My Chemical Romance’s Comeback Song Rules Billboard Rock Charts
"The Foundations of Decay" is off to a strong start, leading Hot Hard Rock Songs.
After debuting on multiple Billboard charts dated May 21 following its first few hours of release, My Chemical Romance‘s “The Foundations of Decay” explodes onto more lists following its first seven days of tracking, led by its vault to No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs survey dated May 28.
“Decay” drew 5.2 million official U.S. streams and 1.5 million radio audience impressions and sold 4,500 downloads sold in the May 13-19 tracking week, according to Luminate. Those sums encompass activity in all but the song’s first six hours of availability, as it was released at 6 p.m. ET May 12.
My Chemical Romance notches its first No. 1 on Hot Hard Rock Songs, which began in June 2020. The track also debuts at No. 5 on Hot Alternative Songs, which premiered the same month, and starts at No. 7 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, which originated in 2009.
The Gerard Way-fronted act has achieved its best Hot Rock & Alternative Songs placement with “Sing,” which hit No. 4 in 2011. Prior to the list’s launch, the group’s signature song, “Welcome to the Black Parade,” topped Alternative Airplay for seven weeks in 2006 and rose to No. 9 on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 in 2007.
“Decay” triples up at No. 1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales, Alternative Digital Song Sales and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales charts, the band’s first leader on each list. It also storms in at No. 1 on Hard Rock Streaming Songs and No. 7 on both Rock Streaming Songs and Alternative Streaming Songs.
The song is also scoring a fast start at radio. After debuting at No. 31 on Alternative Airplay from just over three days of availability, it vaults to No. 16, the band’s highest rank since “Sing” hit No. 2 in 2011. It also bows at No. 36 on Mainstream Rock Airplay, the act’s first appearance since “Famous Last Words” peaked at No. 23 in 2007. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, the track jumps 31-24.
“Decay” is the first new material from My Chemical Romance since 2014’s “Fake Your Death,” after the group in 2013 announced its breakup, which lasted until 2019. The new single accompanies the band’s worldwide reunion tour, which began May 16 in the United Kingdom. The band’s last full-length, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, was released in 2010.