Billboard Hot 100: 12/09/2023

[Caviar]

Nov 29, 2023 13:52:58 GMT -5 Music Fan said:

GIVE BRENDA THE #1 AND THEN MAKE A RULE THAT STOPS SPAMMING THE CHART WITH CHRISTMAS SONGS! Thanks for reading.

Let's purge the Christmas songs nowwwwwwwww.

[clsvltn]

It could still inspire some to stream the original though and will build more hype around it. It could still help because of that.

[musiclife]

Nov 29, 2023 14:03:57 GMT -5 clsvltn said:

Who is going to jump on the remix? Taylor? lol

JLO and the distribution/promotion will be handled by Tommy Mottola.

[renfield75]

Nov 29, 2023 15:03:19 GMT -5 musiclife said:

Nov 29, 2023 14:03:57 GMT -5 clsvltn said:

Who is going to jump on the remix? Taylor? lol

JLO and the distribution/promotion will be handled by Tommy Mottola.

That's funny

[85la]

Nov 29, 2023 8:20:35 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Brenda Lee has signed vinyls of "RATCT" that are sold out. They ship December 22 so it will impact the last chart week of the season.
talkshop.live/watch/5Fd1DFZwZxu0

Also, she was asked about the supposed competition:

"Rockin has been #1 for years and years but there's always room for Mariah's song"??

Lol

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Imagine arbitrarily removing christmas songs from being on the chart and then having said chart showing just the 17% of music that people are listening to that isn’t christmas music because everyone is listening to so much christmas music. And all to appease people complaining that christmas music is dominating the chart.

[dodgerslakers94]

[badrobot]

Frankly I think it's wonderful that 2 women over 50 (with one well over 70) are the top contenders for #1.

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Is It Finally Brenda Lee’s Year to Be ‘Rockin’’ Atop the Hot 100?

11/29/2023

By Andrew Unterberger

In this week's The Contenders, Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" may be closer than ever to besting Mariah Carey for the most popular holiday song.

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated Dec. 9), the now-annual holiday rush has begun on the Hot 100 – but for the first time, the usual pace-setter is in danger of being passed for the top spot. 

Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (Columbia): Since the chart dated Dec. 12, 2015, Mariah Carey’s signature Yuletide tune has reigned atop Billboard’s Holiday 100 listing — 43 consecutive weeks (of its total 58 weeks at No. 1 among the chart’s 63 weeks of existence, dating back to 2011). And every December since first reaching the Hot 100’s apex in 2019, “All I Want” has returned to the top of the chart, most recently spending four weeks at pole position, from the surveys dated Dec. 17, 2022, through to Jan. 7, 2023. In all, it has spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, belatedly making the 1994 release the third-longest-reigning single of Carey’s storied career, and arguably her all-time signature hit. 

Once again this year, Carey’s pop perennial begins the holiday season in the lead. It returns at No. 1 on the first Holiday 100 of the 2023 season (dated Dec. 2) and also zooms from 17-4 on the Hot 100, in its 60th total week on the listing. As per tradition, Mimi has come out in full force to re-promote the seasonal staple (and her own Queen of Christmas status) this month. That includes sharing a video of her being “defrosted” at midnight on Nov. 1, starring in a holiday-themed Victoria’s Secret campaign, debuting new themed merch, and of course performing “All I Want” on the Billboard Music Awards (while also accepting the Billboard Chart Achievement Award for the song’s longtime success).

“All I Want” returning to No. 1 on next week’s Hot 100 would be no surprise at all — the song has been one of the great inevitables on the Billboard charts for nearly a half-decade now. However, this year it might be neck-and-neck with another holiday fixture, one that’s been gaining on it in recent years and may finally be in position to pull ahead.

Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Decca): While Brenda Lee’s Christmas classic is 36 years older than Carey’s, it has nonetheless been building steam over the past half-decade, firmly establishing itself as the perennial silver medalist of Yuletide pop. As “All I Want” has reached No. 1 on both the Holiday 100 and the Hot 100 every year since 2019, so has “Rockin’” climbed to No. 2 on both charts — returning to the runner-up spot on this week’s Holiday 100, while also re-entering the Hot 100 at No. 8, as the second-highest-ranking holiday title. And each of the last few years, the gap in performance between the two songs has shrunk, though Carey’s has thus far remained the decisive leader.

This year, however, the competition has gotten legitimately tight. While Carey remains the leader of the two in airplay and sales and official on-demand U.S. streams through four days of this tracking week, Lee is slightly ahead in official U.S. streams, per preliminary tracking data for next week’s charts, according to Luminate. Lee’s song is also growing in streaming at a faster rate than Carey’s — and does in fact lead it comfortably on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA chart.

With the distance between the two songs looking increasingly climbable, and with “Rockin’” celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, Lee and her UMG label family have increased their promotional efforts to get the song over the top. Earlier this month, a new music video for the song (with cameos from country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood) premiered on CMT, while Lee will perform the song on NBC’s Christmas at the Opry special on Dec. 7. Lee also released the five-track A Rockin’ Christmas With Brenda Lee EP, featuring a new remix of “Rockin’” by dance producer Filous, and — of course — recently joined TikTok, where she’s been sharing daily posts reminiscing about the song and her career, and sharing her reactions to some of the new feedback and acclaim the song has garnered. (Lee even hopped on the plane intercom on a recent flight to perform the song, as captured by video shared on TMZ.)

With this major promotional push and an increasing public sentimentality behind the 78-year-old Lee — who, as one of the biggest pop stars of the pre-British Invasion ’60s, did top the Hot 100 twice, with 1960’s “I’m Sorry” and “I Want to Be Wanted” — this year should mark her best chance yet of returning to the top spot. If “Rockin’” doesn’t get there this week, it should be a week-to-week battle with “All I Want” throughout the holiday season — one that Lee herself recognized in a recent New York Times profile, quipping, “Now I gotta worry about Mariah… Get outta here, girl!” (She also added: “Oh, there’s room for everybody. Her song’s good, too. I love her singing.”)

IN THE MIX

Jack Harlow, “Lovin on Me” (Generation Now/Atlantic): Back in the non-holiday music world, the reigning Hot 100 topper should still be a force to be reckoned with. Harlow’s “Lovin on Me,” his third No. 1 on the chart in three years, remains atop both the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA listing and Apple Music’s real time charts, and it also debuts at No. 32 on Billboard’s Radio Songs rankings this week, as it continues to grow on the airwaves, claiming top Airplay Gainer status on the Dec. 2 Hot 100. It may soon be buried under the holiday music avalanche, but Harlow and “Lovin” won’t hand over the reins to the chart without at least a bit of a fight.

Wham!, “Last Christmas” (Epic/Columbia): It’s not quite as exciting as the Mariah/Brenda showdown, but there’s also a race for No. 3 on the Holiday 100. That’s between Bobby Helms’ country-rock classic “Jingle Bell Rock,” which has been the annual No. 3 on the holiday Hot 100 since the 2019-20 season, and Wham!’s synth-pop staple “Last Christmas.” Wham! has creeped closer to the Big Three each year since singer-songwriter George Michael‘s death in 2016, hitting a new peak last year of No. 4 on the Hot 100. This year, it’s nipping at the heels of “Jingle Bell Rock” — they’re Nos. 13 and No. 12 on this week’s Hot 100, respectively — as it narrowly trails Helms’ hit in streams, and also follows in airplay, while leading it in sales, so far this tracking week.

[jenglisbe]

Nov 29, 2023 16:16:04 GMT -5 Baby Yoda Hot100Fan said:

Is It Finally Brenda Lee’s Year to Be ‘Rockin’’ Atop the Hot 100?

11/29/2023

By Andrew Unterberger

While Carey remains the leader of the two in airplay and sales and official on-demand U.S. streams through four days of this tracking week, Lee is slightly ahead in official U.S. streams, per preliminary tracking data for next week’s charts, according to Luminate. Lee’s song is also growing in streaming at a faster rate than Carey’s — and does in fact lead it comfortably on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA chart.

So, "AIWFCIY" leads in on-demand streams, sales, and airplay but could still be #2? That seems wrong. It would be a great story for Brenda to hit #1, but if she does so it should be because the song did the damn thing. Being #1 purely because of passive streaming seems off/anti-climactic.

[MitchWolf: Super Chart Genius]

I wonder if Cher's "DJ Play A Christmas Song" and Jimmy Fallon/ Meghan Trainor's "Wrap Me Up" gonna impact the Hot 100 if not next Tuesday but the following Tuesday

Cher looks like gonna hit #1 on the AC charts and starting to impact Top 40 radio .. plus she should get streaming numbers due to her Macy's parade appearance singing that song

Wrap Me Up already in Top 40 and AC radio ... so it should enter in the bottom 20 of the Hot 100

[jenglisbe]

Nov 29, 2023 16:43:17 GMT -5 MitchWolf: Super Chart Genius said:

I wonder if Cher's "DJ Play A Christmas Song" and Jimmy Fallon/ Meghan Trainor's "Wrap Me Up" gonna impact the Hot 100 if not next Tuesday but the following Tuesday

Cher looks like gonna hit #1 on the AC charts and starting to impact Top 40 radio .. plus she should get streaming numbers due to her Macy's parade appearance singing that song

Wrap Me Up already in Top 40 and AC radio ... so it should enter in the bottom 20 of the Hot 100

Unless I'm just blind, I don't see either song on the latest Holiday 100. Chloe's "Winter Wonderland" is a new song and #57 on the Holiday chart but not on the Hot 100 (it's #22 Bubbling Under). That means Cher and Jimmy/Megan aren't even close to the Hot 100 at this point. Of course, as Christmas nears their points should increase.

[renfield75]

I've asked this before but it seems more relevant now than ever: If RATCT does go to number one, will Brenda be the oldest or youngest (or both) female artist to hit number one? She was 13 when she recorded it (younger than 15 year old Little Peggy March, who still holds the record with "I Will Follow Him") but is still alive at 78. So both records? One or the other? Neither because of the circumstance?

[HolidayGuy]

I think Billboard just mentions current age with chart records, not how old they were when recording it. Though an asterisk should always be applied when talking about these holiday tracks and any records they attain.

[sheardbeard]

Weird question (and maybe wrong forum) but did anyone else notice that Billboard no longer has an app? I got a new iPhone and re-downloaded all my apps but Billboard didn’t download, and it’s no longer in the App Store. Seems they only have a website. Is this old news? 🤷

[badrobot]

Nov 29, 2023 17:36:02 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

I've asked this before but it seems more relevant now than ever: If RATCT does go to number one, will Brenda be the oldest or youngest (or both) female artist to hit number one? She was 13 when she recorded it (younger than 15 year old Little Peggy March, who still holds the record with "I Will Follow Him") but is still alive at 78. So both records? One or the other? Neither because of the circumstance?

This would be a fascinating bit of trivia, to hold both records somehow!

[jenglisbe]

Nov 29, 2023 17:36:02 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

I've asked this before but it seems more relevant now than ever: If RATCT does go to number one, will Brenda be the oldest or youngest (or both) female artist to hit number one? She was 13 when she recorded it (younger than 15 year old Little Peggy March, who still holds the record with "I Will Follow Him") but is still alive at 78. So both records? One or the other? Neither because of the circumstance?

I've never seen them reference someone's age during recording; maybe during the time of release? Every artist is of course younger when they record something than when it's released and when it peaks. Since some records have a delay of years between recording and release (or maybe even take days/weeks to record) I guess it would be too tricky to get into those specifics? Of course Brenda was still young (13?) when it was released so the question is still relevant.

[Gary]

Unless what hits #1 is her singing it today, the question of oldest or youngest should be clear.

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Nov 29, 2023 17:36:02 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

I've asked this before but it seems more relevant now than ever: If RATCT does go to number one, will Brenda be the oldest or youngest (or both) female artist to hit number one? She was 13 when she recorded it (younger than 15 year old Little Peggy March, who still holds the record with "I Will Follow Him") but is still alive at 78. So both records? One or the other? Neither because of the circumstance?

this would probably be my favorite Billboard stat tbh. Imagine achieving #1 at the age of 78 with a song you recorded when you were 13...and 63 years after your last #1.🤯
Please Brenda, get that #1!

[jenglisbe]

Nov 29, 2023 17:24:11 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Nov 29, 2023 16:43:17 GMT -5 MitchWolf: Super Chart Genius said:

I wonder if Cher's "DJ Play A Christmas Song" and Jimmy Fallon/ Meghan Trainor's "Wrap Me Up" gonna impact the Hot 100 if not next Tuesday but the following Tuesday

Cher looks like gonna hit #1 on the AC charts and starting to impact Top 40 radio .. plus she should get streaming numbers due to her Macy's parade appearance singing that song

Wrap Me Up already in Top 40 and AC radio ... so it should enter in the bottom 20 of the Hot 100

Unless I'm just blind, I don't see either song on the latest Holiday 100. Chloe's "Winter Wonderland" is a new song and #57 on the Holiday chart but not on the Hot 100 (it's #22 Bubbling Under). That means Cher and Jimmy/Megan aren't even close to the Hot 100 at this point. Of course, as Christmas nears their points should increase.

Welp, now I know why "RATCT" is killing it on passive streaming:
pandora.app.link/26Rd8fjA8Eb
www.pandora.com/genre/christmas
That Pandora playlist has 72 million listeners, and "RATCT" is both #1 and #2 on the playlist. Her team came to play!

:ETA: Someone told me they don't see Brenda at #1 and #2 (just #1), but I do. How does that work? Either way Pandora is obviously a place where "RATCT" is killing it because last chart week "RATCT" and "AIWFCIY" were tied in the number of streams, but "AIWFCIY" was well ahead in the higher tiered streams since it was a few spots ahead on Streaming Songs. "RATCT" doing well on Pandora (a lower tier platform) would align with that.

[renfield75]

Nov 29, 2023 20:14:22 GMT -5 Gary said:

Unless what hits #1 is her singing it today, the question of oldest or youngest should be clear.

Still interesting for Brenda Lee to set the record for youngest female artist on a number one record while she is currently 78. That would be one of the most bizarre stats of all time.

[chartfreak]

I just purchased RATCT but I have no idea if I should have waited or not.

[mst3k]

Nov 29, 2023 20:10:39 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Nov 29, 2023 17:36:02 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

I've asked this before but it seems more relevant now than ever: If RATCT does go to number one, will Brenda be the oldest or youngest (or both) female artist to hit number one? She was 13 when she recorded it (younger than 15 year old Little Peggy March, who still holds the record with "I Will Follow Him") but is still alive at 78. So both records? One or the other? Neither because of the circumstance?

I've never seen them reference someone's age during recording; maybe during the time of release? Every artist is of course younger when they record something than when it's released and when it peaks. Since some records have a delay of years between recording and release (or maybe even take days/weeks to record) I guess it would be too tricky to get into those specifics? Of course Brenda was still young (13?) when it was released so the question is still relevant.

Which brings up the question, what age is considered when a deceased artist hits number one? Obviously not relevant in this case (long live Brenda), but something to ponder.

[Gary]

Well if White Christns, for example, were the ever return to number one. It would be by an artist who is 120 years old?

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

When Cruel Summer went to #1, it was by 29-year-old Taylor Swift, though she was 33 at the time.

[clsvltn]

It would be based off the age at time of recording - or it should be that way anyway

[SPRΞΞ]

was Kate Bush credited with RUTH for her current age or 1980's age?

[eagle27]

Is it crazy to say Your Losing Me debuts on this chart? Given 5k-10k sales it needs like 5m overall streams over 2 days (~1.5m/day on Spotify) which is easily doable with Spotify wrapped impact.

[KeepDeanWeird]

One thing's certain: Mariah will gladly accept being credited for her 1994 'anniversary (age)' for AIWFCIY v. the 2019 'anniversary.'

[85la]

Nov 29, 2023 18:40:32 GMT -5 sheardbeard said:

Weird question (and maybe wrong forum) but did anyone else notice that Billboard no longer has an app? I got a new iPhone and re-downloaded all my apps but Billboard didn’t download, and it’s no longer in the App Store. Seems they only have a website. Is this old news? 🤷

Interesting, I also have an iPhone and can still access the app, but maybe if you get a new one or try to download it again, it won't work, and you're right that it no longer shows in the app store, so maybe they did end it.

It terms of the artist age statistic, I'm pretty sure it goes by whatever age the artist is at the time it hits the specific chart position, as obviously the age at time of recording is too variable, ranging anywhere from months to years before.