Billboard Hot 100: 3/16/2019

[Gary]

CHART BEAT
Jonas Brothers' 'Burnin' Up,' 'Year 3000' & More Surge in Streams & Sales After 'Sucker' Release

3/14/2019 by Xander Zellner


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas of Jonas Brothers visit Music Choice on March 1, 2019 in New York City.
'Burnin' Up' gains by 357 percent to 5.2 million U.S. streams.

After the Jonas Brothers dropped their hotly anticipated comeback single "Sucker," which launches at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated March 16), the group saw its catalog increase in streams and sales.

As previously reported, "Sucker" soars in at No. 1 on both the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts with 43.7 million U.S. streams and 88,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music, in the week ending March 7.

Meanwhile, Jonas Brothers' "Burnin' Up," until this week their highest-charting single on the Hot 100 (No. 5 in 2008), bounds by 357 percent to 5.2 million streams and 297 percent to 4,000 downloads sold.

Next up is "Year 3000," the JoBros' debut Hot 100 entry (No. 31, 2007). It boasts gains of 356 percent to 3.8 million streams and 388 percent to 3,000 downloads sold.

Plus, 2007's "S.O.S." roars by 358 percent to 2.6 million U.S. streams and 268 percent to 2,000 sold and 2008's "Lovebug" is up 354 percent to 2.4 million streams and 362 percent to 1,000 sold.

Jonas Brothers' albums also saw a surge in activity. Third LP, A Little Bit Longer, which became the group's first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2008, earned 6,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week, a 291 percent burst.

[Gary]

CHART BEAT
Why Did It Take 16 Years For Another Boy Band to Hit No. 1 on the Hot 100?

3/14/2019 by Andrew Unterberger


Buried within the news that the Jonas Brothers had managed a triumphant bow at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week with their reunion single "Sucker" -- a historic occasion for a number of reasons -- was a revelation that took many pop fans by surprise: The song was the first No. 1 hit from a boy band on the chart since B2K's P. Diddy-assisted "Bump, Bump, Bump" in 2003.

That's a long time. Now, 2003 came after most of the successful TRL-era boy bands were already past their prime, so perhaps it's not terribly surprising that none of the Backstreet Boys/*NSYNC class of groups have topped the chart since. But that timespan still covers a significant number of major boy bands of the 21st century -- including One Direction, The Wanted, 5 Seconds of Summer, BTS and, of course, the Jonas Brothers during their original run. Considering the number of iconic pop tracks those groups have been responsible for over the lest decade and a half or so, it's pretty jarring to hear that not a single one of them went to No. 1.

The simplest explanation for this is one that might feel similarly counter-intuitive for pop obsessives: Radio hasn't really been all that into boy bands this century. There are exceptions, sure, and a handful of singles from those aforementioned groups have managed to break through -- One Direction scored a pair of No. 5 hits on Billboard's Radio Songs chart with 2012's "What Makes You Beautiful" and 2014's "Story of My Life," while The Wanted and 5 Seconds of Summer have scored a No. 2 hit each on that listing with 2012's "Glad You Came" and 2018's "Youngblood," respectively. But those are the only songs from the five groups combined to make the Radio Songs top 10, and none of the groups besides One Direction have even charted another top 40 hit there. With its No. 46 debut this week, "Sucker" is already the Jonas Brothers' biggest Radio Songs hit. BTS has never made the chart.

Without consistent radio support, it's been hard for these groups to mount a real charge at the top spot of the Hot 100. At the peak of the iTunes era in the mid-to-late '00s, the Jonas Brothers sold about as consistently well as any major pop artist, scoring five top 5 hits on Digital Song Sales -- but streaming wasn't yet part of Hot 100 calculations on a major scale, and radio play wasn't enough to get the group past No. 5 on the Hot 100 ("Burnin' Up," 2008). 5 Seconds of Summer's early chart success broke down similarly; across the group's first two albums, six tracks charted on the top 10 of Digital Song Sales, but radio presence was minimal, resulting in none of those best-sellers making it past No. 16 on the Hot 100 ("Amnesia," 2014).

Why has radio been so reluctant to embrace these groups' singles? It could have something to do with them being out of step with overarching trends in pop music in general. Savan Kotceha, co-writer of One Direction's breakthrough hit "What Makes You Beautiful," once talked to Billboard about devising boy band hits to serve as "counter-programming" to what else is happening on radio at that time. "You do the exact opposite of what's going on," he explained of his unified boy band theory. "Because to me, I feel like teenage girls need to feel it's their own thing. If you're just trying to be Usher, they'll just buy Usher."

That theory could explain why One Direction thrived with throwback power-pop as the early-'10s charts pulsated with big-tent EDM and tonight's-the-night party rap, or why the Jonas Brothers found success with a sprightly, PG-rated form of pop-punk in the mid-to-late '00s, when the Hot 100 was dominated by midtempo balladry and Auto-Tuned hip-hop. But it also could explain why many of the biggest hits by both groups never really found their footing on radio: It was hard to slot an infectious arena-rock singalong like "Best Song Ever" in top 40 playlists alongside Calvin Harris and Pitbull, just like it was tough for a guitar-driven new wave nugget like the Jonas' "S.O.S." to find room in between hits by Chris Brown and Nelly Furtado. Tellingly, the two biggest radio hits for boy bands of this period were much more in step with contemporary radio trends: the dance-floor-geared hedonism of The Wanted's "Glad You Came" in 2012, and the melancholy, '80s-flavored chug of 5 Seconds of Summer's "Youngblood" last year.

The example of 5 Seconds of Summer -- which unlike the JoBros in their first incarnation, does overlap with the era of streaming joining the Hot 100's data mix -- is also illustrative of boy bands not necessarily having streaming success commiserate with their cultural impact, either. While radio finally did embrace 5SOS on "Youngblood," the streaming world never quite caught up: the track stalled at No. 25 on Billboard's Streaming Songs tally, and thus managed a No. 7 peak on the Hot 100. One Direction managed more success on streaming during their run, with three Streaming Songs top five hits, including a No. 2 peak for 'Best Song Ever" (which also ended up the highest-charting boy band Hot 100 hit of this pre-"Sucker" period, reaching No. 2 on that chart) -- but the group's biggest radio hits and biggest streaming hits often failed to match. (Notably, "What Makes You Beautiful" did reach No. 4 on the On-Demand Streaming Songs chart before the overall Streaming Songs chart's debut the next year.)

Ultimately, it took until "Sucker" for all the factors to properly line up for a Hot 100-topper: The song debuted at No. 1 on both Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs, and is already making an impact on the airwaves. The explanation there might just be a combination of a good song and good timing -- after a six-year absence, the Jonas Brothers appear to have chosen the exact right moment to return, as "Sucker" has not only blasted to the top of the charts, but reignited massive interest in their back catalog: The day of their comeback single dropped, it was one of five JoBros singles to appear in the daily Spotify U.S. Top 200 chart. It seems that for arguably the first time, there's room for boy bands in both the radio and streaming worlds -- and while it may be an unrepeatable fluke, it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see some more boy band reunions pop out of the woodwork in short order to see if the public will be suckers for them, too.

[Naos]

If this was Japan, we'd be seeing boy bands go #1 all the time. Though they're called "idol groups" and have a slightly different fan culture, they're essentially the same. But yeah, in the west and especially America, it's quite rare.

[jebsib]

Top 40 has always had a difficult relationship with boy bands dating back to the late 80’s and the New Kids phenomenon when that group became the poster child for massive ratings losses and the perception from advertisers that CHR was targeting kids not prime buying aged adults. This explains why seriously burned Top 40 cooled its heels on the Spice Girl’s after just 3 big hits and the late 90’s BSB hits only started after they dropped the kiddy dance pop in favor of more acoustic hot ac fare.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

The boy band genre takeover of pop radio from 1997-2001 has become my least favourite era of pop music since I began following the charts 25 years ago. This is kind of a recent realization I’ve come to from listening to old episodes of Casey’s Top 40/AT40. There are so many dull ass boring songs in the 1998-2000 years. Not all from boy bands but I feel like they helped usher in an era of slow boring R&B-ish/AC-heavy ballads that make so much of those years so dreadful musically. Things picked up so much with the return of rock and the uptake of early 2000s hip-hop. Give me Ja Rule over any 90s boyband ballad any and every day of the week.

[erzo01]

I'd really love to see a Comprehensive Hot 100 chart at some point. All songs, regardless of release year, are eligible to chart.

[Gary]

Maroon 5 & Cardi B's 'Girls Like You' Hits Longevity Milestone in Top 20 & More Hot 100 Chart Moves

3/15/2019 by Gary Trust

The song spends its 40th week in the region.

As previously reported, Jonas Brothers' comeback single "Sucker" soars onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated March 16) at No. 1, marking the trio's first leader on the list.

The track is also the first Hot 100 No. 1 by a boy band in 16 years.

Who else makes notable Hot 100 chart moves this week?

"Girls Like You," Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B
The former seven-week Hot 100 No. 1 spends a 40th week in the top 20 (dipping from No. 17 to No. 19) and becomes just the sixth single in the chart's 60-year history to have logged at least 40 weeks in the region.

Here's a recap:

Most Weeks in Hot 100's Top 20
46, "You Were Meant for Me"/"Foolish Games," Jewel, No. 2 peak, April 19, 1997
42, "Shape of You," Ed Sheeran, No. 1 (12 weeks), Jan. 28, 2017
42, "Uptown Funk!," Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, No. 1 (14 weeks), Jan. 17, 2015
40, "Girls Like You," Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, No. 1 (seven weeks), Sept. 29, 2018
40, "Perfect," Ed Sheeran duet with Beyoncé, No. 1 (six weeks), Dec. 23, 2017
40, "Party Rock Anthem," LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock, No. 1 (six weeks), July 16, 2011

Cardi B and Bruno Mars perform onstage during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28, 2018 in New York City.
Read More
Cardi B & Bruno Mars' 'Please Me' Hits No. 1 On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart

"Girls Like You" previously spent 33 weeks in the Hot 100's top 10, tying Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" for the most all-time.

"I," Lil Skies
Chart-watcher deleted Nelson of Oakland emailed, as this song caught his eye:

"Hi Gary, here's a quirky chart trivia note: Two songs titled 'I' have appeared on the Hot 100. This week, Lil Skies debuts at No. 39 with his song titled 'I.' In 2014, Kendrick Lamar debuted, and peaked, at...No. 39 with his track titled 'I.' Two songs, one letter, same spot."

"I Can't Get Enough," benny blanco, Tainy, Selena Gomez & J Balvin
The collab bows at No. 93 on the Hot 100 with 6.2 million U.S. streams in the week ending March 7, according to Nielsen Music. It also enters Digital Song Sales at No. 31 with 7,000 downloads sold. The song could jump on next week's Hot 100 after the premiere of its official video Tuesday (March 12).

Blanco makes his third visit to the Hot 100 as a credited artist; his first, "Eastside," with Halsey and Khalid, ranks at No. 14 after reaching No. 9. As a writer, he's notched seven No. 1s, among 27 top 10s (including "Eastside"); he boasts seven No. 1s among 26 top 10s as a producer.

[thirddegree50123]

Mar 14, 2019 17:48:51 GMT -5 Rose "Payola" Nylund said:

The boy band genre takeover of pop radio from 1997-2001 has become my least favourite era of pop music since I began following the charts 25 years ago. This is kind of a recent realization I’ve come to from listening to old episodes of Casey’s Top 40/AT40. There are so many dull ass boring songs in the 1998-2000 years. Not all from boy bands but I feel like they helped usher in an era of slow boring R&B-ish/AC-heavy ballads that make so much of those years so dreadful musically. Things picked up so much with the return of rock and the uptake of early 2000s hip-hop. Give me Ja Rule over any 90s boyband ballad any and every day of the week.

Lol 1997-2003 is my favorite era in music and 2001 was the year that things started to drop off a bit. And I hated the boy band thing back then though I recognize a lot of those songs as pop classics now.

[deepston]

Mar 14, 2019 15:30:11 GMT -5 Naos said:

If this was Japan, we'd be seeing boy bands go #1 all the time. Though they're called "idol groups" and have a slightly different fan culture, they're essentially the same. But yeah, in the west and especially America, it's quite rare.

Thanks God this is not Japan then!

[Naos]

Mar 17, 2019 18:43:31 GMT -5 deepston said:

Mar 14, 2019 15:30:11 GMT -5 Naos said:

If this was Japan, we'd be seeing boy bands go #1 all the time. Though they're called "idol groups" and have a slightly different fan culture, they're essentially the same. But yeah, in the west and especially America, it's quite rare.

Thanks God this is not Japan then!

I prefer Japan's music market far more. Rock is still quite alive, and J-pop is still catchy and bright, rather than downbeat and dark for no reason and being too heavy on percussion in the west. The best part, rap/hip-hop being practically irrelevant (as is country) outside of idol rap, so there's none of that trap/emo rap trash to deal with.

And before people say something, no, I'm not saying all rap or trap is trash. 

[deepston]

Mar 17, 2019 19:55:47 GMT -5 Naos said:

Mar 17, 2019 18:43:31 GMT -5 deepston said:

Thanks God this is not Japan then!

I prefer Japan's music market far more. Rock is still quite alive, and J-pop is still catchy and bright, rather than downbeat and dark for no reason and being too heavy on percussion in the west. The best part, rap/hip-hop being practically irrelevant (as is country) outside of idol rap, so there's none of that trap/emo rap trash to deal with.

And before people say something, no, I'm not saying all rap or trap is trash. 

So basically there's no music progression? Sounds fun 

[Naos]

Mar 17, 2019 20:43:03 GMT -5 deepston said:

Mar 17, 2019 19:55:47 GMT -5 Naos said:

I prefer Japan's music market far more. Rock is still quite alive, and J-pop is still catchy and bright, rather than downbeat and dark for no reason and being too heavy on percussion in the west. The best part, rap/hip-hop being practically irrelevant (as is country) outside of idol rap, so there's none of that trap/emo rap trash to deal with.

And before people say something, no, I'm not saying all rap or trap is trash. 

So basically there's no music progression? Sounds fun 

There's progression. Idol rap for example like RHYMEBERRY (though they're breaking up this year), and lyrical school are examples of some change. There was also stuff like BABYMETAL. And yeah, it's fun. Mainstream western pop music is mostly not. A sad ballad was actually the most popular song in Japan, Yonezu Kenshi's "Lemon". But there's a difference between that, and bragging and sounding depressed over dark trap beats half-asleep, and sounding like it's sad 24/7.

[tanooki]

Japanese emo rap sounds like something we need in this world

[owenlovesmusic]

Mar 17, 2019 21:11:41 GMT -5 tanooki said:

Japanese emo rap sounds like something we do not need in this world

[king_billboard_100]

Mar 7, 2019 5:19:47 GMT -5 king_billboard_100 said:

So sam smith's 'dancing with a stranger' and ava max 'sweet but psycho' are going to hit the top 20?

and it really happened 👌

[crazyb]

Can we not bump old hot 100 threads