewise across-the-board success with huge sales, airplay and streaming.

[TylerG11]

In counter to those who are saying that if SYA's facebook streams counted, it would be a lock for #1, I would like to point out that UF has a ton of videos with millions of views that don't count either, many of which have just been posted this week. See CNN's page with Michelle Obama dancing to UF, which has gotten 15 million + views since Monday. So if Facebook views counted, I think UF would get just many or close to as many views from Facebook as SYA.

[crystalphnx]

Apr 8, 2015 12:06:53 GMT -5 ss8 said:

As much as some dont wanna hear it, SYA is def. one of those songs that 'may' be as big/ in the ballpark as UF! Looks at its sales and streaming and its FIRST only getting started on radio lol. That def. wasn't the case w/ BL or UF. The had at least some decent airplay. Point is, SYA has a major head start (all w/out major airplay and streams yet). Don't wanna go there yet (far as records etc..), but it's the kind of song in every multi-format that can be yet another monster.

Hasn't this UF record situation taught us to cool it with the premature predictions? Right now, SYA does have a huge lead on iTunes. It also does have multi-format radio appeal. But it hasn't even reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 yet - so maybe it's just a bit too soon to start predicting a UF-like run?

I get that predicting can be fun/exciting, but what happened to discussing the chart that the thread's actually about? I know the Hot 100 has gotten stagnant, especially the Top 10, but we shouldn't have to start looking 5+ weeks out just to have something to talk about.

[Mikel Echarri]

According to Billboard SYA has sold 168K the last week
m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/120530

[Gary]

As much as we talk about songs "forgotten" or "not remembered", we seem to all remember the songs being discussed pretty well.


What is "remembered" and what is not depends on who you are and your age and what kind of music you like.

If you were born in 1998 for example, you very likely have no memory at all of 'One Sweet Day' (for example). A person born in 1978 though might remember it better.

The 50 Cent songs are a little newer so I would say, if you were never a rap fan, and someone played you a 50 Cent song, you would not kow what it was. However, if rao has always been your favorite, you might 'remember' it like it was yesterday,

[YourFaveIsAFlop]

Apr 8, 2015 12:06:53 GMT -5 ss8 said:

I actually clearly remember when Hollaback Girl by Gwen got 100k+ in digital sales in 2005 and that was a record lol and a VERY big deal. Damn, crazy how clearly I remember that and it's now exactly 10 yrs ago. I believe right around that point was when the official age/true impact of iTunes/digital etc...started.

The next year Shakira broke the CHR airplay record for spins in a single week (which had been held by Hollaback Girl) with 9600 plays of Hips Don't Lie, which was a huge deal.

Sugar is currently at about 18k spins in a week to put that in perspective.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2015 12:17:59 GMT -5 Mikel Echarri said:

According to Billboard SYA has sold 168K the last week
m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/120530

Great, UF can't even get Digital Songs record :( so close yet so far...

[allow that]

Apr 8, 2015 12:22:13 GMT -5 @markg94 said:

Apr 8, 2015 12:17:59 GMT -5 Mikel Echarri said:

According to Billboard SYA has sold 168K the last week
m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/120530

Great, UF can't even get Digital Songs record :( so close yet so far...

TEARZ

[irice22]

Apr 8, 2015 12:18:33 GMT -5 Gary said:

As much as we talk about songs "forgotten" or "not remembered", we seem to all remember the songs being discussed pretty well.


What is "remembered" and what is not depends on who you are and your age and what kind of music you like.

We contribute to pop music message boards. We remember everything.

We're talking about the others.

[Gary]

Apr 8, 2015 12:23:57 GMT -5 irice22 said:

Apr 8, 2015 12:18:33 GMT -5 Gary said:

As much as we talk about songs "forgotten" or "not remembered", we seem to all remember the songs being discussed pretty well.


What is "remembered" and what is not depends on who you are and your age and what kind of music you like.

We contribute to pop music message boards. We remember everything.

We're talking about the others.

My comments still apply.  We are attaching a "general rule" about what song is "remembered" and what song is not to everyone.  I still think that depends on who you are, how old you are and what your musical tastes are to begin with and even key events that happen in your life.


Certain songs resonate with different people more than others.

[ss8]

Well, unless RCA knows something we don't, looking like they are not going to discount UF. *Unless they have insider info that they somehow will get #1 next week..even if by a thread and THEN discount the single next week? Or, they realize it may be impossible to sustain #1 (even a discount) due to the #s SYA is projecting to get so they may not even see the point lol. If it's not gonna work, would only look desperate and pointless.

[Gary]

Never been a fan of chart manipulation anyway. A discount in my mind would be "fake" popularity

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2015 12:29:54 GMT -5 ss8 said:

Well, unless RCA knows something we don't, looking like they are not going to discount UF. *Unless they have insider info that they somehow will get #1 next week..even if by a thread and THEN discount the single next week? Or, they realize it may be impossible to sustain #1 (even a discount) due to the #s SYA is projecting to get so they may not even see the point lol. If it's not gonna work, would only look desperate and pointless.

Well the video for SYA is getting significant views now so this will probably close the deal as streaming was the only hope for UF being saved...now the only way UF can be safe is if SYA plummets in sales which I'm secretly hoping for (or of course if, as you said, RCA discounts it or UF gets a boost some other way). It'll be really sad to see it coming so close, being in the perfect position and timing and having all the right cards in hand and then a random huge song just coming out of nowhere unexpectedly and snatching that away...I still don't think Sugar, LMLYD, SUAD, GDFR, etc. would be able to make it there in time because they're still too far behind in overall points.

[ss8]

Apr 8, 2015 12:31:22 GMT -5 Gary said:

Never been a fan of chart manipulation anyway. A discount in my mind would be "fake" popularity

but look at how many x various very big named stars did that, a new 'remix' that comes out of the blue etc etc...Whether you approve or not, it's the *record biz! Theyre much richer and smarter but not much better than used car salesman. They WANT those sales and #1s. lol

[Gary]

yes, sometimes though it is obvious. A single goes on sale , right at the time it is at #2 or #3 or right at the time it is starting to decline. Happened before, will happen again. That counts as actual popularity, never been a fan of that.

[crystalphnx]

Apr 8, 2015 12:31:22 GMT -5 Gary said:

Never been a fan of chart manipulation anyway. A discount in my mind would be "fake" popularity

Can't...resist...bait...

a.) Discounts/sales are standard practice in...every...industry? There just isn't a "Top Selling Shirts At Wal*Mart" chart to know which brand experienced the greatest sales boost from that week's sale.

b.) Labels are supposed to help their artists succeed (well, make a profit.) Fans gripe all the time when labels don't act on opportunities that would have made a difference for their favorite act, but we're also supposed to complain when labels DO make smart, strategic moves? I don't get how labels actually doing their jobs is a bad thing.

c.) Discounts aren't payola/a clearly illegal tactic to fix the charts. The sales equivalent would be buying songs in bulk, which we know isn't counted. If we consider discounts "dirty", then what else shouldn't count? A well-timed TV performance? A discount doesn't mean a song will automatically fly to No. 1 (just look at "Sledgehammer", which barely cracked the Top 40 at $0.69, or "The One That Got Away", which couldn't get to No. 1 with remixes and discounts) - there still has to be sufficient demand for that song, which is determined by the public.

[jebsib]

Hollaback Girl was such a threshold song.
Despite its composition, it signaled the end of the R&B/Hip Hop tsunami at the top of the Hot 100;
It coincided with the digital sales explosion;
It came at the same time as the rebirth of Top 40 that continues to prosper today.
It came just as downloads were added to the Hot 100, thus diversifying its appearance.
Other than that, I've got nothing.

[Mikel Echarri]

One question, before the digital sales what counted to the Hot 100?

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2015 12:52:23 GMT -5 Mikel Echarri said:

One question, before the digital sales what counted to the Hot 100?

I think physical sales (like an actual disk single). And also radio airplay of course, starting from 1992.

[Gary]

Apr 8, 2015 12:52:23 GMT -5 Mikel Echarri said:

One question, before the digital sales what counted to the Hot 100?

All sales count now including what's left of physical sales


Prior to 2005 the Hot 100 has for the most part  (minor exception in the late 60s and early 70s) has always been a combination of physical singles sales and airplay  (airplay data existed and was used even before 1992)

[YourFaveIsAFlop]

Apr 8, 2015 12:54:21 GMT -5 Gary said:

Apr 8, 2015 12:52:23 GMT -5 Mikel Echarri said:

One question, before the digital sales what counted to the Hot 100?

All sales count now including what's left of physical sales


Prior to 2005 the Hot 100 has for the most part  (minor exception in the late 60s and early 70s) has always been a combination of physical singles sales and airplay  (airplay data existed and was used even before 1992)

How was it used prior to 92? I was under the impression Billboard only used DJ provided playlists and not actual spin data

[crystalphnx]

Apr 8, 2015 12:53:54 GMT -5 @markg94 said:

I think physical sales (like an actual disk single). And also radio airplay of course, starting from 1992.

well, not just discs ;)

[Gary]

Apr 8, 2015 12:58:44 GMT -5 YourFaveIsAFlop said:

Apr 8, 2015 12:54:21 GMT -5 Gary said:

All sales count now including what's left of physical sales


Prior to 2005 the Hot 100 has for the most part  (minor exception in the late 60s and early 70s) has always been a combination of physical singles sales and airplay  (airplay data existed and was used even before 1992)

How was it used prior to 92? I was under the impression Billboard only used DJ provided playlists and not actual spin data

Which is in itself, airplay data.  Technology advances improved the accuracy over time but airplay data has always existed.

[ry4n]

Apr 8, 2015 13:00:16 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

Apr 8, 2015 12:53:54 GMT -5 @markg94 said:

I think physical sales (like an actual disk single). And also radio airplay of course, starting from 1992.

well, not just discs ;)

And at one point these things ;)

[jebsib]

Juke Boxes in the 70s!

[Deleted]

Final prediction:

1. Uptown Funk (30% lead) enjoy while you can before it is abruptly swiped...
2. Sugar
3. Love Me Like You Do
4. Thinking Out Loud
5. Earned It
6. Trap Queen
7. GDFR
8. Somebody
9. Style
10. FourFiveSeconds (though I would prefer for it to be SUAD)

[Libra]

Apr 8, 2015 12:58:44 GMT -5 YourFaveIsAFlop said:

Apr 8, 2015 12:54:21 GMT -5 Gary said:

All sales count now including what's left of physical sales


Prior to 2005 the Hot 100 has for the most part  (minor exception in the late 60s and early 70s) has always been a combination of physical singles sales and airplay  (airplay data existed and was used even before 1992)

How was it used prior to 92? I was under the impression Billboard only used DJ provided playlists and not actual spin data

You've answered your own question; playlists were pre-92.

November 30, 1991 to be exact was the chart week date of the switch in terms of the Hot 100. They'd been planning this for a year before; monitored airplay first appeared in the December 8, 1990 issue, but for the 1991 chart year it was its own chart. Playlists were still used for the Hot 100 that year.

[Deleted]

Apr 8, 2015 10:18:26 GMT -5 allow that said:

Apr 8, 2015 10:14:09 GMT -5 ry4n said:

The forgotten 50 Cent #1 is the one that no one has mentioned: "21 Questions".

That one actually does get occasional Urban airplay in NYC though. For Urban fans, it's far less forgotten than "Candy Shop" imo.

"21 Questions" is the reason people still say "I love you like a fat kid loves cake," lol. And of course In Da Club is almost obligatory to play or quote on someone's birthday. But I can't quote any "Candy Shop" lyric off the top of my head - I'm trying to sing Olivia's part to myself right now and I keep ending up singing the hook to "Magic Stick" instead. Oops.

"Candy Shop" was basically 50's "Roar" moment, if that helps put it in perspective.

Apr 8, 2015 12:29:54 GMT -5 ss8 said:

Well, unless RCA knows something we don't, looking like they are not going to discount UF. *Unless they have insider info that they somehow will get #1 next week..even if by a thread and THEN discount the single next week? Or, they realize it may be impossible to sustain #1 (even a discount) due to the #s SYA is projecting to get so they may not even see the point lol. If it's not gonna work, would only look desperate and pointless.

I think you've been kind of assuming for a while now that RCA would actually care about the record, which personally I never thought was the case for a few reasons. Labels don't directly make money from chart records. Records are little more than bragging rights and another line to add in the next PR piece; they are a result of a song or album's success, not a source or indicator of it. A lot of times the song or album holding a record isn't even the artist's most successful or signature project (like OSD, or MJ and the Bad album). So from a pure profit perspective, RCA doesn't actually gain anything more from achieving the record than they have already gained from the song being a huge hit.

There is always the possibility that the artist(s) may care and/or that the label cares because the artist is one of its own and it wants to further that person's brand; I think this was the case with Katy and Teenage Dream's 5 #1s and to a certain extent, Mariah and Columbia (until she and Tommy got divorced and he was out for blood). But Mark Ronson probably couldn't care less about it, the type of 'brand' he has doesn't get much of a boost from it, and Bruno is an Atlantic artist so RCA has no reason to care about him adding a new accolade to his career. RCA only cares that the song made them a bunch of money and Atlantic, having made no money off it, will only care to the extent that this will heighten the anticipation for Bruno's lead single from his next album.

Apr 8, 2015 10:51:41 GMT -5 @markg94 said:

So how much do we predict SYA will sell this week?

I'm terrible at predicting sales or future charts so I won't throw a number out there, but I would like to see how The Voice performance affects things - if it boosts SYA's lead even more I think everyone's predictions would have to be adjusted upward for that.

Apr 8, 2015 11:39:28 GMT -5 allow that said:

Apr 8, 2015 11:37:06 GMT -5 Libra said:

I'd place the odds of that happening at...somewhere in the realm of astronomical?

No way is it going to be able to sustain the level of power needed over a prolonged period. Only it sees even 10 weeks is if it later marches back and then stays for a while.

My guess is...it'll reach the top here, stay for like 1-3 weeks, then start trickling down the Top 10. We'll see if radio gives it the cushion it'll need in order to keep from free-falling itself.

How often do we get one week #1's anymore?

Radio WILL cushion this. It's got all of the ingredients of a massive hit: universal theme, multi-format appeal, tween tweet quote-ready lyrics, a celebrity tie in, etc. It's not going to fall away as fast as you think, and the fact that it's so huge out of the gate means it's got nothing but time to shine ahead of it.

I think it will end up being a multi-week number one, but 10 weeks seems an awful lot. Now that UF has finally ceded its digital grip, the top of the chart just got very competitive again, so I don't foresee another long runner for at least the next few months. SUAD will probably squeeze in there and there's still an outside chance for Sugar to sneak in if it can hold on just a little bit longer. GDFR also seems to be making a charge for the top, though its time (if it has it) will come later.

[SPRΞΞ]

Apr 8, 2015 12:31:22 GMT -5 Gary said:

Never been a fan of chart manipulation anyway. A discount in my mind would be "fake" popularity

if that's really what you think then you dare not EVER buy a cd other than at FULL price.

[crystalphnx]

www.billboard.com/biz/articles/6524471/uptown-funk-ties-for-second-longest-leading-hot-100-no-1-all-time

'Uptown Funk' Ties for Second-Longest-Leading Hot 100 No. 1 of All Time

Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk!," featuring Bruno Mars, ties for the second-longest-leading Billboard Hot 100 ever, ruling the chart for a 14th week. The smash also ties for the chart's longest command this century.

Plus, Wiz Khalifa vaults into the top 10 with "See You Again," from the box-office hit Furious 7. The track also takes over atop the Digital Songs chart.

As we do each Wednesday, let's look at all the songs in the top 10, and a bit further, on the sales/airplay/streaming-based Hot 100 (dated April 18).

"Funk," released on RCA Records, ties six other singles for the second-best run at No. 1 dating to the Hot 100's Aug. 4, 1958, launch, with only one song having led longer. Here's an updated ranking of the longest-leading Hot 100 No. 1s all-time:

Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Date Reached No. 1
16, "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, Dec. 2, 1995
14 (to date), "Uptown Funk!," Ronson feat. Mars, Jan. 17, 2015
14, "I Gotta Feeling," the Black Eyed Peas, July 11, 2009
14, "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey, June 4, 2005
14, "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Elton John, Oct. 11, 1997
14, "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)," Los Del Rio, Aug. 3, 1996
14, "I'll Make Love to You," Boyz II Men, Aug. 27, 1994
14, "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston, Nov. 28, 1992

"Funk" also ties for the longest stay at No. 1 on the Hot 100 this century. With 14 weeks on top, it matches the Black Eyed Peas' command with "I Gotta Feeling," the last song to lead for at least that long, in 2009. Mariah Carey also logged 14 weeks at No. 1 with "We Belong Together" in 2005.

"Funk" is, thus, just two weeks from potentially tying "One Sweet Day" for the all-time record, and three weeks from possibly claiming it all to itself. Can it reshape Hot 100 history? While it's still a bit early to forecast charts three weeks away, "Funk" still sports strong leads in two of the Hot 100's three main metrics (airplay and streaming). Notably, it's no longer the top-selling song in the country.

"Funk" drops 1-2 after a record-tying 13 weeks atop Digital Songs with 163,000 downloads sold (down 1 percent) in the week ending April 5, according to Nielsen Music. The song remains tied with Flo Rida's 2007-08 hit "Low," featuring T-Pain, for the most weeks a title has spent at No. 1 on Digital Songs.

"Funk" also leads Streaming Songs (15.8 million U.S. streams, down 3 percent) for a 12th week. That's the second-best reign ever: only Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX, has spent more time at No. 1: 13 weeks, last year.

On Radio Songs, "Funk" dominates for an 11th week with 159 million in all-format audience (down 5 percent). It boasts the longest No. 1 stay since Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," featuring T.I. and Pharrell, also led for 11 weeks in 2013. The record? Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" ruled for 18 weeks in 1998. (The chart premiered in December 1990.)

While "Funk" holds atop the Hot 100, the gap between it and the runner-up closes. "Funk" is down by 3 percent in overall activity, while the No. 2 song (for a fourth week), Maroon 5's "Sugar," gains by 6 percent. "Sugar" holds at No. 2 on Radio Songs (140 million, up 5 percent); drops 2-3 on Digital Songs, but with a 2 percent gain to 147,000; and rises 4-3 on Streaming Songs (10.5 million, up 11 percent). On the subscription services-based On-Demand Songs chart, "Sugar" backtracks 1-2 after a week on top but with a hefty 17 percent increase to 4.7 million streams.

As previously reported, "Sugar" crowns the Pop Songs airplay chart, where it's Maroon 5's eighth No. 1, the most among groups. The band doubles the sum of the next-closest group: Boyz II Men (four No. 1s). The song additionally passes 2 million in sales to-date.

Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do" returns to its No. 3 high on the Hot 100 after five weeks at No. 4. The Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack single pushes 5-4 on Radio Songs (127 million, up 7 percent) and descends 5-6 on Streaming Songs (8.7 million, down 3 percent) and 4-7 on Digital Songs (118,000, down 4 percent).

From the same hit movie, The Weeknd's "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)" rises to a new Hot 100 peak (5-4), adding top Airplay Gainer honors for a third week. On Radio Songs, it holds at No. 6 but racks a robust 21 percent gain to 104 million. "Earned" (still looking like a contender for No. 1 on the Hot 100 …) climbs 6-4 on Streaming Songs (9.8 million, up 10 percent) and keeps at No. 6 on Digital Songs (125,000, up 17 percent). The steamy track rules Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a second week.

Rounding out the Hot 100's top five, Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" slides 3-5 after peaking at No. 2 for eight weeks.

Fetty Wap's "Trap Queen" holds at No. 6 on the Hot 100, while spending a third week at No. 1 on Hot Rap Songs. Taylor Swift's "Style" ranks at No. 7 on the Hot 100 for a fourth frame after reaching No. 6. (And is "Bad Blood" the next single from Swift's album 1989? Internet rumors say yes. A source at Republic Records neither confirms nor denies it.)

Flo Rida climbs to a new Hot 100 high point (9-8) with "G.D.F.R.," featuring Sage the Gemini and Lookas. The rapper's new EP, My House, arrived Tuesday and is set to debut on next week's Billboard 200 album chart. Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney's "FourFiveSeconds" falls 8-9 on the Hot 100 after peaking at No. 4.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa notches the Hot 100's lone new top 10, as "See You Again," featuring pop singer/songwriter Charlie Puth, rockets 84-10. As previously reported, its parent album, the Furious 7 movie soundtrack, surges 17-2 on the Billboard 200 following the film's wide-release in U.S. theaters last Friday (April 3). The premiere likewise helps propel the song, which claims the Hot 100's top Digital Gainer award and flies 42-1 on Digital Songs (168,000, up 488 percent).

"Again" makes the largest leap to No. 1 on Digital Songs since will.i.am and Britney Spears' "Scream & Shout" logged a record 66-1 burst in December 2012, following its first full week on sale and its video premiere on Fox's since-shuttered The X Factor. (The chart was then 75 positions deep; it's run 50 spots deep since December 2013.) The 84-10 climb for "Again" on the Hot 100 is the greatest positional jump into the top 10 since Katy Perry's "Roar" did just that, charging 85-2 in August 2013 following its first full week of availability.

Khalifa collects his second Digital Songs No. 1, following his featured turn on Maroon 5's "Payphone" (one week, 2012). On the Hot 100, he earns his sixth top 10, dating to his arrival with the No. 1 "Black and Yellow" (Feb. 19, 2011). Puth celebrates his first Billboard No. 1 and Hot 100 top 10.

While the majority of the Hot 100 chart points for "Again" are from sales (72 percent), the track also grows in streaming, debuting on Streaming Songs at No. 26 with 4.1 million (up 259 percent), good for the Hot 100's top Streaming Gainer nod, in addition to its sales honor; its clicks should climb further following the Monday (April 6) premiere of its official video (which features numerous scenes of late star Paul Walker from the Furious franchise). "Again" bubbles under Radio Songs with a 68 percent gain to 8.6 million. It also debuts on the Rhythmic Songs airplay chart at No. 35.

In highlights below the Hot 100's top 10, Nick Jonas' "Chains" rattles 19-13, Jason Derulo's "Want to Want Me" bumps 17-14 and Rihanna's "B**** Better Have My Money," the chart's highest debut last week, pushes 23-19. More details on action below the top 10 in the weekly "Hot 100 Chart Moves" column to post on Friday (April 10).