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CARTOON TUNES
@gthot20 Can we give some love to the 3 animated film No. 1s that weren't Disney?
*Pharrell – Happy (Despicable Me 2)
*Justin Timberlake – Can't Stop The Feeling (Trolls)
*Post Malone/Swae Lee – Sunflower (Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse) https://t.co/b2ej2LtrQo— Jake Rivera (@jjr4897) January 31, 2022
Hi Jake,
As “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Disney’s Encanto, extends its reign on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated Feb. 12), it’s definitely worth talking about those three leaders, as well.
(And, of course, Timberlake has his own Disney tie-in, as a member, in 1993-94, of The Mickey Mouse Club.)
Related
Also notable about the three songs above is when they hit No. 1: all in just the last eight years – 2014, 2016 and 2019, respectively – as computer animation becomes even more advanced.
Meanwhile, the family Madrigal marks the latest in animated characters to top the Hot 100, joining the likes of The Chipmunks, whose “The Chipmunk Song” ruled for four weeks in 1958-59, and The Archies, whose “Sugar, Sugar” led for four frames in 1969.
Other animated acts have since drawn Billboard chart success, including The Simpsons, whose The Simpsons Sing the Blues hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in 1991; Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, as Chef-Aid: The South Park Album and the South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut soundtrack rose to Nos. 16 and 28 in 1998 and 1999, respectively; and the Griffins, as Family Guy: Live in Vegas, by Family Guy with Walter Murphy and His Orchestra, reached No. 2 on Comedy Albums in 2005.
As for how cartoon characters show on product, and Billboard charts, billings tend to mirror their on-screen personas. (Thus, Bart shouldn’t have a cow, man, Cartman’s authority is respected and victory shall be Stewie’s, not Seth MacFarlane’s.)
Conversely, “Bruno” is credited to Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto Cast – not Pepa, Félix, Dolores, Antonio, Isabela and Mirabel Madrigal.
The other seven Encanto songs on the Hot 100 likewise reflect real-life names, including Bruno himself, John Leguizamo, on “All of You,” which rises to a new No. 74 high.
The billings on Encanto‘s hits align with the praise of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the songs solo, of the singers’ talents.
He says of “The Family Madrigal,” at its No. 20 best on the Hot 100, “This one section in the middle, I wrote it as if I were writing a horn line, that would sound great on trumpet. But, I have Steph [singing lyrics]. I knew she could do it! I know how great her voice is.”
‘ENCANTO’ & ‘BRUNO’ BOTH No. 1
Hi Gary,
As Encanto and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” continue their respective reigns on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, they have joined an exclusive group of soundtracks and corresponding songs that have topped the charts simultaneously.
Can you please run down all the instances in which soundtracks and their songs have doubled up at No. 1?
Thank you,
Jesper Tan
Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Hi Jesper,
“Bruno” already made history as the first Hot 100 No. 1 ever for Walt Disney Records (and just ahead of Disney’s 100th anniversary). Plus, with a second week on top, it becomes the first song from an animated Disney film to lead for multiple weeks.
Meanwhile, as you note, Encanto and “Bruno” have added to the ranks of soundtracks and their songs to lead the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 simultaneously.
Let’s look at all such instances historically.
Soundtracks & Their Songs to Top the Billboard 200 & Hot 100 Simultaneously
Aug. 1 & 8, 1964 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: A Hard Day’s Night
Hot 100: “A Hard Day’s Night,” The Beatles
Sept. 11 & 18, 1965 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: Help!
Hot 100: “Help,” The Beatles
Jan. 6 & 13, 1968 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: Magical Mystery Tour
Hot 100: “Hello Goodbye,” The Beatles
June 15, 1968 (one week)
Billboard 200: The Graduate
Hot 100: “Mrs. Robinson,” Simon & Garfunkel
June 13 & 20, 1970 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: Let It Be
Hot 100: “The Long and Winding Road”/”For You Blue,” The Beatles
May 24, 1975 (one week)
Billboard 200: That’s the Way of the World
Hot 100: “Shining Star,” Earth, Wind & Fire
March 5-19, 1977 (three weeks)
Billboard 200: A Star Is Born
Hot 100: “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born),” Barbra Streisand
Feb. 4-25; March 18-May 13, 1978 (13 weeks)
Billboard 200: Saturday Night Fever
Hot 100: “Stayin’ Alive,” Bee Gees (four weeks)
Hot 100: “Night Fever, Bee Gees (eight weeks)
Hot 100: “If I Can’t Have You,” Yvonne Elliman (one week)
Aug. 26 & Sept. 2, 1978 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: Grease
Hot 100: “Grease,” Frankie Valli
May 8, 1982 (one week)
Billboard 200: Chariots of Fire
Hot 100: “Chariots of Fire – Titles,” Vangelis
June 25 & July 2, 1983 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: Flashdance
Hot 100: “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” Irene Cara
May 26 & June 2, 1984 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: Footloose
Hot 100: “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” Deniece Williams
Aug. 4; Sept. 29 & Oct. 6, 1984 (three weeks)
Billboard 200: Purple Rain
Hot 100: “When Doves Cry,” Prince and the Revolution (one week)
Hot 100: “Let’s Go Crazy,” Prince and the Revolution (two weeks)
Nov. 9, 1985 (one week)
Billboard 200: Miami Vice
Hot 100: “Miami Vice Theme,” Jan Hammer
Sept. 12, 1987 (one week)
Billboard 200: La Bamba
Hot 100: “La Bamba,” Los Lobos
Nov. 28, 1987 (one week)
Billboard 200: Dirty Dancing
Hot 100: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
Aug. 5, 1989 (one week)
Billboard 200: Batman
Hot 100: “Batdance,” Prince
Dec. 12, 1992-Feb. 27, 1993 (12 weeks)
Billboard 200: The Bodyguard
Hot 100: “I Will Always Love You,” Whitney Houston
Sept. 9-23, 1995 (three weeks)
Billboard 200: Dangerous Minds
Hot 100: “Gangsta’s Paradise,” Coolio feat. L.V.
Feb. 28 & March 7, 1998 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: Titanic
Hot 100: “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion
Jan. 11 & 18, 2003 (two weeks)
Billboard 200: 8 Mile
Hot 100: “Lose Yourself,” Eminem
April 25, 2015 (one week)
Billboard 200: Furious 7
Hot 100: “See You Again,” Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
March 9, 2019 (one week)
Billboard 200: A Star Is Born
Hot 100: “Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Feb. 5 & 12, 2022 (two weeks to date)
Billboard 200: Encanto
Hot 100: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast
With their second week at No. 1 together on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, respectively, Encanto and “Bruno” mark the first set of soundtrack and song titles to reign simultaneously for multiple weeks in 19 years, since 8 Mile and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”
Other takeaways:
- The decade breakdown of such double dominations: Seven weeks in the 1960s / 21 in the ’70s / 12 in the ’80s / 17 in the ’90s (a “golden age” for soundtracks) / two in the 2000s / two in the ’10s / and, so far, two in the ’20s
- The Beatles lead with four Hot 100 No. 1s in the recap above. Prince (three) and Bee Gees (two) are the only other acts with multiple No. 1 songs on the list.
- A Star Is Born is the only soundtrack title to appear above twice, via its Barbra Streisand-led reign in 1977 and its Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper-powered update in 2019.
- Saturday Night Fever sparked the longest run of a soundtrack – or any album – and its music topping the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 simultaneously: 13 weeks. It’s also the only set above to lead the lists together thanks to as many as three songs ruling the Hot 100 No. 1 while the set commanded the Billboard 200. (And, that’s not including the album’s other No. 1: Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love,” which led for three weeks in December 1977-January 1978.)
- The Bodyguard boasts the second-longest stretch of a soundtrack (or, again, any album) and its material ruling both charts simultaneously: 12 weeks. Still, the album continued atop the Billboard 200, even as “I Will Always Love You” fell from No. 1 on the Hot 100 … replaced by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s Aladdin theme “A Whole New World,” the only leader from a Disney animated film until “Bruno.”
FOUR WOMEN, FOUR WOMEN & A ‘LADY’
Gary,
Here’s another chart fun fact regarding “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”: It marks just the second time that four individual female artists have hit No. 1 on the Hot 100, with Carolina Gaitán, Adassa, Diane Guerrero and Stephanie Beatriz all at the top spot.
(Respect, of course, as well, to such acts as The Shirelles, Bangles and Spice Girls, all-female groups of four or more members that have led the Hot 100.)
“Bruno” follows the 2001 remake of Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade” by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and P!nk.
That song, which led for five weeks, is also from a musical film, Moulin Rouge.
Pablo Nelson
Oakland, Calif.
Thanks, Pablo.
And, kudos to each song’s other superstar member who doesn’t receive artist billing: Miranda on “Bruno” and Missy Elliott, co-producer of “Lady Marmalade.”
Yeah, (even more) about that “Bruno” … and Beatriz and Adassa: Beatriz is also credited, with Olga Merediz and the Encanto Cast, on “The Family Madrigal” and she and Adassa are billed, with Leguizamo, Merediz, Maluma and the Encanto Cast, on “All of You.” As both songs interpolate “Bruno,” and other songs in the film, “Bruno” has a presence at two other ranks on the Hot 100, beyond No. 1.
“All of You” also includes a shoutout to another Disney heroine, thanks to Bruno’s impressive high notes (he is a Madrigal, after all), as he belts “let it go!” in the song.
(Surely his most touching line in the track, however, among many others in the entire song, and Encanto overall, is spoken, 3:59 in.)