www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7882451/despacito-ties-longest-leading-hot-100-no-1-of-2017?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Breaking%20News&utm_term=biz_breakingnews'Despacito' Ties for Longest-Leading Hot 100 No. 1 of 2017 With 12th Week on Top8/2/2017 by Gary Trust
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee's collab, featuring Justin Bieber, also ties for the most weeks (13) spent atop the Digital Song Sales chart.
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito," featuring Justin Bieber, matches the longest command of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017, logging a 12th week at No. 1 on the chart dated Aug. 12. The song matches the 12-week reign of Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You," from January through April.
"Despacito" also equals the record for the most weeks (13) logged atop the Digital Song Sales chart.
Let's run down the top 10 of the Hot 100, which blends all-genre streaming, airplay and sales data. Charts will post to Billboard.com later on Aug. 2.
As reported earlier, the release of Billboard's Aug. 12-dated charts were delayed. A top-tier data provider encountered technical issues, initially preventing the delivery of its data to Nielsen Music (which provides the sales, streaming and airplay information for Billboard's charts). However, the provider was ultimately able to resolve the issue, and deliver the missing information to Nielsen Music. Billboard's charts were then completed using the data.
"Despacito" (released on Universal Music Latino / Raymond Braun / SchoolBoy / Def Jam / UMLE / Republic Records) becomes one of just 19 singles to have topped the Hot 100 for at least 12 weeks, dating to the chart's Aug. 4, 1958, inception. No song has led longer since Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk!," featuring Bruno Mars, reigned for 14 weeks in 2015; that single and six others are second only to Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day," which ruled for 16 weeks in 1995-96.
Among those 14-week leaders are Los Del Rio's "Macarena," which, in 1996, sparked by its Bayside Boys remix, set the record for the longest command by a primarily non-English language single, a mark that "Despacito" is now two weeks from tying.
"Despacito" dominates the Digital Song Sales chart for a record-tying 13th week, with 102,000 downloads sold (down 13 percent) in the week ending July 27, according to Nielsen Music; the remix with Bieber accounts for 77 percent of the song's sales for a third consecutive week (in line with its breakdown in prior weeks). "Despacito" equals the 13-week Digital Song Sales reigns of The Chainsmokers' "Closer," featuring Halsey (2016); "Uptown Funk!" (2015); and Flo Rida's "Low," featuring T-Pain (2007-08).
Additionally, "Despacito" has sold more than 100,000 downloads in each of the last 12 weeks, marking the longest such streak since OMI's "Cheerleader" broke the 100,000-sold barrier for 12 weeks in a row in 2015.
On the Streaming Songs chart, "Despacito" leads for a 12th week, with 52.9 million U.S. streams (down 8 percent) in the week ending July 27. The track tops all three of the Hot 100's main component charts simultaneously for a fourth week, as it leads the all-format Radio Songs chart for a fourth frame with 142 million in all-format airplay audience (down 2 percent) in the week ending July 30. (Sheeran's "Shape" last linked four weeks in a row at No. 1 on Streaming Songs, Digital Song Sales and Radio Songs simultaneously, in March and April.)
"Despacito" further makes it an even six months atop the Hot Latin Songs chart (26 weeks), while leading the Songs of the Summer survey for a ninth week, having led the latter list each week since it made its annual return just after Memorial Day.
DJ Khaled's "Wild Thoughts," featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, keeps at its No. 2 Hot 100 high. It holds at No. 2 on Streaming Songs (35.3 million, down 1 percent); lifts 5-3 on Radio Songs (117 million, up 10 percent); and stays at No. 8 on Digital Song Sales (36,000, down 9 percent). "Thoughts" crowns the Hot R&B Songs chart for a fourth week and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a third frame.
As for the gap in Hot 100 chart points between "Despacito" and "Wild Thoughts," the former boasts a sizable 1.59-to-1 lead, although it's down 8 percent in overall activity while the latter is essentially even week-over-week. (A week ago, "Despacito" held a 1.73-to-1 points advantage.)
Bruno Mars' "That's What I Like" repeats at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after topping the May 13-dated chart. Notably, the song ties for fifth place for the longest stay ever in the top five, matching Chubby Checker's "The Twist," the Hot 100's all-time top title):
Most Weeks in Hot 100's Top Five
Weeks, Title, Artist, Peak Date
27, "Shape of You," Ed Sheeran, No. 1 (12 weeks), Jan. 28, 2017
27, "Closer," The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, No. 1 (12 weeks), Sept. 3, 2016
25, "Uptown Funk!," Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, No. 1 (14 weeks), Jan. 17, 2015
25, "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes, No. 2, Dec. 13, 1997
23, "That's What I Like," Bruno Mars, No. 1 (one week), May 13, 2017
23, "The Twist," Chubby Checker, No. 1 (three weeks), Sept. 19, 1960
DJ Khaled's "I'm the One," featuring Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne, holds at No. 4 on the Hot 100, after debuting atop the May 20-dated chart. It rules Hot Rap Songs for a 13th week.
Imagine Dragons' "Believer" becomes the first rock song to reach the Hot 100's top five in 2017, rising 7-5. It holds at No. 6 on Radio Songs (106 million, up 5 percent) and climbs 11-7 on Digital Song Sales (41,000, on par with its prior-week total) and 15-14 on Streaming Songs (17.9 million, also essentially even). "Believer," which rules the Hot Rock Songs chart for a 21st week, is the first rock track (defined as a title that has appeared on Hot Rock Songs) to hit the Hot 100's top five since twenty one pilots' No. 2 Hot 100 "Heathens" (Dec. 3, 2016).
French Montana's "Unforgettable," featuring Swae Lee, drops to No. 6 from its No. 5 Hot 100 peak; Sheeran's "Shape" slips 6-7; Shawn Mendes' "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" is stationary at its No. 8 high; and Charlie Puth's "Attention" ascends 10-9, hitting a new peak, while becoming his second top 10 on Radio Songs (13-8; 95 million, up 22 percent, good for the Hot 100's top Airplay Gainer award).
Rounding out the Hot 100's top 10, Sam Hunt's "Body Like a Back Road" retreats 9-10 after reaching No. 6. On the Hot Country Songs chart, "Back Road" rewrites history: it leads for a record-breaking 25th week, surpassing the rule of Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" in 2012-13.
Beyond the Hot 100's top 10, two songs by One Direction members hit new highs in the top 20: Liam Payne's "Strip That Down," featuring Quavo, reaches the region (25-16) and Niall Horan's "Slow Hands" pushes 19-18. Meanwhile, 1D's Louis Tomlinson logs the chart's highest debut, as "Back to You," featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals, begins at No. 40. As the song is Tomlinson's first top 40 hit, all five (current and former) members of One Direction have now earned top 40 Hot 100 hits.
Find out more Hot 100 news in the weekly "Hot 100 Chart Moves" column and by listening (and subscribing) to Billboard's Chart Beat Podcast and Pop Shop Podcast, all posting this week.
