Imagine Dragons - "Believer"
Jun 7, 2017 12:28:43 GMT -5
Post by jred on Jun 7, 2017 12:28:43 GMT -5
What's even more surprising is how well its doing on Pop radio. The chorus is essentially screaming at the top of his lungs. I just don't understand how "I Bet My Life" did so poorly at Pop while this is doing well. They have very similar styles.
1. Ed Sheeran - "Thinking Out Loud"
2. Mark Ronson f/Bruno Mars - "Uptown Funk!"
3. Taylor Swift - "Style"
4. Maroon 5 - "Sugar"
5. Pitbull f/Ne-Yo - "Time Of Our Lives"
6. Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney - "FourFiveSeconds"
7. Ellie Goulding - "Love Me Like You Do"
8. Lillywood & Robin Schulz - "Prayer In C"
9. Calvin Harris f/Ellie Goulding - "Outside"
10. Taylor Swift - "Blank Space"
In fact, when "I Bet My Life" was charting, there were only four other songs in the top 50 that charted on Alternative. Vance Joy's "Riptide", which is a simple poppy acoustic song that was already well-known, WALK THE MOON's "Shut Up And Dance", which is a very poppy 80's-throwback inspired fun track, and George Ezra's "Budapest", which was another poppy acoustic track. In fact, "Shut Up And Dance" ended up the ONLY big Alternative crossover of 2015 (X Ambassadors' "Renegades" briefly scraped the top 10 of CHR radio, but quickly fell and was only a moderate hit.) It wouldn't be for an entire year that we'd get another Alternative crossover with twenty one pilots' "Stressed Out". Now let's look at the current top 10:
1. Zedd & Alessia Cara - "Stay"
2. Kygo x Selena Gomez - "It Ain't Me"
3. Coldplay & The Chainsmokers - "Something Just Like This" (#22 Alternative, #16 peak)
4. Bruno Mars - "That's What I Like"
5. James Arthur - "Say You Won't Let Go"
6. Ed Sheeran - "Shape Of You"
7. DJ Khaled f/Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne - "I'm The One"
8. Julia Michaels - "Issues"
9. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee f/Justin Bieber - "Despacito"
10. Halsey - "Now Or Never"
While the chart of 2015 was urban and pop dominated, this one is much more diverse. At #3 sits a collaboration between Coldplay and The Chainsmokers, which scored Coldplay their first ever Top 10 AND #1 on CHR radio. At #10 is a single from Halsey, who previously had a decent chart run on Alternative with "New Americana". Right below her at #11 and #12 are Ed Sheeran's "Castle On The Hill" and Harry Styles' "Sign Of The Times". Sheeran's track is a U2-inspired nostalgia song, while Styles' is an epic rock ballad that draws inspiration from David Bowie and Prince. "Believer" sits at #17 right now with a healthy +1155 bullet. Aside from Alternative-flavored tracks, we're also getting the first Country crossover in a WHILE. Sam Hunt's "Body Like A Back Road" is #26 with a +661 bullet. Linkin Park just had a hit almost reach the top 10, and at #34 is Childish Gambino's odd, almost Macy Gray-sounding "Redbone", which sounds like it would fit right in with the number one hits of 1973. Paramore are at #42 with "Hard Times", as well. "Believer" is doing so well right now because the CHR chart is open to so many different sounds, unlike 2015.
And why is this, out of all of the Alternative hits right now, the one to crossover? Well, that brings us to the second reason: sales. This has consistently been sitting at #2 on iTunes for about the past two weeks, and with some strong promotion or a sudden collapse of "Despacito", looks positioned to go #1 at some point or another. To compare, when "I Bet My Life" was peaking on Pop radio, it was hovering around the 60s and 70s on iTunes. This is simply clicking better with the public. It's unique, and it stands out from most stuff out right now, while "I Bet My Life" was almost too out of place for its time - it sounded like some generic HAC artist made it. Anyone who listened to Pop music in 2012-13 can tell that this one is unmistakably Imagine Dragons.