More Than Half of Ryan Adams’ ‘1989’ Debuts on Hot Rock Songs Chart
Until this week, Ryan Adams had ranked on Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart three times since the list launched in June 2009.
Until this week, Ryan Adams had ranked on Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart three times since the list launched in June 2009.
Now, he has seven titles at once.
Thanks to 1989, the folk-rocker’s track-for-track cover of Taylor Swift’s album of the same name, Adams debuts seven songs in the Hot Rock Songs chart dated Oct. 10, due largely to sales and streaming.
Both Taylor Swift and Ryan Adams’ ‘1989’ Albums Are in Top 10 of Billboard 200 Chart
As previously reported, Adams’ 1989 debuts at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, starting with 56,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 24, according to Nielsen Music. Swift’s 1989 ranks at No. 8, with 42,000 units in its 48th week.
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Along with his seven debuts, Adams manages his best rank on Hot Rock Songs, as “Bad Blood,” the song he debuted Sept. 17 before the full record arrived on Sept. 21, debuts at No. 12; he’d logged his previous best peak with last year’s “Tired of Giving Up” (No. 28).
Ryan Adams’ Cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ Debuts on Adult Alternative Songs Chart
As Adams fills in seven blank spaces on Hot Rock Songs with his Swift covers, here’s a look at each remake’s placement.
No. 12, “Bad Blood”
The OG Swift cover is the week’s highest debut on Hot Rock Songs. It also bows at No. 12 on Rock Digital Songs (8,000 downloads sold) and No. 25 on Rock Streaming Songs (1.2 million U.S. streams across all players, nearly half of which are via Spotify).
As previously reported, the lead radio single from Adams’ 1989 begins at No. 26 on the Adult Alternative Songs airplay chart. Says Russ Borris, music director of adult alternative WFUV (90.7) New York, Adams’ 1989 covers reinforce that “great songs are great songs. Even if Taylor Swift isn’t your thing, you have to respect her.”
No. 27, “Blank Space”
Next up is Adams’ tender redo of one of 1989‘s biggest tracks. It starts with 3,000 sold and 864,000 domestic streams.
No. 33, “Shake It Off”
Unsurprisingly, the lead single off Swift’s 1989 is popular among consumers (or at least a point of curiosity for those familiar only with Swift’s biggest songs). It opens with 726,000 streams.
No. 40, “Wildest Dreams”
Adams’ fourth-best on Hot Rock Songs? The newest single off 1989. Perhaps the Ryan Adams-iest of this collection, with his roots-y croon effortlessly complementing the original melody, it begins with 2,000 sold and 620,000 U.S. streams. (Concurrently, as previously reported, Swift’s original “Dreams” becomes the fifth top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 from her 1989, lifting 13-10).
No. 41, “Style”
This rendition of Swift’s third 1989 radio single actually bested “Wildest Dreams” in streaming (664,000). It sold less, though (less than 2,000), a combination that places it a notch below on Hot Rock Songs.
No. 45, “Out of the Woods”
Swift’s buoyant Jack Antonoff-co-written original became a pensive, initially acoustic take for Adams, but the slight melody changes apparently didn’t turn off listeners, who streamed it 600,000 times in the tracking week.
No. 48, “Welcome to New York”
Surely one of his more anticipated covers, after his debut hit “New York, New York” from 2001’s Gold first took a bite out of the subject of the Big Apple, starts at No. 48 on Hot Rock Songs. With 651,000 domestic streams, its standing as the album opener on his 1989 may have helped its streaming total, as consumers often tend to stream tracks earlier in a set’s sequence.
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