Ariana Grande equals 55-year-old Beatles chart milestone in US
Ariana Grande has made chart history in the US with her Thank U, Next album, which debuted at #1 this week, reported Billboard.
The popstar has become the first artist to earn the Top 3 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 since The Beatles 55 years ago.
‘7 rings’ is at #1 for a fourth week, followed by ‘break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored’ at #2 and ‘thank u, next’ at #3, up from #7.
In 1964, The Beatles had the first three spots with ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Twist And Shout’, and ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ in the midst of Beatlemania.
In April that year, the British supergroup occupied the entire Top 5.
At hearing the news, the singer posted: “nonna just facetimed me and screamed “ANYTHING ELSE U WANNA DO?” my team made me this and it’s pretty so i’m posting it and also i’m so very proud and grateful for everything but i promise i’ll shut the fuck up after this. congrats team, i love u. thank u so much”
Grande’s success means that women have now spent seven weeks at #1 so far in 2019.
Grande was at the top with ‘thank u, next’ and ‘7 rings’, while Halsey spent two weeks there with ‘Without Me’.
The figure is tipped to become eight weeks as ‘break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored’ also looks like climbing up to the top spot.
It’s a good start for 2019 considering that women only had the #1 spot for eight weeks throughout the entirety of 2018.
Grande also set the yardstick for the most simultaneous Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 hits by a female artist – a total of 11.
In fact, all 12 songs from Thank U, Next charted, but one of them landed outside the top 40.
The previous record was Cardi B with nine from Invasion of Privacy (April 2018).
Drake reigns with 21 in July 2018.
Grande’s success also has seen a resurgence of pop in the US charts since Drake’s ‘In My Feelings’ spent its tenth week at the top in late September 2018, and finished off a 34 week reign by rap artists.
Since then, pop songs have led for 20 of 22 weeks, with Maroon 5’s ‘Girls Like You’ ft. Cardi B (seven weeks at #1); Grande’s ‘next’ (seven), Halsey’s ‘Without Me’ (two), and Grande’s ‘7 rings’ (four).