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Billboard - December 21 2019
Billboard - December 21 2019
C O M
NETFLIX:
NAUGHTY
OR NICE?
WHY COMPOSERS
CALL BUYOUT
DEALS A LUMP
OF COAL
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ì7?
Í0:1;<5); U R N E D A
A N D T
- O L D H I T I N TO
2 5 -Y E A R .1
L A T E S T N O
HER
Ú4us
Behind the
Booming
Business of
Holiday Music
CAN NEW ACTS
CASH IN?
THANK YOU
FOR A RECORD-BREAKING ARENA RESIDENCY
6 INCREDIBLE YEARS
71 SOLD OUT SHOWS
OVER 1.3 MILLION TICKETS SOLD
$162 MILLION GROSS
LABEL OF THE YEAR
FOUR YEARS STRONG
CHART
2 WKS.
Artist
WEEK
WEEK
PEAK
LAST
THIS
POS.
AGO
C
2
CIRCLES Post Malone
1 15
POST MALONE, FRANK DUKES, L.BELL (L.B.BELL,
REPUBLIC
OMPLETING A CLIMB 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING, A.R.POST, A.FEENY, W.T.WALSH, K.GUNESBERK)
(and third total frame, after a week at No. 1 last holiday season), up 27% to GOOD AS HELL Lizzo
5 3 16
44.6 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music. It also takes over at RICKY REED (E.B.FREDERIC, M.JEFFERSON) NICE LIFE/ATLANTIC
No. 1 on Digital Song Sales, surging by 185% to 27,000 sold (after leading the ROXANNE Arizona Zervas
list on Dec. 24, 2005). On the Radio Songs tally, the track climbs 32-27, gain- 6 94SKRT, JAEGREEN (A.ZERVAS, ARIZONA ZERVAS/ 5 6
J.JENNINGS, J.GREENSPAN, L.LARUE) COLUMBIA
ing by 11% to 34.4 million in all-format airplay audience.
MEMORIES Maroon 5
The song is only the second holiday No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 61-year history, 4 5 7 A.LEVINE,THE MONSTERS & STRANGERZ (A.N.LEVINE,
M.R.POLLACK,J.D.BELLION,J.K.JOHNSON,S.JOHNSON,J.K.HINDLIN)
222/
INTERSCOPE
4 12
joining The Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song” (with David Seville), which
ruled for four weeks in 1958-59. 8
LUCID DRE AMS 5 Juice WRLD
2 47
N.MIRA (J.A.HIGGINS, N.MIRA, STING, D.MILLER) GRADE A/INTERSCOPE
It’s also Carey’s 19th Hot 100 No. 1, extending her record for the most
among soloists and pushing her to within one of The Beatles’ overall record 9
DANCE MONKEY Tones And I
9 10
K.KERSTING (T.WATSON) BAD BATCH/ELEKTRA/EMG
(20). “I have to thank the Lambily — they are the best fans in the world,”
SALES, AIRPLAY &
STREAMING DATA
says Carey (see cover story, page 88). “[Going] to No. 1, it’s just making 10 M.GABLER (J.MARKS)
DECCA/MCA SPECIAL PRODUCTS/GEFFEN/UME
me feel ecstatic.” —GARY TRUST
G O TO B I L L B OA R D.C O M F O R C O M P L E T E C H A R T DATA 7
DATA FO R WEEK OF 12. 2 1.201 9
TITLE CERTIFICATION
WKS. ON
Artist
CHART
2 WKS.
WEEK
WEEK
PEAK
LAST
THIS
POS.
AGO
PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT/PROMOTION LABEL
21
BAD GUY Billie Eilish
1 37
FINNEAS (B.E.O’CONNELL, F.B.O’CONNELL) DARKROOM/INTERSCOPE
22
PANINI 3 Lil Nas X
5 25
TAKE A DAYTRIP, DOT DA GENIUS
23
TRUTH HURTS 2 Lizzo
1 32
RICKY REED, TELE (E.B.FREDERIC, NICE LIFE/
M.JEFFERSON, S.CHEUNG, JESSE SAINT JOHN) ATLANTIC
24
LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW Dean Martin
20 6
L.GILLETTE (J.STYNE, S.CAHN) CAPITOL/UME
25
HIGHEST IN THE ROOM Travis Scott
1 10
OZ, NIK D, M.G.DEAN (TRAVIS SCOTT, CACTUS JACK/GRAND
O.YILDRIM, N.FRASCONA, M.G.DEAN) HUSTLE/EPIC
3
BRENDA LEE
“Rockin’ Around the
26
27
28
LAST CHRISTMAS
G.MICHAEL (G.MICHAEL)
TRAMPOLINE
SHAED, A.MENDOZA (C.LEE,
S.ERNST, M.ERNST, A.MENDOZA)
WOAH
QUAY GLOBAL (D.JONES, C.ROSSER)
Wham!
COLUMBIA/LEGACY
SHAED
PHOTO FINISH/
CAROLINE
Lil Baby
QUALITY CONTROL/
25
13 28
16
12
5
MOTOWN/CAPITOL
Christmas Tree”
LEGENDS Juice WRLD
SONGS ARE DEFINED AS CURRENT IF THEY ARE NEWLY RELEASED TITLES, OR SONGS RECEIVING WIDESPREAD AIRPLAY AND/OR SALES ACTIVIT Y FOR THE FIRST TIME. SEE CHARTS LEGEND ON BILLBOARD.COM/BIZ FOR COMPLETE RULES AND EXPLANATIONS. © 2019, PROMETHEUS GLOBAL MEDIA,
29 TAKE A DAYTRIP, R.CHELL GRADE A/ 29 3
THE WEEK’S MOST POPULAR CURRENT SONGS ACROSS ALL GENRES, RANKED BY RADIO AIRPLAY AUDIENCE IMPRESSIONS AS MEASURED BY NIELSEN MUSIC, SALES DATA AS COMPILED BY NIELSEN MUSIC AND STREAMING ACTIVIT Y DATA BY ONLINE MUSIC SOURCES TRACKED BY NIELSEN MUSIC.
(J.A.HIGGINS, D.C.M.BIRAL, D.M.A.BAPTISTE) INTERSCOPE
You recorded “Rockin’ ” When did you realize you What were your holiday
33
HOT Young Thug Feat. Gunna
11 17
WHEEZY YOUNG STONER
when you were 13 years old. had a hit on your hands? traditions growing up? (J.L.WILLIAMS, W.T.GLASS, S.G.KITCHENS) LIFE/ATLANTIC/300
How did that happen? Somebody called me and said, When I was little and we were
34
FELIZ NAVIDAD Jose Feliciano
29 7
The song came to me through “Have you seen the [1990] mov- very poor, the only time we got R.JARRARD (J.FELICIANO) RCA/LEGACY
a publisher, Al Gallico — he ie Home Alone? You ought to, fruit was at Christmas. We got
was friends with [my produc- because they’ve got ‘Rockin’ ’ what my mom could afford. I 35
ADORE YOU Harry Styles
35 1
KID HARPOON, T.JOHNSON ERSKINE/
(H.STYLES, T.HULL, A.R.ALLEN, T.JOHNSON) COLUMBIA
er] Owen Bradley. Apparently, really featured in it.” That’s when remember the first gift I was
[songwriter] Johnny Marks knew it really took off with the young- so excited about was a bike, 36
FALLING Trevor Daniel
36 4
KC SUPREME,CHARLIE HANDSOME,TAZ TAYLOR INTERNET MONEY/
Al and wanted me to have it. The sters. I knew it was special, but but Christmastime to us wasn’t (T.NEILL,TAZ TAYLOR,CHARLIE HANDSOME,K.CANDILORA II) ALAMO/INTERSCOPE
song was magic, and how could you never know what’s going about gifts — it was about
37
SLEIGH RIDE The Ronettes
26 5
PHIL SPECTOR/EMI BLACKWOOD/
it not be with the Anita Kerr to be a hit — if you did, we’d all family. I always used to carol — P.SPECTOR (L.ANDERSON, M.PARISH) LEGACY
Singers and Bradley producing? have hits every day. It has been [now] we carol with “Rockin’.”
38
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER Gene Autry 16 6
It’d be pretty hard to mess it up. a wonderful gift. —JOE LYNCH A.SATHERLEY (J.MARKS) COLUMBIA NASHVILLE/LEGACY
39
OLD TOWN ROAD 10 Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
1 41
YOUNGKIO, M.T.REZNOR, A.M.ROSS (M.L.HILL,
K.ROUKEMA, M.T.REZNOR, A.M.ROSS, B.R.CYRUS, J.A.DONALD) COLUMBIA
Artist
CHART
2 WKS.
WEEK
WEEK
40 10 17
PEAK
LAST
THIS
POS.
AGO
11
BOP DaBaby
11 11 41
ONE MAN BAND Old Dominion
20 16
JETSONMADE, STARBOY SOUTHCOAST/
(J.L.KIRK, T.MORGAN, A.M.MENDO) INTERSCOPE S.MCANALLY (M.RAMSEY, T. ROSEN, B.F.TURSI, J.OSBORNE) RCA NASHVILLE
BANDIT Juice WRLD & YoungBoy Never Broke Again DON’T START NOW Dua Lipa
12 STM N.MIRA (N.MIRA, J.A.HIGGINS, K.GAULDEN)
GRADE A/
INTERSCOPE
10 10 42 I.KIRKPATRICK (C.AILIN, I.KIRKPATRICK, E.W.SCHWARTZ, D.LIPA) WARNER
30 6
13
LOSE YOU TO LOVE ME Selena Gomez 1 8 43
HAPPY HOLIDAY / THE HOLIDAY SEASON Andy Williams 43 2
MATTMAN & ROBIN (S.GOMEZ, JULIA MICHAELS,
35
INTERSCOPE R.MERSEY (I.BERLIN, K.THOMPSON) COLUMBIA/LEGACY
J.D.TRANTER, M.LARSSON, R.FREDRIKSSON)
14
10,000 HOURS Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber 4 10 44
ONLY HUMAN Jonas Brothers
18 26
D.SMYERS (D.SMYERS, S.MOONEY, WARNER MUSIC
LLC AND NIELSEN MUSIC, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
J.J.DILLON, J.REYNOLDS, J.D.BIEBER, J.BOYD) NASHVILLE/WAR/WARNER SHELLBACK (J.JONAS, P.K.JONAS II, N.J.JONAS, SHELLBACK) REPUBLIC
HARRY STYLES
“Adore You”
15
JINGLE BELL ROCK Bobby Helms
8 28 45
ON CHILL Wale Feat. Jeremih
22 18
O.BRADLEY (J.BEAL, J.BOOTH) DECCA/MCA NASHVILLE/GEFFEN/UME MAYBACH/
T.MOORE, VA (O.AKINTIMEHIN, J.P.FELTON, E.BELLINGER) WARNER
Styles scores his third SENORITA Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello EVEN THOUGH I’M LEAVING Luke Combs
16 ANDREW WATT,BENNY BLANCO (S.MENDES,K.C.CABELLO, SYCO/ISLAND/ 1 25 46 S.MOFFATT (L.COMBS, RIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA 11 15
top 40 Hot 100 hit A.WOTMAN,B.J.LEVIN,A.TAMPOSI,C.E.AITCHISON,J.PATTERSON,M.A.HOIBERG) EPIC/REPUBLIC W.B.DURRETTE, R.FULCHER) NASHVILLE
as the track from his HEARTLESS The Weeknd THE BOX Roddy Ricch
second solo album, Fine 17 AIR METRO BOOMIN, THE WEEKND, ILLANGELO
(A.TESFAYE, L.T.WAYNE, ILANGELO, A.E.PROCTOR)
XO/REPUBLIC
1 3 47 30ROC (R.W.MOORE, JR., S.GLOADE) BIRD VISION/ATLANTIC
47 1
Line, arrives with 16.7 mil-
18
BALLIN’ Mustard Feat. Roddy Ricch
16 21 48
GRAVEYARD Halsey
34 13
lion in airplay audience, MUSTARD, GYLTTRYP (D.I.MCFARLANE,
S.R.KHAN ZAMAN KHAN, R.W.MOORE, JR., D.JONES)
10 SUMMERS/
INTERSCOPE
J.BELLION,L.BELL,OJIVOLTA,THE MONSTERS & STRANGERZ
(A.R.ALLEN,J.D.BELLION,L.B.BELL,A.FRANGIPANE,J.K.JOHNSON,S.JOHNSON,M.WILLIAMS) CAPITOL
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR Andy Williams BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Ed Sheeran Feat. Khalid 13 24
COMPILED BY
8 G O TO B I L L B OA R D.C O M F O R C O M P L E T E C H A R T DATA
DATA FO R WEEK OF 12. 2 1.201 9
9
TITLE CERTIFICATION
WKS. ON
Artist
CHART
2 WKS.
TONES
WEEK
WEEK
PEAK
LAST
THIS
POS.
AGO
51
HOT GIRL BUMMER blackbear
41 13
“Dance
A.M.GOLDSTEIN, BLACKBEAR BEARTRAP/ALAMO/
(A.M.GOLDSTEIN, M.T.MUSTO) INTERSCOPE Monkey”
BLINDING LIGHTS
TONES: GIULIA MCGUAR AN. SWIF T: THEO WARGO/GET T Y IMAGES. BIP: MAT T CROSSICK /GET T Y IMAGES.
The Weeknd
52 METRO BOOMIN, THE WEEKND, ILLANGELO, DRE MOON
XO/REPUBLIC
11 2
(A.TESFAYE, L.T.WAYNE, ILANGELO, A.E.PROCTOR)
Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey” swings
53
PLAYING GAMES Summer Walker
16 15
13-9 on the Hot 100, as it climbs 6-3
LONDON ON DA TRACK (S.WALKER, LVRN/
L.T.HOLMES, A.ROBINSON, K.R.BAILEY, C.GRIFFIN) INTERSCOPE on Digital Song Sales (16,000 sold, up
54
THE BONES Maren Morris
48 12
44%, according to Nielsen Music); 12-9
COLUMBIA NASHVILLE/ on Streaming Songs (25.6 million U.S.
G.KURSTIN (M.MORRIS, J.ROBBINS, L.VELTZ) COLUMBIA
streams, up 18%); and 28-20 on Radio
55
INTO THE UNKNOWN Idina Menzel & AURORA 46 3 Songs (38.3 million impressions, up 18%).
R.LOPEZ, K.ANDERSON-LOPEZ, WALT DISNEY
D.METZGER (K.ANDERSON-LOPEZ, R.LOPEZ)
The song, written solely by the Australian
56
HEAT Chris Brown Feat. Gunna
36 15 singer-songwriter (real name Toni Watson),
BUDDAHBLESS (C.M.BROWN, T.B.DOUGLAS, SR., CBE/RCA
A.L.SMALL, K.THOMAS, M.PITTS, L.S.ROGERS, S.G.KITCHENS) has already become the longest-leading
57
JUICY Doja Cat & Tyga
47 7
No. 1 in her homeland. It also tops multiple
TYSON TRAX, YETI (A.Z.DLAMINI, L.GOTTWALD, KEMOSABE/
D.SPRECHER, L.ASRAT, M.R.NGUYEN-STEVENSON) RCA global surveys, including the Official U.K.
Singles Chart, where it concurrently rules
Y 58
START WIT ME Roddy Ricch & Gunna
58 4
JETSONMADE (R.W.MOORE, JR., T.MORGAN, S.G.KITCHENS)
BIRD VISION/ for an 11th week, the most ever for a song
ATLANTIC
by a female soloist. —G.T.
CHRISTMAS TREE FARM Taylor Swift 59 1
SONGS ARE DEFINED AS CURRENT IF THEY ARE NEWLY RELEASED TITLES, OR SONGS RECEIVING WIDESPREAD AIRPLAY AND/OR SALES ACTIVIT Y FOR THE FIRST TIME. SEE CHARTS LEGEND ON BILLBOARD.COM/BIZ FOR COMPLETE RULES AND EXPLANATIONS. © 2019, PROMETHEUS GLOBAL MEDIA,
59
THE WEEK’S MOST POPULAR CURRENT SONGS ACROSS ALL GENRES, RANKED BY RADIO AIRPLAY AUDIENCE IMPRESSIONS AS MEASURED BY NIELSEN MUSIC, SALES DATA AS COMPILED BY NIELSEN MUSIC AND STREAMING ACTIVIT Y DATA BY ONLINE MUSIC SOURCES TRACKED BY NIELSEN MUSIC.
JIMMY NAPES, T.SWIFT (T.SWIFT)
REPUBLIC
WKS. ON
Artist
CHART
2 WKS.
WEEK
WEEK
60 56 18
PEAK
LAST
THIS
POS.
AGO
61
LIKE IT’S CHRISTMAS Jonas Brothers 61 2 81
SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK Joji
69 10
G.M.STONE,F.WEXLER,J.EVIGAN,M.ELIZONDO (G.M.STONE,
REPUBLIC
F.WEXLER,A.WELLS,N.J.JONAS,J.JONAS,P.K.JONAS II,J.G.EVIGAN) P.WIMBERLY, G.MILLER (G.MILLER, J.P.WIMBERLY) 88RISING/12TONE
62
VIBEZ DaBaby
21 11 82
MY OH MY Camila Cabello Feat. DaBaby
82 1
JETSONMADE, NEEKO BABY, J.L.HARRIS SOUTHCOAST/ FRANK DUKES (K.C.CABELLO, A.FEENY,
(J.L.KIRK, T.MORGAN, D.D.MOORE, J.L.HARRIS) INTERSCOPE L.B.BELL, S.KOTECHA, A.CLEMONS JR., J.L.KIRK) SYCO/EPIC
REMEMBER YOU YOUNG Thomas Rhett 53 13 ENEMIES Post Malone Feat. DaBaby
59
63 D.HUFF, J.FRASURE, THOMAS RHETT
VALORY
83 L.BELL (A.R.POST, J.L.KIRK, L.B.BELL, W.T.WALSH) REPUBLIC
16 14
(THOMAS RHETT, J.FRASURE, A.GORLEY)
64
DEATH Trippie Redd Feat. DaBaby
59 4 84
BABY SITTER DaBaby Feat. Offset
59 18
DJ PAUL, TWHY XCLUSIVE (TRIPPIE REDD,
J.L.KIRK, P.BEAUREGARD, T.MOORE)
TENTHOUSAND
PROJECTS/CAROLINE
GO GRIZZLY, MARIIBEATZ (J.L.KIRK,
K.CEPHUS, J.A.MASSEY, GO GRIZZLY)
SOUTHCOAST/
INTERSCOPE
TAY L O R S W I F T
“Christmas
65
HEART ON ICE Rod Wave
54 5 85
BAD VIBES FOREVER XXXTENTACION Feat. PnB Rock & Trippie Redd 85 1 Tree Farm”
SPEAKER BANGERZ, MALIK, DICAPRIO BEATZ (R.GREEN, ALAMO/ J.CUNNINGHAM (XXXTENTACION, TRIPPIE REDD, TENTHOUSAND PROJECTS/BAD
D.BANKS, L.D.BLEDSOE, M.W.BYNOE-FISHER, J.SMITH SERVANCE) INTERSCOPE R.H.ALLEN, R.SOUKIASYAN, J.CUNNINGHAM) VIBES FOREVER/CAROLINE/EMPIRE
66
CAMELOT NLE Choppa
37 13 86
CANDY Doja Cat
86 3
The song dashes in
FRESHDUZIT (B.L.POTTS, D.TRIPLETT) NLE CHOPPA/WARNER YETI, BUDO (A.Z.DLAMINI, D.SPRECHER, J.KARP, C.BARTOLINI) KEMOSABE/
RCA with 7.7 million U.S.
67
TAKE WHAT YOU WANT Post Malone Feat. Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott 8 14 87
EMPTY Juice WRLD
41 4
streams and 26,000 sold,
L.BELL, ANDREW WATT (A.R.POST, J.OSBOURNE, REPUBLIC N.MIRA (J.A.HIGGINS, N.MIRA) GRADE A/INTERSCOPE
TRAVIS SCOTT, L.B.BELL, A.WOTMAN, W.T.WALSH) while becoming Swift’s
68
RIDIN’ ROADS Dustin Lynch
68 6 88
WE BACK Jason Aldean
78 4
14th top 10 on Adult
MACON/BROKEN
Z.CROWELL (D.LYNCH, A.GORLEY, Z.CROWELL) BROKEN BOW M.KNOX (B.D.WARREN, B.WARREN, T.HUBBARD, J.M.SCHMIDT) BOW Contemporary (25-10).
69
LEAVE EM ALONE Layton Greene, Lil Baby, City Girls & PnB Rock 60 10 89
EASY DaniLeigh Feat. Chris Brown
88 6
CARDIAK,HITMAKA,PAUL CABBIN,R.JERKINS (R.JERKINS,C.P.WILSON,C.J.JACKSON, QUALITY CONTROL/ C.A.CLARK, F.KING (D.CURIEL, C.A.CLARK,
JR.,L.A.DANIELS,C.WARD,L.CARSON,C.E.MCCORMICK,R.ANTEOLA,D.JONES,R.H.ALLEN,L.GREENE) MOTOWN/CAPITOL DEF JAM
F.KING, M.SORUM, R.M.FEREBEE, JR., C.M.BROWN)
70
WHAT IF I NEVER GET OVER YOU Lady Antebellum
47 16 90
HOMESICK Kane Brown
88 4
D.HUFF (S.ELLIS, J.GREEN, R.J.HURD, L.VELTZ) BMLG D.HUFF (K.BROWN, B.BERRYHILL, M.J.MCGINN, T.PHILLIPS) ZONE 4/RCA
NASHVILLE
71
HEARTACHE MEDICATION Jon Pardi
67 11 91
NICE TO MEET YA Niall Horan
63 9
J.PARDI, B.BUTLER, R.GORE (J.PARDI, BARY DEAN, N.HEMBY) CAPITOL J.BUNETTA (N.HORAN, NEON HAZE/
NASHVILLE J.BUNETTA, T.JESSO, JR., R.CUNNINGHAM) CAPITOL
72
PETA Roddy Ricch Feat. Meek Mill
72 1 92
WATERMELON SUGAR Harry Styles
60 3
OZ, NIL$ (R.W.MOORE, JR., BIRD VISION/ KID HARPOON, T.JOHNSON (H.STYLES, ERSKINE/
O.YILDRIM, N.NOEHDEN, R.R.WILLIAMS) ATLANTIC T.HULL, M.ROWLAND, T.JOHNSON) COLUMBIA
73
TIP TOE Roddy Ricch Feat. A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
NIAGGI, PILGRIM (R.W.MOORE, JR.,
G.VAN DEN BROM, B.NORLING, A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE)
BIRD VISION/
ATLANTIC
73 2 93
SHOW YOURSELF Idina Menzel & Evan Rachel Wood 70 3
R.LOPEZ, K.ANDERSON-LOPEZ,
WALT DISNEY
D.METZGER (K.ANDERSON-LOPEZ, R.LOPEZ)
96
SUICIDAL THE BLACK EYED
74
YNW Melly
64 3 94
WE WERE Keith Urban
65 15
HIT RED/CAPITOL P E A S x J B A LV I N
LLC AND NIELSEN MUSIC, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Z3N (J.M.DEMONS, J.GUERRIERI-MARIL) YNW MELLY/300 D.HUFF, K.URBAN (E.CHURCH, J.HYDE, R.TYNDELL) NASHVILLE
“RITMO (Bad Boys
75
VETE Bad Bunny
33 3 95
YELLOW HEARTS Ant Saunders
81 5 for Life)”
LOS NEOS,HAZEN (C.O.BATISTA ESCALERA,I.ORTIZ,J.C.CRUZ,
F.MONTALVO,X.A.SEMPER VARGAS,E.W.SEMPER VARGAS,B.A.MARTINEZ OCASIO) RIMAS A.SAUNDERS (A.SAUNDERS) TRASH BIN/ARISTA
76
NO IDEA Don Toliver
68 2 96
RITMO (BAD BOYS FOR LIFE) The Black Eyed Peas X J Balvin 96 3 The collaboration is The
WONDAGURL (C.TOLIVER, E.N.OSHUNRINDE) CACTUS JACK/ATLANTIC WILL.I.AM,K.HARRIS (W.ADAMS,A.PINEDA,K.HARRIS,J.A.OSORIO BALVIN, BEP/EPIC
F.BONTEMPI,M.GAFFEY,P.W.GLENISTER,A.GORDON,G.SPAGNER) Black Eyed Peas’ first
77
KINFOLKS Sam Hunt
62 9 97
LORD ABOVE Fat Joe & Dre Feat. Eminem & Mary J. Blige 97 1 Hot 100 entry, as well as
Z.CROWELL (S.L.HUNT, Z.CROWELL, J.FLOWERS, J.OSBORNE) MCA NASHVILLE NOT LISTED (NOT LISTED) RNG/EMPIRE their first on Mainstream
6 KISS Trippie Redd Feat. Juice WRLD & YNW Melly BIG STEPPER Roddy Ricch Top 40, since 2011. It
78 N.MIRA, T.LEWIS (TRIPPIE TENTHOUSAND 60 3 98 FLEXICO, FIGUREZ MADE IT, DJ SHAWDI BIRD VISION/ 98 1 rises 38-33 on the latter
REDD, J.A.HIGGINS, J.M.DEMONS, D.SCHOFIELD, N.MIRA) PROJECTS/CAROLINE (R.W.MOORE, JR., C.GONZALEZ, J.NGUYEN, S.A.JAMES) ATLANTIC
223’S YNW Melly & 9lokknine BEST ON EARTH Russ & BIA
COMPILED BY
80 ROCCO DID IT AGAIN!, 9LOKKNINE YNW 34 14 100 BOI-1DA, J.A.SWEET (RUSS, BIA) DIEMON/RUSS MY WAY/COLUMBIA
100 1
(R.VALDES, J.D.SMITH, J.M.DEMONS) MELLY/300
10 G O TO B I L L B OA R D.C O M F O R C O M P L E T E C H A R T DATA
BILLBOARD 200 ARTIST CERTIFICATION
IMPRINT/DISTRIBUTING LABEL
#1
1 WK
THE WHO
RODDY RICCH
BIRD VISION/ATLANTIC/AG
IMPRINT/PROMOTION LABEL
WHO
PEAK
POS.
1
WKS. ON
CHART
1
ARTIST CERTIFICATION
IMPRINT/DISTRIBUTING LABEL
DEAN MARTIN
IMPRINT/PROMOTION LABEL
49
WKS. ON
CHART
12
YEARHOUR/POLYDOR/INTERSCOPE/IGA 2 1 GALACTIC/REPUBLIC 4 15
CAMILA CABELLO Romance 3 1 BING CROSBY Christmas Classics 19 25
SYCO/EPIC CAPITOL/UME
MICHAEL BUBLE
143/REPRISE/WARNER
Christmas 1 79 BOBBY HELMS
GEFFEN/UME
The Best Of Bobby Helms 58 1 Ricch
PENTATONIX
RCA
The Best Of Pentatonix Christmas 8 7 XXXTENTACION
BAD VIBES FOREVER
? 1 91 Rules
PACE JUICE WRLD Death Race For Love LIL TJAY True 2 Myself
SETTER GRADE A/INTERSCOPE/IGA 1 40 COLUMBIA 5 9 Rapper Roddy Ricch
BILLIE EILISH 2 When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? MUSTARD Perfect Ten starts straight in at No. 1
DARKROOM/INTERSCOPE/IGA 1 37 10 SUMMERS/INTERSCOPE/IGA 8 24
on the Billboard 200
MARIAH CAREY 6 Merry Christmas 3 88 NF The Search 1 20
COLUMBIA/LEGACY NF REAL MUSIC/CAROLINE with his debut studio al-
TAYLOR SWIFT Lover LIL NAS X 7 (EP) bum, Please Excuse Me
REPUBLIC 1 16 COLUMBIA 2 25
for Being Antisocial. The
TRIPPIE REDD A Love Letter To You 4 1 3 GEORGE MICHAEL & WHAM! Last Christmas (Soundtrack) 55 5
TENTHOUSAND PROJECTS UNIVERSAL STUDIOS/LEGACY set bows with 101,000
NAT KING COLE 6 The Christmas Song THE CHAINSMOKERS World War Joy equivalent album units
CAPITOL/UME 7 46 DISRUPTOR/COLUMBIA 65 1
earned in the United
SUMMER WALKER Over It 2 10 SHAWN MENDES Shawn Mendes 1 81
LVRN/INTERSCOPE/IGA ISLAND States during the week
LUKE COMBS What You See Is What You Get 1 5 ANDY WILLIAMS The Andy Williams Christmas Album 63 6 ending Dec. 12, accord-
RIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE/SMN COLUMBIA/LEGACY
ing to Nielsen Music.
DABABY KIRK 1 11 DABABY Baby On Baby 7 41
SOUTHCOAST/INTERSCOPE/IGA SOUTHCOAST/INTERSCOPE/IGA Of Please Excuse Me’s
YOUNGBOY NEVER BROKE AGAIN AI YoungBoy 2 1 9 KHALID 2 American Teen 4 145 overall start, stream-
NEVER BROKE AGAIN/ATLANTIC/AG RIGHT HAND/RCA
ing equivalent album
VINCE GUARALDI TRIO 4 A Charlie Brown Christmas (Soundtrack) A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE Hoodie SZN
THE BILLBOARD 200 CHART R ANKS THE MOST POPUL AR ALBUMS OF THE WEEK, A S COMPILED BY NIEL SEN MUSIC, BA SED ON MULTI-ME TRIC CONSUMPTION (BLENDING TR ADITIONAL ALBUM SALES, TR ACK EQUIVALENT ALBUMS, AND STREAMING EQUIVALENT ALBUMS).
FANTASY/CONCORD 15 77 HIGHBRIDGE THE LABEL/ATLANTIC/AG 1 51 units comprise 98,000
BING CROSBY The Best Of Bing Crosby: 20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection 18 40 KANYE WEST JESUS IS KING (Soundtrack) 1 7 (equaling 130.7 million
MCA/GEFFEN/CHRONICLES/UME G.O.O.D./DEF JAM
on-demand audio
ROD WAVE Ghetto Gospel 10 6 SOUNDTRACK 3 The Greatest Showman 1 105
ALAMO/IGA FOX/20TH CENTURY FOX/ATLANTIC/AG streams for the set’s
FRANK SINATRA A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra 23 3 JONAS BROTHERS Happiness Begins 1 27 songs), along with 3,000
FRANK SINATRA ENTERPRISES/CAPITOL/UME REPUBLIC
in album sales, and under
VARIOUS ARTISTS A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector JOSH GROBAN 6 Noel
DEC. PHIL SPECTOR/EMI BLACKWOOD/LEGACY 12 7 143/REPRISE/WARNER 1 92 1,000 in track equivalent
FRENCH MONTANA FUTURE & JUICE WRLD
21 BAD BOY/EPIC
MONTANA 25 1 Future & Juice WRLD Present... WRLD ON DRUGS
GRADE A/INTERSCOPE/FREEBANDZ/IGA/EPIC 2 30 album units.
The 21-year-old made
2019 QUEEN
HOLLYWOOD
8 Greatest Hits 11 364 TONES AND I
BAD BATCH/ELEKTRA/EMG
The Kids Are Coming (EP) 62 10 his Billboard chart
YOUNG THUG So Much Fun 1 17 VARIOUS ARTISTS Quality Control: Control The Streets, Volume 2 3 17 debut only a little over a
YOUNG STONER LIFE/300/ATLANTIC/AG QUALITY CONTROL/MOTOWN/CAPITOL
year ago with the Feed
BURL IVES Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 28 40 LAUREN DAIGLE Look Up Child 3 66
MCA SPECIAL PRODUCTS/GEFFEN/UME CENTRICITY/12TONE Tha Streets II mixtape
POST MALONE 3 beerbongs & bentleys 1 85 CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL 10
Chronicle The 20 Greatest Hits 22 449 (debuting at No. 68
REPUBLIC FANTASY/CONCORD
FABOLOUS Summertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever VARIOUS ARTISTS Dreamville & J. Cole: Revenge Of The Dreamers III
on the Billboard 200
DESERT STORM/DEF JAM 7 2 DREAMVILLE/INTERSCOPE/IGA 1 23 dated Nov. 17, 2018).
THE BEATLES 12
Abbey Road 1 339 FAT JOE & DRE Family Ties 81 1 He claimed his first
APPLE/CAPITOL/UME RNG/EMPIRE
LEWIS CAPALDI Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent KEVIN GATES I’m Him Hussle’s “Racks in the
VERTIGO/CAPITOL 20 30 BREAD WINNERS’ ASSOCIATION/ATLANTIC/AG 4 11
Middle,” which peaked
BILLIE EILISH Dont Smile At Me 14 103 SOUNDTRACK Frozen: The Songs 16 26 at No. 26 on April 20,
DARKROOM/INTERSCOPE/IGA WALT DISNEY
GENE AUTRY Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer And Other Christmas Classics FLEETWOOD MAC 20
Rumours shortly after Nipsey’s
COLUMBIA/LEGACY 24 11 WARNER BROS./RHINO 1 350
death on March 31.
ARIANA GRANDE Thank U, Next 1 44 DAN + SHAY Dan + Shay 6 77 —KEITH CAULFIELD
REPUBLIC WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WMN
BRENDA LEE Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree: The Decca Christmas Recordings 41 5 BAD BUNNY X 100PRE 11 51
DECCA/MCA NASHVILLE/UME RIMAS
LUKE COMBS 2 This One’s For You 4 132 LIL UZI VERT Luv Is Rage 2 1 120
RIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE/SMN GENERATION NOW/ATLANTIC/AG
SOUNDTRACK Guardians Of The Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 1 137 JOHN LENNON Power To The People: The Hits 24 13
MARVEL/HOLLYWOOD CAPITOL/UME
AC/DC 22
Back In Black 4 389 PENTATONIX Christmas Is Here! 7 11
COLUMBIA/LEGACY RCA
JUSTIN BIEBER Under The Mistletoe 1 47 TWENTY ONE PILOTS 4 Blurryface 1 239
SCHOOLBOY/RAYMOND BRAUN/DEF JAM FUELED BY RAMEN/EMG
EMINEM 7 Curtain Call: The Hits 1 474 LINDSEY STIRLING Warmer In The Winter 22 19
SHADY/AFTERMATH/INTERSCOPE/IGA LINDSEYSTOMP/CONCORD
2
LADY GAGA & BRADLEY COOPER 2 A Star Is Born (Soundtrack) 1 62 THE BEACH BOYS Merry Christmas From The Beach Boys 157 2
INTERSCOPE/IGA CAPITOL/UME
J. COLE 3 2014 Forest Hills Drive 1 262 DRAKE More Life 1 143
DREAMVILLE/ROC NATION/COLUMBIA YOUNG MONEY/CASH MONEY/REPUBLIC
FRANK SINATRA Ultimate Sinatra Who LAUREN DAIGLE Behold: A Christmas Collection
FRANK SINATRA ENTERPRISES/CAPITOL/UME 32 88 CENTRICITY/CAPITOL CMG 29 22
LIAM PAYNE LP1 111 1 TRAVIS SCOTT Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight 1 171
HAMPTON/REPUBLIC The band matches its high-water mark GRAND HUSTLE/EPIC
MAC MILLER Swimming 3 71 on the list as Who launches at No. 2 FRANK OCEAN Blonde 1 157
WARNER BOYS DON’T CRY
with 89,000 equivalent album units
JOURNEY 15
Journey’s Greatest Hits 10 594 WALE Wow... That’s Crazy 7 9
COLUMBIA/LEGACY earned in the week ending Dec. 12, MAYBACH/WARNER
POLO G Die A Legend 6 27 according to Nielsen Music. The act THE BEACH BOYS 3 Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys 16 188
COLUMBIA CAPITOL/UME
also hit No. 2 with Quadrophenia (in
KANE BROWN Experiment 1 57 ADELE 14
21 1 443
ZONE 4/RCA NASHVILLE/SMN 1973) and Who Are You (1978). XL/COLUMBIA
THE BILLBOARD 200 CHART R ANKS THE MOST POPUL AR ALBUMS OF THE WEEK, A S COMPILED BY NIEL SEN MUSIC, BA SED ON MULTI-ME TRIC CONSUMPTION (BLENDING TR ADITIONAL ALBUM SALES, TR ACK EQUIVALENT ALBUMS, AND STREAMING EQUIVALENT ALBUMS).
BAD VIBES FOREVER/EMPIRE 2 120 COLUMBIA 1 4
COLDPLAY Everyday Life 7 3 METALLICA 16
Metallica 1 552
PARLOPHONE/ATLANTIC/THIRD MAN/AG BLACKENED/RHINO
IDINA MENZEL Christmas: A Season Of Love 123 2 CHUCK BERRY Berry Christmas (EP) 173 1
SRV/DECCA/VLG CHESS/GEFFEN/UME
LIL BABY & GUNNA Drip Harder 4 62 KANE BROWN Kane Brown 5 158
6
YOUNG STONER LIFE/300/QUALITY CONTROL/MOTOWN/AG/CAPITOL ZONE 4/RCA NASHVILLE/SMN
DEAN MARTIN A Winter Romance 128 2 J BALVIN & BAD BUNNY Oasis 9 24
CAPITOL/UME UNIVERSAL MUSIC LATINO/UMLE
QUEEN Bohemian Rhapsody (Soundtrack) The late rapper’s Goodbye & Good KIDZ BOP KIDS Kidz Bop 40
HOLLYWOOD 2 60 KIDZ BOP/RAZOR & TIE/CONCORD 97 4
Riddance (59,000 units; up 405%),
THE WEEKND 3 Beauty Behind The Madness 1 223 LANA DEL REY Born To Die 2 335
XO/REPUBLIC former No. 1 Death Race for Love POLYDOR/INTERSCOPE/IGA
JACKSON 5 The Best Of The Jackson 5: 20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection 105 10 FOR KING & COUNTRY Christmas: Live From Phoenix 184 2
MOTOWN/CHRONICLES/UME FERVENT/CURB-WORD/CURB
PANIC! AT THE DISCO Pray For The Wicked 1 77 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Trench 2 60
DCD2/FUELED BY RAMEN/EMG FUELED BY RAMEN/EMG
BORIS KARLOFF / THURL RAVENSCROFT How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Soundtrack) 140 2 BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND 10
Greatest Hits 8 307
POLYGRAM/MERCURY NASHVILLE/UME HIDEOUT/CAPITOL/UME
111
5
2 77 Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 1 304
550 MUSIC/EPIC/LEGACY ASYLUM/ELEKTRA/RHINO
EAGLES 5 The Very Best Of The Eagles 3 211 STEVIE WONDER The Best Of Stevie Wonder: 20th Century Masters The Christmas Collection 193 2
WARNER STRATEGIC MARKETING/RHINO MOTOWN/CHRONICLES/UME
PINK FLOYD 15
The Dark Side Of The Moon 1 946 CHANCE THE RAPPER The Big Day 2 20
PINK FLOYD/LEGACY LIAM PAYNE CHANCE THE RAPPER
2PAC 10
Greatest Hits 3 302 ELVIS PRESLEY The Essential Elvis Presley 42 24
AMARU/DEATH ROW/INTERSCOPE/UME RCA/SONY STRATEGIC MARKETING GROUP/LEGACY
Payne becomes the fourth member
KENDRICK LAMAR 3 good kid, m.A.A.d city 2 372 of One Direction to reach the Bill- FOR KING & COUNTRY Burn The Ships 7 10
TOP DAWG/AFTERMATH/INTERSCOPE/IGA CURB-WORD/CURB
LIL MOSEY Certified Hitmaker board 200 as a soloist, following Niall KACEY MUSGRAVES A Very Kacey Christmas
MOGUL VISION/INTERSCOPE/IGA 12 5 MERCURY NASHVILLE/UMGN 21 8
Horan, Harry Styles and Zayn. Still on
GARTH BROOKS Legacy 149 2 GUNNA Drip Or Drown 2 3 42
PEARL the 1D roster to chart: Louis Tomlinson, YOUNG STONER LIFE/300/AG
COMPILED BY
SALES DATA
SZA Ctrl who drops his debut album, Walls, on HARRY STYLES Harry Styles
TOP DAWG/RCA 3 131 ERSKINE/COLUMBIA 1 43
Jan. 31.
arey
CONGRATULATIONS
ON 25 YEARS OF FESTIVE
CHRISTMAS MAGIC!
FROM YOUR FRIENDS AND FANS AT
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Contents D EC. 21 , 2 0 19 • VO LUM E 1 3 1 NO . 3 0
O N T H E COV ER
Mariah Carey photographed F E AT U R E S
by Ruven Afanador on Nov. 8
87
at Spring Studios in New York.
88
MARIAH CAREY’S
CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
The pop icon started writing Christmas
songs to overcome childhood scars.
Now she has one of the biggest holiday
anthems of all time — and a wintertime
empire of live shows and screen projects
that just keeps growing.
106
THE NO. 1S
The artists who topped the Billboard
charts in 2019 included a Scottish
balladeer (Lewis Capaldi), a SoundCloud
breakout (Lil Tecca) and a Latin dream
team (J Balvin and Bad Bunny). Plus:
Find out which record labels ruled the
Hot 100 and Billboard 200 this year.
B I L L B OA R D H OT 1 00
7
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for
Christmas Is You” caps a 25-year
journey to No. 1, leading the list for
the first time.
THE MARKET
33
Direct Shot, the company that
distributes physical product for the
major labels, can’t keep up with
demand — and the problem is now
affecting the bigger indies.
34
Radio pioneer Tom Joyner looks
back on a 25-year career.
THE SCENE
52
Billboard Women in Music.
YEAR-END CHARTS
121
Post Malone earns top artist, while
women make history atop the year-
end Billboard 200 albums ranking.
M Y B I L L B OA R D
MOMENT
168
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s manager,
Jay Levey, recalls helping the
comedian-musician score his first
No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2014
with Mandatory Fun.
the Prince of Egypt duet “When You Christmas affected the Wham! single that inspired
Believe” with Whitney Houston at the 71st it, Apple Music architect and A Very Special
Academy Awards in 1999 to filming the Christmas executive producer Jimmy Iovine on
iconic, wedding-themed music video for what makes a great Christmas song and more. Not
her 2005 hit “We Belong Together.” a member? Subscribe at billboard.com/offer.
JONAS BROTHERS
TO P DU O/GR O UP O F TH E Y EA R
EDITORIAL
DEPUTY EDITORS Katie Atkinson (Digital), Joe Lynch (Digital)
SENIOR EDITORS Danica Daniel (The Players), Nolan Feeney (Features), Gabriella Ginsberg (Digital), Sarah Grant (The Market), Lyndsey Havens (The Sound),
Hilary Hughes (Digital), Colin Stutz (Industry News), Andrew Unterberger (Digital)
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Alexei Barrionuevo AWARDS EDITOR Paul Grein DANCE DIRECTOR Katie Bain
SENIOR DIRECTOR Dave Brooks (Touring/Live Entertainment) LEAD ANALYST Glenn Peoples SENIOR EDITOR/ANALYST Ed Christman (Publishing/Retail) SENIOR WRITER Dan Rys HIP-HOP EDITOR Carl Lamarre
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION EDITOR Micah Singleton DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR Marc Schneider
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Claudia Rosenbaum COUNTRY CORRESPONDENT Annie Reuter EDITORS AT LARGE Steve Knopper, Joe Levy
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nick Williams COPY CHIEF Chris Woods SENIOR COPY EDITOR Christa Titus
COPY EDITORS Michele Carlo, Silvija Ozols, Diane Snyder REPORTER Tatiana Cirisano ASSOCIATE EDITORS Suzette Fernández (Latin), Bianca Gracie, Taylor Weatherby
STAFF WRITERS Stephen Daw, Taylor Mims, Chris Payne ASSISTANT EDITOR, LATIN Jessica Roiz EDITORIAL OPERATIONS ASSISTANT Josh Glicksman EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Mia Nazareno
A R T I S T R E L AT I O N S
VICE PRESIDENT, ARTIST RELATIONS Christina Medina
ARTIST RELATIONS COORDINATOR Bryan Kress
DESIGN
ART DIRECTOR Chris Elsemore ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORS Zachary Gilyard, Natalie Skopelja DESIGNER Quinton McMillan
ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Dan Skelton DEPUTY ART PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Vukobratovich ART PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE James Morgan
CHARTS
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CHARTS Keith Caulfield (Billboard 200, Heatseekers Albums; Los Angeles)
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CHARTS Gary Trust (Billboard Hot 100, Pop, Adult) DIRECTOR, CHART PRODUCTION Michael Cusson
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CHART PRODUCTION/RESEARCH MANAGER Alex Vitoulis (Blues, Classical, Jazz, World)
SENIOR CHART MANAGER Jim Asker (Country, Christian, Gospel) CHART MANAGERS Trevor Anderson (R&B/Hip-Hop; Editorial Liaison)
Pamela Bustios (Latin) Eric Frankenberg (Boxscore/Touring) Gordon Murray (Dance/Electronic)
Kevin Rutherford (Social, Streaming, Rock) Xander Zellner (Artist 100, Emerging Artists; Associate Editorial Liaison)
D I G I TA L
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Michael Gutkowski EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT, DATA AND ANALYTICS Glenn Walker
DIRECTOR OF GROWTH Danielle Dauenhauer DIRECTOR, PROGRAMMATIC SALES AND STRATEGY Lee Garfield
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ENGINEERING Michael Bendell
VICE PRESIDENT, DATA Julian Pan VICE PRESIDENT, DATA PROJECTS Andrew Lee VICE PRESIDENT, DATA OPERATIONS Tynelle Boothe
SENIOR WEB PRODUCER Rena Gross SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER Andrew Elder DESIGNER Ady Chng
CONSUMER INSIGHTS SPECIALIST Tom Opitz
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Becky Kaminsky SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATORS Alvin Benavides, Alexa Bianchi
VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL REVENUE OPERATIONS Gina Perino EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT AND ADVERTISING OPERATIONS Shameka Frank
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS Shira Brown SENIOR DIRECTOR, ADTECH AND PROGRAMMATIC Jeremy Zimmerman
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING OPERATIONS Cheryl Kampanis SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS Galina Druzhinina, Sarah Seo CONTENT PARTNER MANAGER Alex Felser
DIGITAL ACCOUNT MANAGERS Allie Hedlund, Ashley Johnson MANAGER, ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT Greg Johnson
DIGITAL ACCOUNT COORDINATOR Travis Johnson PROGRAMMATIC YIELD MANAGER Francis Kremer
Where artists
come to play
JULIAN HOLGUIN
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/HEAD OF BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
A DV E R T I S I N G & S P O N S O R S H I P
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, TELEVISION AND MEDIA Elisabeth D. Rabishaw SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ENTERTAINMENT Victoria Gold
VICE PRESIDENT, BILLBOARD SALES Joe Maimone MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL Ryan O’Donnell (44-7843-437167)
VICE PRESIDENTS, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Mike Tresvant, Mike Van VICE PRESIDENT/CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Dana Droppo
VICE PRESIDENT, FASHION AND LUXURY PARTNERSHIPS Alexandra von Bargen EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SALES DEVELOPMENT, LUXURY Debbie Flynn
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EDUCATION, ASSOCIATIONS AND FILM COMMISSIONS Lori Copeland
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Marinelle Cariño, Felicia Fortenberry, Alex Kim, John Rutner, Mindy Schneider, Erik Yates
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TELEVISION Scott Perry SENIOR DIRECTOR, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Karbis Dokuzyan
SENIOR DIRECTOR, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Justine Matthews ACCOUNT DIRECTORS, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Daniel Purnhagen, Michael Sandler
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FILM, TALENT AND MUSIC Debra Fink EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FILM AND TELEVISION Carolyn Bernstein
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, MUSIC (SOUTHEAST), TOURING (WEST COAST) Lee Ann Photoglo ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, TOURING AND VENUES Cynthia Mellow
MANAGING DIRECTOR, LATIN Gene Smith LATIN AMERICA/MIAMI Marcia Olival
ASIA PACIFIC/AUSTRALIA Linda Matich DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Cathy Field BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Adrienne Zandvoort
SALES COORDINATORS Syed Abidi, Andrea Rico, Monique Sedlar EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Angelique La France-Hohl
MARKETING
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Erika Cespedes VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY Anjali Raja
SENIOR MANAGER, MARKETING STRATEGY BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Jeanne Dienstag
DIRECTORS, MARKETING STRATEGY Cam Curran, Andrew Masters
VICE PRESIDENT, EVENTS AND TENTPOLES Lyndsay Meabon DIRECTOR, BRANDED CREATIVE Alfred Marroquin
VIDEO PRODUCER, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Taylor Russo DIRECTOR, POSTSALE Renee Giardina
DIRECTOR, STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS, EVENTS AND TENTPOLES Barbara Lang
MANAGERS, POSTSALE Steven Huizar, Sarah Lombard ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BRANDED CONTENT Elizabeth Lancaster
SENIOR MANAGER, BRANDED CONTENT Kwasi Boadi BRANDED CONTENT MANAGER Catharine Scavelli MANAGER, STRATEGY Hannah Schiff
MARKETING STRATEGIST/PROJECT MANAGER Erica Daul DESIGN DIRECTOR Stacy Saunders
MARKETING DESIGN MANAGER Kim Grasing DIGITAL MARKETING DESIGNER Kiersten Weiss
DIRECTOR, TELEVISION DEVELOPMENT Joanna Zwickel ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, EVENT MARKETING Anush Yemenidjian
LICENSING
DIRECTOR, LICENSING Kelly Del Sordi
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND LICENSING Anuja Maheshka
P R O D U C T I O N & C I R C U L AT I O N
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBERSHIP Michael Sacks VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION Kelly Jones
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT AND CIRCULATION Katie Fillingame PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Suzanne Rush
SENIOR MANAGER, EMAIL MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Meredith Kahn
O P E R AT I O N S
GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR David Aimone VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCIAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS Jerry Ruiz
DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING FINANCE Mirna Gomez SENIOR MANAGER, CRM AND OPERATIONS Mase Goslin
DIRECTOR, FACILITIES AND PROCUREMENT Linda Lum IMAGING MANAGER Brian Gaughen
HUMAN RESOURCES ASSISTANT Kimberly-Ann Basdeo
DEANNA BROWN
PRESIDENT
GABRIELLA MIRABELLI EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER INSIGHTS AND BRAND STRATEGY
ALEXIS FISH VICE PRESIDENT, PRIDE
Produced By
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T’S EARLY DECEMBER tracts with Universal and Sony, one of Further complicating matters, around [my rep from Universal] today and they
and Matt Jencik can’t find the largest distributors of physical mu- the time it switched its business to still have 400 copies in stock,” he says.
I any copies of A Charlie sic in the country. The problem became DSD, Warner began using a new busi- But Universal can’t guarantee that DSD
Brown Christmas. The buyer apparent on April 13 — Record Store ness-to-business website that doesn’t will get them. “It makes zero sense,”
for Reckless Records, which owns three Day, the busiest and most profitable day provide tracking information. says Swider. “You’re the biggest music
stores in Chicago, says that at this time of the year for many retailers — when “It is Kafkaesque,” says Jencik. company in the world and you can’t
of year the Vince Guaraldi soundtrack some stores didn’t receive the exclusive “Paperwork that goes nowhere. Calling send me 60 copies of something?”
would normally sell a few copies a day releases they had ordered. Since then, people that don’t respond to you. It’s a On Dec. 9, Billy Fields, vp sales and
— but Reckless can’t sell records it can’t the problem has gotten worse. total nightmare.” account management at Warner Music
stock. “There are holiday records I The problems are varied, complicat- David Swider agrees. The owner of Group’s distribution arm, WEA, posted
couldn’t get that have always been good ed and occasionally absurd. Buyers are The End of All Music in Oxford, Miss., a photo of The Dank D-Funk Blend on
sellers, like titles by Stevie Wonder, told their orders are lost or unavailable is scrambling to source the January Instagram. “Uggh we didn’t receive
Bing Crosby and Dean Martin,” he says. without further explanation. Albums 2020 title for his store’s record-of- any of these, cool to finally see it,” re-
“We were at a holiday fair last week arrive with box-cutter slashes through the-month club, which has anywhere sponded Annie Skinner, owner of Indy
and barely had anything to offer.” the jackets. Large shipping pallets are from 50 to 100 members throughout CD & Vinyl in Indianapolis, under the
Since April, record stores and labels delivered, shrink-wrapped, but with the year. Swider originally picked The store’s account. Warner and Univer-
have been plagued by a distribution bot- just one box. New releases are late, Dank D-Funk Blend, a compilation of sal Music Group did not respond to a
tleneck that began when Warner Music essential catalog titles are unavailable, funk tracks from the Prestige Records request for comment.
Group moved its physical product to and indie-exclusive vinyl pressings — catalog released by Jazz Dispensary in Some of the problems stem from the
Direct Shot Distributing (DSD). The like the silver version of Beck’s new November. But Swider is unsure if he’ll increasing complexity of the physical
change made DSD, which also has con- album, Hyperspace — aren’t delivered. receive the copies he ordered. “I called distribution business, according to Kyle
DESIREE PEREZ WAS NAMED CEO OF ROC NATION, WHILE JAY BROWN BECAME VICE CHAIRMAN. JOHN ESPOSITO REUPPED HIS CONTRACT AS WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE CHAIRMAN/CEO.
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y R E M I E G E O F F R O I D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 33
Krug, director of marketing for Legacy warehouses or directly to retailers so
Supply Chain Services, which acquired that they have it on hand for tours or
DSD in June. DSD, which used to ship online orders — which in some cases
bulk orders to big-box retailers, now violates the exclusivity provisions of
sends more small orders to individual their distribution deals. “We’ve taken
stores. At the same time, the volume of the approach that it’s better to ask for
online orders is skyrocketing — along forgiveness than for permission,” says EXIT INTERVIEW
with the number of manufacturers in- one indie-label executive.
volved. “The Warner onboarding sort of Retailers are going rogue too. When
created the perfect storm of challenges
for the physical music industry,” says
the metal band Baroness released
Gold & Grey in June, stores formed
Tom Joyner
Krug. (Legacy Supply Chain Services a patchwork supply chain to ensure RADIO PIONEER SIGNS OFF AFTER 50-YEAR CAREER
had started negotiating to acquire DSD that albums reached every shop with
before the Warner switch, he adds.) a scheduled in-store appearance —
I
N 1968, A GROUP OF What moments stand out
Krug also says DSD has added staff at each store shipped its leftovers to the people protested a Tuskegee, from your career?
its Franklin, Ind., warehouse, which next on the list. This holiday shopping Ala., radio station for not Every day was a highlight. My worst
processes all of its physical music season, many stores are stocking more playing soul music. When the day on the air was anybody else’s
product. DSD’s warehouse partner is nonmusic merchandise items like T- station owner offered the protesters very good day, you know? I’m not
also upgrading its technology, although shirts and totes to help offset the losses a regular Saturday afternoon slot, a person that looks back a lot,
Krug says he does not know exactly from missing and late releases. 19-year-old Tom Joyner volunteered though. I haven’t listened to a show
when retailers and labels will notice Until DSD’s distribution improves, to DJ. He would remain behind the that I’ve done since I stopped flying
service improvements. representatives from Warner have said radio mic for over 50 years. back and forth.
In July, Amoeba Music in Los stores should order from one-stops As host of The Tom Joyner Morn-
Angeles hosted an in-store perfor- (third-party wholesalers) — although ing Show, one of the first nationally How did your show’s
mance for artist Cuco, to celebrate that costs more. Skinner says that’s syndicated black radio programs, approach differ from that of fel-
his debut on Interscope Records. But how, on the advice of Warner, she his mission was to entertain, low syndicated radio
sourcing product for the packed show sourced most of her Warner product educate and empower African pioneer Howard Stern?
became an onerous task, says Amoeba for Black Friday Record Store Day on Americans. Now 70, Joyner’s influ- The big question was, “Can you re-
co-owner Jim Henderson, and they Nov. 29. But she doesn’t see this option ence was so profound that when main local?” Black radio has always
ended up with mostly CDs. “There as sustainable. Sources say the three he announced his retirement on been involved in the community.
are also countless issues with returns major labels are providing wholesal- Dec. 13, surprise call-ins to his show We approached it as a local show
authorizations post shows, which ers with discounts to pass through to included Lionel Richie and former that reflected the entire African
impacts credits and payments,” he indie merchants to help offset the extra President Bill Clinton. American country. Every black
adds. And stores remain beholden to cost, a situation that could last through In the mid-’80s Joyner was community has the same wants and
contractual billing cycles — usually 30 Record Store Day 2020 in April. known as “the hardest-working needs, and that’s what black radio
or 60 days — whether they receive the Amid the chaos, distributors like man in radio” because he hosted has always been about. To help with
stock they ordered or not. ADA are losing big accounts. In the a morning show in Dallas and an that, for example, I’d say what time
The problem isn’t just affecting past year, large indies like Beggars, afternoon show in Chicago — fly- it was, but not the hour. Like, “It’s 17
major-label artists. Many indies use Epitaph and Secretly Distribution left ing back and forth every day for past the hour,” and I’d hit a button
distributors — including Alternative ADA. In some cases, indie distributors seven years. In 1994, Joyner struck to cue the radio station. And the
Distribution Alliance (ADA), Ingrooves are stepping in to help stores navigate a deal with ABC Radio Networks to station would announce it was “17
and The Orchard — that funnel prod- shortfalls in lieu of a permanent solu- launch the first syndicated morning past the hour of 8 o’clock.” People
uct through the major-label network tion. “The silver lining to DSD’s fuck- show with music. That prompted didn’t know; they thought I was
and into the DSD warehouse. After ups,” says Swider, “is that the indies are another breakthrough: Mainstream right there [in the market]. People
months of headaches, some indie really helping us get through this.” advertisers like Southwest Airlines, listening to Howard Stern knew his
labels are telling manufacturers to ship McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble show originated from New York. We
large amounts of stock to their own Additional reporting by Ed Christman. and Allstate began buying ads on a fooled people for a long time.
black radio show.
Who’s the one interview that
Why are you retiring now? got away?
When I came along, you didn’t have Stevie Wonder. He performed live
a lot of listening choices. Now you on a Sky Show in Miami in 2005,
can get anything you want, anytime but he never stopped by the studio.
MARKET WATCH
you want, anywhere you want — I wanted Stevie really bad. (Laughs.)
and you don’t have to wait for radio
or television to do it for you. What- Any predictions about the
24.8B 15.25M 1.075T ever happens to newspapers and
magazines — I’m sorry to say it, but
outcome of the 2020 election?
I think voter turnout in the African
7.5% 8.3% 30.8% I think radio is next on the list. And American community is going to
we’ve done it to ourselves. We’re be record-breaking again. I’ll still
TOTAL ON-DEMAND ALBUM CONSUMPTION TOTAL ON-DEMAND
STREAMS WEEK OVER UNITS WEEK OVER WEEK STREAMS YEAR OVER not relevant anymore. That’s across be pushing people to vote, but
WEEK YEAR TO DATE the board. Black radio has prob- because Trump is so controversial
Album sales plus track-equivalent
Number of audio and video albums plus audio streaming- Number of audio and video ably been more relevant because — so busy tweeting from his toilet
RANCE GREER
on-demand streams for the week equivalent albums for the week streams for 2019 so far over the we concentrate on informing and — he’s doing the work for me.
ending Dec. 12. ending Dec. 12. same period in 2018. empowering our community. — G A I L M I TC H E L L
TIKTOK OWNER BYTEDANCE HIRED WARNER MUSIC GROUP’S TRACY GARDNER AS HEAD OF LABEL LICENSING. RYMAN HOSPITALITY RAISED $283 MILLION TO BUY THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS PROPERTY.
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TOP OVERALL MALE
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HOT 100 ARTIST
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#1 BILLBOARD 200 ARTIST
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#1 DIGITAL SONG SALES ARTIST
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TOP R&B/HIP-HOP ARTIST
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#1 RADIO SONGS ARTIST
N OCTOBER, NEARLY 90
COEN BROTHERS: MICHAEL KOVAC/GETTY IMAGES. BECKERMAN: TOMMASO BODDI/GETTY IMAGES. BEAL: JESSE GRANT/GETTY IMAGES.
given its power, composers Delivery Requirements, that hour network show could be as high as income from royalties on a few hit
are pushing back. Earlier
this year, a group led by 158M instructs them to provide
a “work for hire” agree-
$277,500 in its first season, according
to the latest edition of the book Music,
shows. “If you don’t get the back-end
on your hits, you can’t make a living,”
award-winning composers ment to composers. That Money and Success by entertainment says Beckerman, who is one of the com-
including Carter Bur- agreement allows Netflix lawyers Todd and Jeff Brabec. Com- posers leading the “Your Music, Your
NUMBER OF
well (The Ballad of Buster GLOBAL NETFLIX to use the compositions, posers can earn more than $500,000 Future” education initiative. “It’s how
Scruggs), John Powell (Solo: SUBSCRIBERS lyrics, performances and over three years in public performance [composers] put food on the table.”
A Star Wars Story) and Mir- recordings “without limita- royalties when a show has a second run Another problem is that it’s not
iam Cutler (Gilda) started the online tion” and “throughout the universe in on a network, and then airs on cable just Netflix: The Discovery Channel
initiative “Your Music, Your Future” to perpetuity.” Lawyers and composers and streaming services, estimates Todd is seeking to directly license music
educate their peers about music rights. say these terms are “worrisome” and Brabec, a former ASCAP executive. from composers through buyouts as it
“This is not acceptable,” says Burwell, go beyond standard contracts. A Net- But, he adds, the upfront fee isn’t a lot rewrites the terms of its contracts with
who did not take a buyout. Music flix spokesman tells Billboard that the of money. “If a composer breaks even production studios, according to indus-
industry sources say Netflix tends to terms are negotiable. or makes a little money, they are fortu- try sources. Discovery has informed
require direct licenses from composers European countries, many of which nate,” he says. “The cost of producing composers that it will require them to
who have less leverage. “In any given have stronger copyright protections eats up the entire amount.” sign licensing contracts similar to those
year, the [royalty] amount equals or than the United States, are wary of Composers make most of their used by Scripps Networks Interactive,
exceeds the amount you get upfront. Netflix undermining composers’ rights. money on royalties paid for repeated which it acquired in 2018. Discovery
That’s the value of the [intellectual In France, for example, Netflix produc- viewings or plays of their music. executive vp global communications
AMAZON BOUGHT THE WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO A PETER BERG-DIRECTED DOCUMENTARY ABOUT RIHANNA. NETFLIX GREENLIT A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES FROM SWEDEN ON THE STORY OF SPOTIFY.
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ROLLING STONE
#1 BEST ALBUM 2019
GRAMMY® NOMINEE
POP VOCAL ALBUM
Nathaniel Brown says, “Our 8,000
hours of original programming a year
drives enormous economic value to
the music community. We compensate
countless composers and musicians
for their valued contributions, and will
continue to do so.”
Facebook is also pushing for
buyouts for its “Facebook Watch”
platform, according to composers.
One says his lawyer tangled over the
buyout provision for weeks before
Jones (left) and Mill at
reaching an agreement; he retained Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop
his standard rights. Power Players event in 2018.
On TV and in streaming, creators’ GOOD WORKS
royalties are based on several metrics,
including the length of a composition
and how much a show featuring the
composition is broadcast or streamed.
Studios track compositions in con-
Dreams From Nightmares
junction with third-party systems Meek Mill’s criminal justice reform organization —
and PROs. Composers then receive
backed by $50 million in funding from its founding partners
statements that detail how often an
episode featuring their work aired. — seeks to bring change to a broken system
While Amazon and Hulu self-report BY JOSH GLICKSMAN
how many times a show is streamed,
Netflix does not. With rare exceptions HEN MEEK MILL WAS nation in terms of rates of correctional control.
for major hit shows where viewership sentenced in November 2017 to two After his release on bail in April 2018, Mill
is disclosed, lawyers and agents say W to four years in prison for a proba- planned to use his visibility to help. “My case
Netflix reports only that an episode or tion violation stemming primarily was just one example of the injustices affect-
film was streamed once, even if it was from two misdemeanors, Philadelphia 76ers ing millions across the country,” said Mill in a
streamed by millions. partner Michael Rubin — a close friend of Mill’s statement to Billboard. “Our team is committed
Netflix is also looking to cut costs — was watching in the courtroom. to passing bills — starting in my home state of
and ensure predictable expenses, say “It was the most shocking thing I have ever Pennsylvania — to prevent others from suffering
industry experts, and reducing what seen,” says Rubin. “For the first 45 years of my and to help put people in positions to succeed.”
it pays to license music is one way to life, I believed that people went to prison for Alongside elected officials from Pennsylva-
do so. The entry of companies like committing crimes. That’s when I realized the nia, REFORM worked to put forth House Bill
Disney and Apple into the streaming whole system was fundamentally broken and 1555 in the state’s General Assembly in April.
business has only amplified concerns trapped poor people.” With HB 1555 — most recently discussed in
that buyout contracts will “become Rubin is hardly the only one unaware. the state’s House of Representatives on Dec. 9,
normal across other streaming ser- That’s part of the reason why Mill — backed by with a vote possible by the end of 2019 or start
vices — that spreads like a virus,” says $50 million in funding from eight fellow of 2020 — REFORM hopes the state will
composer Beckerman. founding partners such as Rubin, Jay-Z cap maximum probation terms, amend
The lack of transparency may and New England Patriots owner penalization for technical violations
change: Netflix has said it would Robert Kraft, among others — created and, among other fixes, establish a
provide more viewership informa- the REFORM Alliance, an organiza- system of incentives to reward good
tion, and the European Union’s tion run by CNN host/activist Van behavior during probation. (The latest
Copyright Directive could require it Jones that is dedicated to changing the text of the bill, however, removed the
to fully report its data. When it comes laws, policies and practices that govern Rubin
proposed probation cap.)
to negotiating contracts that contain the 4.5 million people in the United States Jones adds that establishing the or-
buyout clauses, says entertainment on probation or parole. Jones notes that many ganization’s first big initiative in Pennsylvania
attorney Joe Carlone, “There’s no people aren’t aware of the harsh penalties for could be a gateway to reform elsewhere, given
blanket rule,” adding that he encour- technical violations, which can include arriving its status as a swing state amid the upcoming
ages composer and songwriter clients late to a meeting with a probation/parole of- presidential election. “Every single person run-
to weigh whether it makes sense to ficer or visiting a family member in the wrong ning for President of the United States — includ- MILL: BENNETT RAGLIN/GETTY IMAGES. RUBIN: DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES.
take an upfront payment for a limited neighborhood. ing Donald Trump — is expressing support for
project that may not run for more than Says Jones, “To hear you can go back to criminal justice reform,” says Jones. “That has
one season. prison for not even committing a crime is com- not happened in living memory.”
Another music lawyer says he pletely incomprehensible to people.” REFORM plans to announce which states it
discourages clients from directly li- At the time of his sentencing in 2017, Mill will target next in early 2020. The organization
censing their music to Netflix, because had already spent over a decade in the criminal ultimately aims to reduce the number of people
without knowing how well streaming justice system of Pennsylvania, one of a handful within the criminal justice system by 1 million
shows are performing, it’s impossible of states that doesn’t set limits on how long a in its first five years.
to determine a fair buyout price to probation term can last. And Mill’s case is all “I’ll work with or against anybody for free-
compensate for no back-end royalties. too common: According to a December 2018 dom,” says Jones. “The few little years we get on
“Everyone,” says another attorney, “is report from nonprofit think tank Prison Policy this earth, the few little heartbeats we get, we
throwing numbers at a dartboard.” Initiative, Pennsylvania is second-highest in the should be able to fulfill our true potential.”
ROY LONEY, LEAD SINGER OF SAN FRANCISCO POWER POP BAND FLAMIN’ GROOVIES, DIED AT 73. COMPOSER GERSHON KINGSLEY, A PIONEER OF THE MOOG SYNTHESIZER, DIED AT 97.
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#1 BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM
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#1 BILLBOARD MAINSTREAM TOP 40 SONG
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#1 BILLBOARD ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONG
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#1 BILLBOARD ADULT TOP 40 SONG
GRAMMY® NOMINEE
POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
TH E M ARK E T GLOBAL R EP ORT
Can Saudi Arabia Become The Middle are hoping will draw 200,000 ticket-
buyers over three days, will rely on
stages designed and built in Belgium
East’s Live Music Superpower? and flown to Riyadh, says Alammary,
also a brand strategist for MDL Beast.
Playing Saudi Arabia can also be
Offering large advances and 33 million potential music consumers, the kingdom’s controversial. The 2018 murder of
new push into entertainment is overshadowing neighbors like Dubai and Abu Dhabi Washington Post journalist Jamal
B Y A L E X E I B A R R I O N U E V O and M E L I N D A S H E C K E L L S Khashoggi, allegedly at the direction
of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed
DUBAI — David Guetta, As the country continues its efforts with even deeper pockets, agents say. bin Salman, drew strong pushback
Enrique Iglesias and The to modernize, Saudi Arabia is shaking Lately, the Saudi government and from human rights activists, who
Black Eyed Peas made history in up the Middle East touring scene. Gov- a small patchwork of nascent private urged Guetta and others to cancel their
Saudi Arabia last December when ernment-subsidized events are paying promoters have been pressing their shows. Nicki Minaj pulled out of her
they performed at a festival that just artists two to three times their normal advantage. After the December 2018 show in Jeddah in July citing her sup-
a few years ago would have been fees — and up to twice what neighbor- show, a series of events the following port for women’s and LGBTQ rights
unthinkable in the socially repressive ing countries offer, several agents and year drew top performers, including and freedom of expression.
kingdom, where women were segre- promoters tell Billboard. Dubai, Qatar Maluma, Janet Jackson and 50 Cent. Thomas Ovesen, entertainment
gated from men and concerts were and Abu Dhabi — which previously On Dec. 13 and 14, Calvin Harris, Major director for the Diriyah Gate Develop-
banned for a quarter century. dominated the region’s scant concert Lazer and Swedish House Mafia head- ment Authority, a Saudi government
Just months earlier, the country’s map — have been overshadowed by the lined the Diriyah Festival in Riyadh. agency, says that “no artist is being
ruling family had relaxed long-stand- potential of a wealthy Saudi Arabia, a The largely government-subsidized asked to endorse anything but the op-
ing restrictions on social activities and country with 33 million people, nearly shows in Saudi Arabia have kept ticket portunity to play for their new fans.”
the arts, allowing women to drive and 60% of whom are under the age of 30. prices down, to about $50 to $75 on Some in the music industry say that
men and women to attend entertain- The kingdom’s push into enter- average, organizers say, which is lower Saudi Arabia’s push into entertainment
ment events together for the first time. tainment has been fast, furious and than comparable events in Abu Dhabi, may also be intended to satiate restless
So some 25,000 Saudis — including well-financed, say agents and concert where tickets average $100 to $150. youth starving for diversion. “I go back
women who drove themselves to the organizers. Two years ago, the king- While it’s still early, Live Nation is to demographics,” says del Granado.
concerts without wearing headscarves dom set in motion a long-term plan, on the ground booking talent and pro- With such a young population, the rul-
— attended the three-day festival in dubbed Vision 2030, to diversify its oil- ducing shows. And the newly formed ing family may be trying to give Saudis
the capital of Riyadh. based economy, including $2.7 billion ASM Global, which controls the Coca- jobs and entertainment, “because if
“People just didn’t believe it,” says earmarked for entertainment. Cola Arena in Dubai that opened in not, here comes the Arab Spring.”
Ahmad Alammary, a Saudi who per- “There’s still good money in Dubai 2018, is searching for sites for new ven- Newman and others expect the
forms as DJ Baloo, about the festival’s and Abu Dhabi,” says Bruno del ues, says CEO Bob Newman: “We’re Middle East concert business to take
first day. “Then they saw the footage Granado, an agent at Creative Artists betting on the potential right now.” off over the next half-decade. “I could
of it and were like, ‘OK, we’re partying Agency that represents Maluma. “But The market in Dubai, which estab- see three or four touring stops in
now.’ It was a dream come true.” the money in Saudi Arabia dwarfs lished the Middle East on the touring Saudi alone,” says Ovesen. After this
On Dec. 19, the kingdom is set to what’s in Egypt, Turkey or any other map 15 years ago, has been hurt by an initial rush, though, the free-flow
top itself. MDL Beast, a three-day Middle Eastern country.” economic slowdown and a looming of government funding is expected
electronic music festival with over Over a decade ago, Dubai typically financial crisis that has made it harder to abate, as more privately financed
70 acts on five stages — including overpaid for talent due to geography for promoters to offer premium fees, promoters enter the kingdom. “The
headliners Martin Garrix, Tiësto and and travel logistics. Saudi Arabia, agents say. The live business in Abu market’s going to settle down and
Guetta — is set to become Saudi Ara- in its bid to jump-start its entertain- Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates mature eventually,” says del Granado.
ROB LOUD
bia’s largest live music event ever. ment sector, has done the same, capital with over 1 million people, “It can’t go on like this.”
JODECI MEMBER K-CI HAILEY SIGNED WITH P MUSIC GROUP FOR MANAGEMENT OF HIS SOLO CAREER. ROBIN THICKE SIGNED WITH ICM PARTNERS FOR REPRESENTATION IN ALL AREAS.
B Y LY N D S E Y H AV E N S • P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y A L L I S O N M I C H A E L O R E N S T E I N
HEN GREGG NADEL WAS HELPING includes the old Elektra division as well as Fueled by
to break O.A.R. at Lava Records in 2008, Ramen, Roadrunner Records, Low Country Sound
“WE WANTED TO BRING THE
W he met Mike Easterlin, then Lava’s senior and Black Cement, featuring a select artist roster that ELEKTRA BRAND BACK TO
vp promotions, for the first time. Easterlin includes Brandi Carlile, The Highwomen, twenty
took the band’s “Shattered (Turn the Car Around)” to one pilots and Fitz & The Tantrums. PROMINENCE. THAT’S THE
radio and promoted the record for Nadel — and Nadel and Easterlin credit their first-year wins to
they’ve been friends ever since. the larger team involved, which comprises just over CHIP ON OUR SHOULDER.”
Over a decade later, Nadel and Easterlin are still 70 employees; when EMG launched, its staff of 57
working together, now as co-presidents of Elek- were all brought over from Atlantic. —NADEL
tra Music Group, which was revived as a separate “We went through the process of interviewing
company by Warner Music Group in October 2018. everyone moving over from Atlantic, sharing what NADEL It’s one of those rare songs that can hit across
Elektra had been a subsidiary of Atlantic from 2004 our mentality was going to be for running a smaller all formats, but we wanted to make sure that we
until then, and an innovative major for decades version of that label, how we wanted to develop didn’t skip over the alternative crowds and smaller
before that. Nadel and Easterlin report to Atlantic artists and our staff,” says Easterlin. “A lot of them venues and just go to pop. What’s important is hav-
chairman/CEO Craig Kallman and chairman/COO had been No. 2s or 3s in departments for many, many ing a foundation before you build.
Julie Greenwald. years. Now they’d be running [them].”
EMG’s first release as its own company was How did you learn that?
relatively low-risk: twenty one pilots’ Trench, which What’s your strategy for breaking more unknown art- EASTERLIN Sometimes, it’s what you don’t do. We
hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200. That proved the label ists like Tones and I — a singer who unexpectedly took didn’t cross the first twenty one pilots album, we
could hold its own, and the August signing of Tones off and went to No. 1 in over 30 countries — in 2020? didn’t cross the first Panic! at the Disco album. We
and I and her subsequent success — the Australian GREGG NADEL Not skipping steps. left them in modern-rock land, established them
GROOMING BY SHARON BECKER AT ENNIS
alternative-pop artist’s hit “Dance Monkey” sits at MIKE EASTERLIN Here’s a great example — we almost there and made modern rock feel like we really
No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 — positioned EMG moved Tones and I out of the Mercury Lounge wanted to remain and have a home there, even if we
as a serious competitor. “After accomplishing what when she played in New York for the first time, but had [Panic!’s] “High Hopes” or [twenty one pilots’]
we have with her,” says Nadel, “everyone is going, we were like, “You know what? We promised we “Stressed Out.” Those songs were massive, but we
‘Wow, we can do this.’ ” wouldn’t skip steps.” [As a result], her song “Dance didn’t want to turn our backs on the genres that
The new EMG that Nadel and Easterlin oversee Monkey” was running faster than we were. made these songs cross over.
BLINK-182’S TRAVIS BARKER LAUNCHED DTA RECORDS, A JOINT VENTURE WITH ELEKTRA MUSIC GROUP. SONY MUSIC MADE A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN PODCAST PRODUCER NEON HUM.
HIPGNOSIS ACQUIRED THE CATALOG OF TAYLOR SWIFT SONGWRITER-PRODUCER JACK ANTONOFF. SIMON COWELL’S SYCO ENTERTAINMENT AND THAMES SIGNED A FIVE-YEAR DEAL WITH U.K. CHANNEL ITV.
#1 SINGLES BY
• Taylor Swift • Tim McGraw • Eli Young Band • A Thousand Horses
• Florida Georgia Line • Brantley Gilbert • Badflower • The Mavericks
• Thomas Rhett • Justin Moore • Riley Green • Cheap Trick
• Reba • Brett Young • The Band Perry • Cassadee Pope
• Rascal Flatts • Midland • Zac Brown Band
• Carly Pearce • Maddie & Tae
THOMAS RHETT
Amassed 14 COUNTRY AIRPLAY #1 SINGLES, MORE THAN 5 MILLION ALBUMS SOLD, NUMEROUS
CMA, ACM, CMT & AMA AWARDS INCLUDING THIS YEAR’S ACM MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR.
A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR ARTISTS, PAST & PRESENT
Special thanks to all of our partners at radio (terrestrial, satellite, online), TV, print &
online media, DSP’s, broadcast and online video outlets, the Universal Music Group,
every artist manager and attorney who contributed to our extraordinary success. Special
acknowledgment to Billboard Magazine and the American Music Awards for utilizing our
results in determining your Artist of the Decade Awards.
Normani, who
presented Minaj.
Perez
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 53
Lauren Jauregui, who
presented Rosalía,
said backstage that
she advises her female
peers to “cultivate
self-love that is so
strong, no one’s disbe-
lief can penetrate.”
New Motown
signee Tiana Major9
“Follow your instincts,” said Kiyoko backstage. performed her
“It’s always the right thing to do. Focus on your own song “Collide” with
success and your own path.” EarthGang.
PEREZ: KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD. KARP: MATT WINKELMEYER/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD. CURTIS: AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD. RICHMAN:
RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD. STALLION: ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD. EILISH: RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD.
Atlantic Records executives, from left: Sheila Richman, Marsha St. Hubert,
Julie Greenwald, Lanre Gaba, Nina Webb and Dionnee Harper.
Billboard editorial
director Hannah
Karp and her
Megan Thee Stallion closed out the night with a raunchy performance of her hit daughter, Odessa.
“Cash Shit,” sans collaborator DaBaby. “I’m just getting started,” she said onstage.
It was so COOL
to have you in
Grand Rapids.
SOLD OUT!
SEPTEMBER 8, 2019
7 15 23
2 6 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 30
1 3 4 5 8 27 28 29
33 34 35 36 37 38 39
31 32
40 41 42 43 44 45 46
53 61 62 63 64
55 57 59 60
47 48 49 51 52
54 56 58
69 50 82
79 80
65 66 67 68 81
71 73 75 76
70 72 74 78
77
58 BILLBOARD • DECEMBER 21, 2019 EXECUTIVES, WARREN: TODD WILLIAMSON/JANUARYIMAGES. SWIFT: RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES FOR BILLBOARD.
WEST
MICHIGAN’S
ENTERTAINMENT
DESTINATION
Van Andel Arena is honored to rank #2
in North America and #7 worldwide
on Billboard’s 2019 Year-End Chart in the
10,001-15,000 capacity category.
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y M A X- O - M AT I C
IN MUSIC
THE YEAR
for a record 19 weeks; after
all, Lil Nas X warned us that
the Billboard Hot 100’s summit
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M
were reintroduced to a new generation. Rock
redefined itself, no small thanks to Billie Eilish
67
YEAR IN MUSIC 2 0 1 9
L
AST YEAR, ONLY TWO says Tom Poleman, chief programming coming out, and they would say, ‘Oh, Grande’s reemergence in late 2018 was
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s officer at iHeartMedia. Poleman com- this is coming out,’ or ‘That’s coming the beginning of the mainstream’s pop
didn’t feature a rapper. pares the mainstream’s end-of-decade out’ — it was Jonas Brothers, Taylor rebound. “Rapidly after [her fourth
The rest were domi- swing back to pop after the genre’s Swift, Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran ... studio album] Sweetener, she put out
nated by hip-hop stars extended dormancy to a similar shift one after another. I was like, ‘Oh, my [new single] ‘Thank U, Next,’ ” he says.
like Cardi B, Post Malone, two decades ago, when the Backstreet God. All these big pop artists are com- “She was releasing music at the speed
Childish Gambino, Travis Scott and, Boys and the Spice Girls burst out ing at the same time.’ ” of streaming.”
for a record 29 weeks, Drake. In 2019, of what had been a grunge-led ’90s. Radio isn’t the only platform where The so-called “speed of streaming”
while plenty of rap can still be found at “We’re coming out of that doldrum pop music regained ground in 2019. has been synonymous with the world
the top of the chart, there’s also a long phase,” notes Poleman, “and we’re get- At streaming services, long thought of rap, where artists have been much
list of top 40 artists — including Selena ting back into a really good place for to be the province of hip-hop and more willing to release new songs at
Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, Lady pop — mainstream is cool again.” dance artists, many of these pop stars faster, less predictable rates, without
Gaga, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello Poleman says that he first noticed were posting their best showings yet. lengthy promotional pushes or even
and (in multiple appearances) Ariana the shift in early spring, when a num- Gomez, the JoBros and Grande all accompanying albums. “Hip-hop
Grande — leading the way for what has ber of long-dormant marquee names snagged No. 1s on Billboard’s Stream- has understood this for years now,”
been a massive comeback for pop. returned to the top 40 in quick succes- ing Songs chart. says Timmermans, “that it’s all about
“I’ve been doing this since 1983, and sion. “I would meet with the labels a Apple Music head of pop program- keeping fans engaged by releasing
I watch the pop cycles ebb and flow,” few months before the projects were ming Arjan Timmermans believes that content very quickly, instead of having
Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang announces a 50th-anniversary concert to take place in August, later canceling it in July.
thing I Wanted,” and promptly scored didn’t approve of the use.) Most recently, the song
another top 10 hit. “If you take Billie, appeared in a TikTok meme that has popularized it with
or [K-pop group] BTS — they’re art- a younger audience. Billboard breaks down the tune’s
ists that grew up in the streaming age, streaming performance since 2010. —X A N D E R Z E L L N E R
so they know how to release music
perfectly for their audience,” says Jer-
emy Erlich, head of music strategy/
interim co-head of music at Spotify. Y E A R - BY-Y E A R S T R E A M S F O R “9 TO 5”
To recognize Eilish as a defin- 60M
ing pop star of 2019, however, is to 55.7M
COLLECTION. SING: UNIVERSAL/COURTESY OF THE EVERETT COLLECTION. WARREN: JOHN MINCHILLO/AP IMAGES. MALONE: JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC/GETTY IMAGES. LANG: STEPHEN J. COHEN/GETTY IMAGES. GAMBINO: ROB LATOUR/SHUTTERSTOCK. GRAMMY: COURTESY OF THE RECORDING ACADEMY.
Childish Gambino makes history as “This Is America” becomes the first rap track to win both record and song of the year at the Grammy Awards.
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 69
YEAR IN MUSIC 2 0 1 9
SIN CITY’S
JACKPOT YEAR
The musical landscape of the Las Vegas Strip underwent seismic changes in 2019,
from Lady Gaga, Aerosmith, Cardi B, Janet Jackson and others launching residencies
to Vegas icons like Céline Dion closing significant runs —H I L A RY H U G H E S
JUNE 8
After 16 years of
regular performances
in Las Vegas and
$681 million in
MAY 31 combined grosses AUG. 13 AUG. 14 NOV. 2 NOV. 16
Christina Aguilera launches her between A New Day George Strait announces he’s Def Leppard Gwen Stefani Donny & Marie take their
Xperience residency at Zappos and Céline, Céline extending his monthly Strait to opens its Sin City closes her Just a final bow together at the
Theater and earns a $4 million Dion retires from the Vegas residency at T-Mobile residency at Planet Girl residency after Flamingo on the closing night
gross from the first eight shows. Colosseum. Arena, with dates booked Hollywood. a 17-month run. of their sibling act, which they
through February 2020. performed for 11 straight years.
Rapper Nipsey Hussle dies at 33 after being shot in Los Angeles; his Victory Lap album subsequently reenters the Billboard 200 at No. 2 as tributes pour in.
DONNY: JASON LAVERIS/FILMMAGIC/GETTY IMAGES. LEPPARD: KEVIN NIXON. STEFANI: TODD STEFANI AND ROBB DIPPLE. HUSSLE: AARON J . THORNTON/GETTY
KIRSCHBAUM. JACKSON: FARRENTON GRIGSBY AND SOLAIMAN FAZEL. AGUILERA: DENISE TRUSCELLO/GETTY IMAGES. STRAIT: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES.
GAGA: KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES. CAREY: DENISE TRUSCELLO. CARDI B : DAVID BECKER/GETTY IMAGES. AEROSMITH: KATARINA BENZOVA. ZEDD: MICHAEL
M Y FAVO R I T E 2 0 1 9 A L B U M LUCKY AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR YEARS, media explaining ourselves, and this song “Misunderstood”
Victoria Monét because he was a songwriter first. He works with the pro-
ducer D’Mile, who does all of my music, too. I first heard
is a way to say, “We’re fine just how we are.”
Sometimes I hear Marvin Gaye in his tone — it’s not like
his song “Roll Some Mo” in a meeting with Tunji Balogun, he was trying to be or imitate him, but he listened to him
who is Lucky’s A&R [rep at RCA Records], and I knew his and absorbed it, and spit it back out in his own way. I also
PAINTED BY LUCKY DAYE voice, but Tunji called him “Lucky.” I referenced his real feel like New Orleans in general has a big influence on how
name [David Brown], and Tunji was like, “Yeah!” Right talented [Lucky] is, with some of the horns and the strings
when the song comes on, it sounds like you’re dipping and the bass. The soul of the project is from his city. It feels
into another world, and his voice is better than experimental; he wasn’t afraid to try new things.
butter. We had just done a song together for the A lot of people are still discovering [Painted], although
Insecure soundtrack called “Little More Time,” it was released months ago [in May]. It’s always my first
and then he put out “Roll Some Mo” as his first suggestion when someone’s like, “What have you been
IMAGES. MONET: ROB LATOUR/SHUTTERSTOCK.
single. I’ve been hooked ever since. listening to?” It’s really nice in the car, or around the
The album is for people who aren’t afraid to house if you’re cleaning up or cooking. Some of the
love. It has been a long time since we’ve songs can even transfer into a kick-back party vibe.
heard a new male artist be that vulnera- If you’ve ever seen him live, it’s even better. It has
ble. One of my favorite lyrics is “We’d been at least eight years [since we met], and
be so much better misunderstood.” now, I call him Lucky.
We spend so much time on social —AS TO L D TO TAT I A N A C I R I SA N O
WEST: RICH FURY/GETTY IMAGES. MARSHMELLO: JASON SZENES/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK. REMEMBER: DAVID A. SMITH/GETTY IMAGES. GARRIX: JAMES GOURLEY/SHUTTERSTOCK. STUMP: MATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK. REZZ:
regular collaborator Bonn that’s laced with grunge-era guitars.
N JAN. 6, KANYE WEST’S raps, “Radio needs this,” later asking, “If I talk about
wife, Kim Kardashian-West, God my record won’t get played/Huh?/Well if this
posted a clip on Twitter of a take away from my spins/Then I hope this take
spiritual gathering at which West away from my sins.”
and Kid Cudi performed gospel The timing of West’s latest reconnection with
renditions of “Violent Crimes” and God is particularly auspicious, though: In 2018,
“Ghost Town.” The following week, a fan-filmed West received blowback from the hip-hop com-
video surfaced of West’s cousin and frequent col- munity after wearing a red “Make America Great
laborator, Tony Williams, speaking about West’s Again” hat, affirming his support of President
newly formed passion project: Sunday Service. Trump. West later invited more controversy when R EZZ / UN D E ROATH
“The goal is to be able to communicate love he stopped by TMZ and declared that slavery was
WILL SELVIZ. UNDEROATH: FEARLESS RECORDS. KAYZO: AMY HARRIS/INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK. GASKARTH: MEDIAPUNCH/SHUTTERSTOCK.
The Canadian bass producer worked with the Tampa, Fla.,
effectively,” says Williams in the clip. “a choice.” Peers like John Legend and Meek Mill
Christian-rock band’s guitarist-vocalist Aaron Gillespie on
Since then, Sunday Service has exploded: immediately called out West for his comments, “Falling,” a raw, brooding bass bomb. The duo debuted the song
Everyone from Brad Pitt to DMX — who provided but despite being momentarily “canceled,” West at Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival in May.
a morning prayer to kick off Sunday Service in reemerged as a self-described born-again Chris-
March — has attended; Chance the Rapper tian in 2019 — and bounced back.
lauded West during an interview on Jimmy Kim- In October, he punctuated his yearlong focus
mel Live! in September, referring to him as his on religion with his 10th studio album, Jesus Is
“spiritual adviser”; and at the Easter Sunday edi- King, which arrived following a series of delays.
tion, which West held before day three of Coach- The gospel-infused project debuted at No. 1 on the
ella’s second weekend, he debuted merchandise Billboard 200 with 264,000 album-equivalent units,
that read “Holy Spirit” and “Trust God.” At one according to Nielsen Music. YG was among those
point, West was rumored to headline Coachella, who saluted West on his latest, tweeting: “Outside
but backed out after organizers allegedly refused of him loving Trump. I fuck with bro heavy. Genius!”
KAYZO/ALEX GASKARTH
to build a giant dome as his stage; he came to the With Christianity composing West’s new path,
desert anyway, along with the Kardashian clan, Yeezy is seemingly willing to relinquish his pride for Los Angeles DJ Kayzo released his second album, Unleashed, in
August, on which he worked with bands from across the post-
Teyana Taylor, Chance and Ty Dolla $ign. his beliefs. As he told Beats 1 host Zane Lowe in
hardcore, emo and pop-punk worlds, including All Time Low’s
West’s faith has been a recurring theme in his October: “Now that I’m in service to Christ, my job Gaskarth, Our Last Night and Underoath. The album hit No. 14 on
work since his 2004 debut album, The College is to spread the gospel, [and] to let people know the Dance/Electronic Album Sales chart. Says Kayzo: “Everyone’s
Dropout. On its breakout single “Jesus Walks,” he what Jesus has done for me.” — CA R L L A M A R R E taking notice that there are no rules anymore.”
Beyoncé releases Homecoming, a Netflix documentary about her 2018 Coachella headlining performance, along with a surprise live album of the same name.
Discover past and upcoming events and artists at the Montreal Olympic Park,
including: an edgy pop singer, Latin superstar, famous family of singers, orchestra
conductor, ancient Egyptian opera singer, auto show, dirt bike event, team of gymnasts,
Hollywood film shoot, and visit from the pope.
To find out more about the Olympic Park and its lineup of indoor and outdoor events,
visit parcolympique.ca/en/plan-your-event.
YEAR IN MUSIC 2 0 1 9
We Are The
Champions
—Aren’t We?
This year’s biggest biopics and docuseries
boosted their subjects’ streaming numbers, even
as some complicated their legacies
B Y L I N D S AY Z O L A D Z
I
N 2019, A HANDFUL OF temporary acts like Imagine Dragons
celebratory biopics and and Panic! at the Disco.
revelatory docuseries put At the same time, Elton John’s hits
certain legacy acts back in collection Diamonds occupied the
the spotlight, for better or No. 4 slot thanks to a biopic boost
worse. While some of these from the 2019 musical Rocketman.
were met with joy and oth- In June, the set also catapulted to
ers with horror, these releases had No. 7 on the Billboard 200, making
one consistent effect no matter how it John’s 20th top 10 album. While
troubling their revelations: stream- Rocketman didn’t quite reach the
ing of the subjects’ music increased. commercial heights of Bohemian
Last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody Rhapsody, it still grossed a respect-
(which grossed over $900 mil- able $195 million worldwide.
lion globally) delivered Queen’s “I’ve probably had the greatest
hit-filled catalog to a new genera- year of my career at 72 years of age,”
tion — and was embraced. Though John, who was also on a 300-date
the film opened in November 2018, farewell tour and released a New
the band’s discography rode the York Times best-selling autobiogra- tary series — Lifetime’s Surviving music. But even these controversial
wave of its renewed popularity well phy this year, recently told Billboard. R. Kelly, which aired in January, and docuseries appear to have boosted
into 2019. At the top of the year, “I’m thrilled.” HBO’s Leaving Neverland, broad- streaming of both artists’ music.
Universal Music Group announced Even Netflix’s 2019 Mötley Crüe cast in March — drew new scrutiny Surviving R. Kelly actually spurred
that “Bohemian Rhapsody” was flick, The Dirt, boosted the band’s to Kelly’s and Michael Jackson’s a 116% increase in Kelly’s streams
officially the most-streamed song of streams by 329%, despite poor reputations. In the midst of troubling on the last day (Jan. 5) of its three-
the 20th century, having racked up reviews. (Netflix rarely shares view- accusations of sexual abuse, activists day release. And in the week ending
over 1.6 billion streams worldwide, ership numbers, though in April across social media demanded that Jan. 10, two of his biggest catalog hits,
according to UMG. The rock classic its chief content officer announced listeners #MuteRKelly, and sev- “Ignition (Remix)” and “I Believe I
had always been a behemoth, but plans to be more transparent going eral radio stations pulled Jackson’s Can Fly,” briefly returned to Bill-
Rami Malek’s Academy Award-win- forward.) But Bohemian Rhapsody
ning performance gave it new life. and Rocketman proved lucrative
The film had an impact well beyond enough — at the box office and on
just its title track: In the six months
following the release of Bohemian
streaming services — that there will
likely be movie studios continuing
“I’VE PROBABLY HAD THE
Rhapsody, Queen’s on-demand music to bet on rock nostalgia in 2020 and
streams tripled, from 588 million beyond. Two projects already slated GREATEST YEAR OF MY CAREER
to 1.9 billion. Sales, too, had a 483% for release next year include the
increase from the previous year. So David Bowie musical Stardust and
colossal was the Bohemian Rhapsody an Aretha Franklin biopic starring AT 72 YEARS OF AGE.”
bump that, at midyear, the band occu- Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
pied the top two spots on Billboard’s On the other end of the spectrum, — E LT O N J O H N
Top Rock Albums chart, besting con- two highly controversial documen-
Following the release of his fifth album, IGOR, Tyler, The Creator statues pop up at various spots throughout New York.
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y A L I C I A TATO N E
CUT GEMS
These four 2019 Billboard cover profiles packed in so much
that a few worthy anecdotes didn’t make the final story
Two weeks after I first met P!nk is a self-described After plowing his way Upon my arrival to The
Billie Eilish at Coachella, “California crystal through two Shake Shack Armory in Minneapolis,
we spoke again on the lady” with a passion for sandwiches, DaBaby I walked around with
phone. She said perform- astrology: As she washed looked at me inside his the Jonas Brothers’
ing for the first time at the dishes after our lunch, Sprinter van and said Philymack publicist when
festival had been “fucking she gave me a crash two words: Billboard she realized the trio had
crazy,” and that she didn’t course in my sign and Baby. “Y’all remember I been given separate
know how to process warned me about my Sat- told y’all that would be dressing rooms. “That’s
any of it. After she got urn Return, a kind of early my nickname, right?” not going to work,” she
offstage, the first thing midlife crisis that occurs he said, referencing his said. Despite each room
she did was go into her around 29 or 30, when Billboard.com interview being stocked with Coors
trailer alone. “I was com- the planet moves back to in February: “Now, we Light and Celsius (the
pletely silent,” she said. “I the position it occupied on the motherfucking energy drink of choice
actually had to be on an at one’s birth: “The world cover.” In the eyes of in the Jonas camp), she
oxygen tank with tubes takes you by your ankles, DaBaby, his meteoric insisted the venue get
going into my nose — I shakes all the shit out of success isn’t all that sur- them one larger room
was on that for a long-ass your pockets, turns you prising — this was always instead of three, saying,
time. It was great.” right side up, and smacks part of the plan. “They’re going to want to
—LY N D S E Y H AV E N S you on your ass.” — CA R L L A M A R R E be together.”
—N O L A N F E E N E Y —TAY LO R W E AT H E R BY
new light for a new audience can bring biggest spike the A Star Is Born it took for “Shallow” 17th best original song
down a hit. In the digital age, listeners among best original single jumped on the to reach the top of the recipient to top the
are much more inclined to continue song nominees, Billboard Hot 100 Hot 100, five months Hot 100, and the first
celebrating a legacy artist, rather than selling nearly 21,000 to hit No. 1 after the after its release in since Eminem’s “Lose
banish one to obscurity. downloads. Oscars performance. September 2018. Yourself” in 2002.
Taylor Swift’s LGBTQ-friendly video for “You Need to Calm Down” is released in June, and later wins video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards.
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 75
YEAR IN MUSIC 2 0 1 9
A$AP Rocky is detained in Sweden on a preliminary assault charge after video footage captures the rapper in a fight; he’s released in August.
“Lollapalooza Argentina was incredible “Coachella was the beginning, and “I was a fan of [Coachella] way, way before I “In Spain, [especially at Puro Latino Fest
because it was the very first show in the tour, [headlining] Lollapalooza Chicago was was successful in music. I always wanted to 2019], the energy is amazing. People display
and I had never seen an audience move that confirmation. Playing there implies a very go. So playing there was huge for me; plus, this immense respect for the artist — and for
way, so in sync with everything happening big level of responsibility because we are there were tons of people — and it was a Latin artists in particular — and it’s a beautiful
on the stage. And then, Coachella is a representing as Latinos; it’s not just J Balvin market completely different from my Latin thing. My challenge in festivals is to make
place where so many artists I admire have — it’s a culture. It was scary, of course, but market. But I felt the support very quickly my show stand out from the others, so I talk
performed. Since it was the beginning of the it was so successful. We won them over. So because there were a lot of Latins in the with the audience — I get offstage and speak
tour, I wasn’t sure they would know the songs. many artists wrote me: Will.i.am; Pharrell crowd. I get very nervous before taking the with them, dance with them. Next year, I’m
But they followed everything I did — the Williams; Scooter Braun, who wasn’t my stage, and Coachella was no different, but supposed to tour Europe alone. But in a way,
energy was so incredible, I couldn’t believe it. manager at the time. Most of the artists after I got feedback from the fans, I relaxed. I’m almost sorry, because the energy you feel
I left the stage in tears. Up until that moment, who were [at Coachella] came to see me the I met a lot of cool people, but the only one in festivals is so magical and wonderful that I
the only tour I had ever done was seated second Saturday because they had heard so I remember was Marshmello — I met him think a part of me will [miss that].”
alone on a stool.” much about the show.” without his mask.” —AS TO L D TO L E I L A C O B O
M Y FAVO R I T E 2 0 1 9 A L B U M
THERE WEREN’T MANY ALBUMS THAT stuck with me Nobody’s gonna push me off track” and the melody really
Kevin Abstract this year besides [House of Sugar]. I actually opened up stuck with me.
for [Alex G] in 2015 in San Antonio, and that was kind of His shit seems thoughtful but doesn’t seem too calcu-
my introduction to him. It was before [my group] Brock- lated. It creates this world for me to go to while I’m listen-
HOUSE OF SUGAR hampton was any sort of popular. A producer and friend ing, and that’s what I appreciate a lot about any album
of mine, Michael Uzowuru, showed me the song “Sarah” that I love. It’s not too short [at 37 minutes], it’s not too
1: GUIDO ADLER. 2: CHRISTOPHER POLK/SHUTTERSTOCK. 3: TIMOTHY NORRIS/GETTY IMAGES. 4: FELIPE
(SANDY) ALEX G [from 2015’s Trick], and I used to listen to that song a long — I wish every album was its length. It’s so refresh-
lot when I was 19. I never talked to him, but he’s one ing, and that’s really what I needed — something that
ORVI. ABSTRACT: RMV/SHUTTERSTOCK. ROCKY: NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES.
of those artists that I kind of don’t want to meet just stood out from everything else and kept inspiring
because his shit is so magical and I like appreciating me for the new projects I’m trying to do. Shit really,
it from afar. But I also would love to meet him and really stands on its own.
pick his brain. From top to bottom, it feels like one cohesive
I was just alone in my bedroom when some- dream — it’s kind of foggy. I like to put it
one sent [House of Sugar] to me. I don’t want on if I’m having a weird day and I don’t
to say that I didn’t fully get it at first, but it really know why I feel a certain way. Not
took a second to fully grow on me in all to be cliché, but I treat music like a
the right ways. I wish the hook on “Gretel” soundtrack for my life, and [House of
went a few more times, but I love that Sugar] makes life make a little bit more
it didn’t — I love the sense of restraint. The sense for me.
combination of the lyric “I don’t wanna go back/ —AS TO L D TO J O S H G L I C KS M A N
Meek Mill is released from probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge from 2007, ending a nearly 12-year legal battle.
5 Billy Ray Cyrus hops on a remix of “Old official remix, “Old Town Road (Seoul Town Road
APRIL Town Road” after the song is removed Remix),” featuring BTS’ RM. 26 Visits Twitter’s New
from Billboard’s country charts. “Means you’re doing York headquarters, taking the reins from CEO Jack
something great! Only Outlaws are outlawed. Welcome Dorsey for the day. “Lil Nas X’s command of Twitter,
to the club!” tweets Cyrus a few days earlier, referencing meme culture and connecting with fans stood out to
his ’90s country-pop hit “Achy Breaky Heart.” 6 Posts us from the beginning,” says Twitter head of music
a photo of himself working on new music: “I live in the partnerships Kevin O’Donnell, who helped plan the
studio now.” 9 Turns 20 years old, the same day it’s an- stunt. 31 Celebrates 1 million U.K. sales of “OTR,”
nounced that “OTR” hits No. 1 on the Hot 100. Asked how writing on Instagram: “THANK U UK! i love u!!”
he celebrated, he told Billboard, “I’d just became famous 3 “OTR” spends its 17th week atop
and rich. That’s a celebration in itself.” 11 “OTR” breaks AUGUST the Hot 100, breaking the all-time
the one-week U.S. streaming record, with 143 million U.S. record for most weeks at No. 1 on the chart. “OTR”
streams in the week ending April 11. 19 Celebrates 1 mil- passes tied previous record-holders “One Sweet
lion Instagram follow- Day” (by Mariah Carey
ers, noting in a post that and Boyz II Men) and
MEEK MILL: BRIAN STUKES/GETTY IMAGES. LIL NAS X : MATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK. CAREY: JON KOPALOFF/GETTY IMAGES. EILISH: JON KOPALOFF/FILMMAGIC. MASERATI: PBPGALLERIES/ALAMY. OBAMA: HANNES MAGERSTAEDT/GETTY IMAGES. REZNOR: ANDREW H. WALKER/SHUTTERSTOCK. CABELLO: GREG ALLEN/INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK. WINFREY: STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE.
10 months earlier, he “Despacito” (by Luis Fonsi
had only 1,205. 22 Goes and Daddy Yankee). Carey
horseback riding with is among the many artists
Cyrus. 28 Live-debuts who congratulate him
“OTR” remix with Cyrus on social media, saying,
(left, arm raised) during “Keep living your best life!”
RAMSEY: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES. DIPLO: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES. STALLION: ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL/GETTY IMAGES. MINAJ: TAYLOR HILL/FILMMAGIC/GETTY IMAGES. GAGA: LESTER COHEN/GETTY IMAGES. RIHANNA: DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES. ADELE: BROADIMAGE/SHUTTERSTOCK.
Diplo’s Stagecoach 11 Goes roller-skating with
Festival set and drops
second official remix,
with Diplo (left, in red),
the same day. “OTR”
‘ROAD’ Noah Cyrus. 14 Partners with Topps baseball cards
for his own limited-edition trading card. 17 “OTR”
breaks the record for most weeks (19) at No. 1 on the
Hot Rap Songs chart. It goes on to notch 20 weeks
CLOCKING IN
former executive for Amazon, Oculus and
Hulu, who follows the tech and media
industries. “There’s no doubt that after
827,515
The number of times the
FOR A HIT
the acquisition [of Musical.ly], TikTok has
#HotGirlSummer hashtag has
become more prominent in the cultural
been tagged on Instagram.
discussion, but there is only so much of a
market for meme videos.”
How video-sharing app TikTok ruled 2019 — and
why it may or may not be able to hold steady in 2020
And as it enters 2020, the platform
and its parent company, ByteDance,
1.6M
face bigger challenges than ever: from The amount of views
BY MICAH SINGLETON for a teaser clip Megan shared
increasing competition from services
like Instagram and Facebook (which on her Instagram, in which
launched a TikTok rival named Lasso), to she asked fans to pre-save
“Hot Girl Summer.”
T
questions from the U.S. government and
IKTOK — THE VIDEO APP fuel hits. “It’s the first real innovation of lawmakers about whether the app poses
that has rapidly increased
in popularity after acquiring
social [media] that we’ve seen in a while,
because it’s not about an artist or about
a risk to national security.
Since October, when Senate Minor- No. 11
Musical.ly in August 2018 — a song or even about influencers and ity Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) Where “Hot Girl Summer”
shook the music industry in personalities,” says Elissa Ayadi, senior and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asked debuted on the Billboard Hot
2019 following the breakout vp fan engagement and digital market- U.S. intelligence officials to assess the 100 in August — Megan’s highest
success of Lil Nas X. ing at Warner Records. “It’s really about national security risk TikTok poses due to entry on the chart to date.
Artists have embraced the platform the meme.” its ties to China — calling it a “potential
this year — including Miley Cyrus, Lizzo, Lil Nas X proved that to be true with counterintelligence threat we cannot
Kesha and The Chainsmokers (all of
whom have been active users in the past
his hit “Old Town Road,” which sat
atop the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks
ignore” — TikTok’s 2020 outlook is murky
at best. Though, Ayadi is confident it
187.3M
The number of U.S. streams
60 days). Meanwhile, the “meme cul- after gaining popularity on TikTok as can become an industry staple: “If we’re “Hot Girl Summer” has raked in
ture” — in which a certain image and/or a meme. “I promoted the song as a talking about the next six months to a through Nov. 28, according to
video rapidly spreads online with various meme for months until it caught on to year, they’re going to continue to grow,” Nielsen Music.
user-made captions or interpretations — TikTok, and it became way bigger,” Lil she says. “Just here in the States, there’s
that TikTok revolves around continues to Nas X told Time in March. In the wake massive potential.”
Nicki Minaj tweets that she’s retiring from music to start a family with her newlywed husband, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, but later releases songs with PnB Rock and Karol G.
WAITING IN VAIN
These pop superstars hinted at new
L A DY G AG A
Gaga kicked off the year on the
awards circuit for A Star Is Born
RIHANNA
“2019” was Rihanna’s answer to
a fan who asked “When is the
ADELE
Earlier this year, Adele was re-
portedly prepping the follow-up
— performing “Shallow” at the album dropping?” in a Decem- to 25, which broke the record for
music in 2019 — only to leave fans hoping Grammy Awards and winning an ber 2018 Instagram comment. biggest first-week album sales
that 2020 would be more fruitful Academy Award for best original Instead of releasing the follow- following its 2015 release. While
song — while launching a pair up to 2016’s Anti, though, she making a highly publicized visit
of Las Vegas residencies. The signed a worldwide deal with to a New York drag bar in March,
pop superstar spent the rest of Sony/ATV Music Publishing in she confirmed she was “working”
2019 posting studio photos and September and stayed busy in the city (she had been photo-
teasing her sixth full-length as with her Fenty line (including graphed entering Manhattan’s
producers including SOPHIE, tapping fellow artists Normani Electric Lady Studios) and, two
BloodPop and Boys Noize con- and Tinashe as brand ambas- months later, on her 31st birthday,
firmed involvement. Although sadors). A long-promised project she teased in a cheeky Instagram
Lady Gaga declared that she influenced by her Caribbean caption that “30 will be a drum
was “pregnant with #LG6” in roots still has yet to materialize, n bass record” — but a rumored
March, there’s no due date on extending the longest album November date came and went.
the horizon. drought of Rihanna’s career. —JAS O N L I P S H U T Z
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y R YA N S N O O K D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 79
YEAR IN MUSIC 2 0 1 9
Kelly Clarkson
July 13 on Twitter
@taylorswift13 just a thought, U should
Yael Cohen (Braun’s wife)
June 30 on Instagram
go in & re-record all the songs that
U don’t own the masters on exactly Scott (Scooter) was so excited to work
how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of and build with you. How embarrassing
incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I’d this temper tantrum is because you
buy all of the new versions just to prove a point didn’t get your own way. He believes in and supports
you, I sincerely hope you can learn to love and believe in
yourself the way my husband does.
Selena Gomez
Nov. 15 on Instagram
I have known Taylor for 13 years. She
Demi Lovato
July 1 on Instagram
is the most dedicated, fearless, feisty,
strongest woman I’ve ever known … I have dealt with bad people in this
Seeing my best friend (or any of my friends) be constantly industry and Scooter is not one of them.
pulled down is the worst feeling. Taylor fights. She will He’s a good man. Personally, I’m grateful
never stop fighting … I just want a change of heart. he came into my life when he did. Please stop “dragging”
On June 30, news broke that Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings people or bullying them … Y’all can come after me all you
had acquired Big Machine Records — and, along with it, want but I’m always gonna stay loyal to my team.
Taylor Swift’s six-album catalog. Swift publicly criticized the deal,
Kesha claiming that she had tried to buy back her master recordings
Nov. 18 on Twitter for years, to no avail. In the months that followed, Swift alleged
that Braun and Big Machine Label Group founder/CEO Scott Sia
I stand in solidarity with @taylorswift13.
Borchetta were actively blocking her from performing her July 1 on Twitter
Artists should be allowed the right to
perform their songs as they wish. As a older songs, which Braun and Borchetta denied. All the You’re a good kind man @scooterbraun
songwriter, songs are our children, our accomplishments, while, a number of artists — including longtime I hope this passes quickly.
our thoughts, and our voice. friends of Swift and clients of Braun — have I love you keep going.
taken to social media to weigh in on
the continuing battle.
Rihanna releases The Rihanna Book, a 500-page, 15-pound autobiographical collection of photos captured throughout her life.
GOMEZ: SHUTTERSTOCK. HALSEY: JIM SPELLMAN/GETTY IMAGES. CLARKSON: AFF-USA/SHUTTERSTOCK. KESHA: MATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK. SWIFT: STEVE GRANITZ/
WIREIMAGE. BRAUN: JASON LAVERIS/FILMMAGIC/GETTY IMAGES. BIEBER: GOTHAM/GC IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES. LOVATO: BROADIMAGE/SHUTTERSTOCK. SIA: JB LACROIX/
M Y FAVO R I T E 2 0 1 9 A L B U M THIS YEAR, THE RECORDS I WAS REALLY LISTENING come. It grabs you immediately. I also love the pacing;
Maggie Rogers to were older, like McCartney II and a lot of Lucinda Wil-
liams and Gillian Welch, but Sharon has been one of my
the track list is perfect.
Something I always try and put into my music is just the
WIREIMAGE. COHEN: JASON MERRITT/RADARPICS/SHUTTERSTOCK. ROGERS: OLIVIA BEE. RIHANNA: COURTESY OF SUBJECT.
favorite artists and songwriters since I started listening to beauty of being human, trying to make something that
her in high school. I’ve always been in awe of her, her voice shows the flaws, because that friction is what makes great
REMIND ME TOMORROW and her production style. When I was at New York Univer- records great. There are a couple of perfect moments on
sity — she’s such a New York figure — she was someone this where Sharon’s voice cracks; she’s just yelling, but
SHARON VAN ETTEN
I looked up to, and she inevitably became a mentor and a she’s so empowering in her rawness. The way the record
friend in a real way as I was graduating from college. takes you through these emotions, it feels like driving at
But this year, there was this real beautiful synchron- night through Los Angeles — you hear it lyrically.
icity — I shared a release day with Sharon; This is a giant year of change for me, both person-
[her] record came out the same day as [mine], ally and professionally. It’s a mess out there — you got
Heard It in a Past Life, and we got to cheers to hold tight to the albums that hold you. I feel like she
together that night. It feels so connected to had me, like she was with me. Having these moments
my record in a way — like, if mine is light, of chaos within the record that are also in some way
hers is really dark, but in a way that I love. very organized, it made me feel settled in the deep
It’s so haunted. There’s so much grit in this unsettling I was going through — it was a tour
record but still so much space. I’m hang- companion. It’s no surprise that this record
ing on every breath when it starts, the hit me, because I love everything that Sharon
spacing of those chords — you just don’t makes, but it really found me right when I
know when the next one is going to needed it. —AS TO L D TO LY N D S E Y H AV E N S
1 2
3 4
1. COACHELLA COMEBACK 2. BACKSTREET’S BACK 3. SPICING UP THEIR LIVES 4. OOPS! IT WAS WORN AGAIN
Grande (center) brought out *NSYNC members From left: Backstreet Boys’ Kevin Richardson, From left: Spice Girls’ Geri Halliwell (Ginger In the music video for Miley Cyrus’ “Mother’s
Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, JC Chasez Howie Dorough, A.J. McLean, Nick Carter Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Mel B Daughter” — the lead single off her EP She Is
and Joey Fatone during her weekend- one and Brian Littrell perform during the band’s (Scary Spice) and Melanie C (Sporty Spice, Coming — Cyrus wore a red latex body suit
Coachella headlining set. They joined the star DNA World Tour, which tallied over 100 in front) during their Spice World Tour stop similar to the one Britney Spears wore in her
for her “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m gigs and followed a successful Las Vegas in Bristol, England. The reunion trek — which 2000 video for “Oops!... I Did It Again.” Cyrus
Bored” (which samples the band’s “It Makes Me residency. The tour supported its January spanned 13 dates and grossed $78.2 million, posted a video still of herself in the outfit on
Ill”) and ended with their classic single “Tearin’ album of the same name, which topped the according to Billboard Boxscore — ended an Instagram, even tagging Spears, to which
Up My Heart.” Billboard 200. 11-year hiatus for the girl group. Britney’s little sister, Jamie, commented:
“I thought this was Britney.”
Selena Gomez nabs her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lose You to Love Me,” the lead single from her first album in over four years. Harry
Though the 2010s just wrapped, turn-of-the-century
me
bubblegum pop made a strong comeback this year, from
unexpected boy band triumphs to throwback fashion homages.
“We’re all calling back to that early-2000s era,” Ariana Grande’s
“Thank U, Next” video director, Hannah Lux Davis, told
Billboard in 2019. “It’s prime time for our generation now.”
‘VIVA FOREVER’
Melanie C, aka Sporty Spice, on how nostalgia fueled 2019
I
T WAS ONLY LAST YEAR the Diplo remix of Niall Horan’s
that Charli XCX and Anne- “Nice to Meet Ya,” which is so ’90s
Marie wrote love letters with those house-y pianos. You’re
to Y2K pop with songs taking something really authentic
titled “1999” and “2001,” from the ’90s, but it has real reso-
respectively. But in 2019, the nance with young people.
period’s biggest names came back
to claim their era: The Backstreet Spice Girls songs were often
Boys scored their first No. 1 album joyfully over the top — is that a
in 19 years with January’s DNA, defining trait of music from that
*NSYNC (sans Justin Timberlake) era?
reunited during Ariana Grande’s It was so important to the Spice
weekend-one headlining Coachella Girls because it made us relat-
set in April, and the Spice Girls able. We are pretty normal girls
gave everyone what they really, at heart. We took pride in our
really wanted when they embarked imperfections. I think that’s miss-
on a sold-out U.K./Ireland stadium ing today, especially with the
tour in May. Melanie C — who, Instagram generation, where kids
following her girl group’s reunion, is have these apps that make them
turning her focus to her solo career look perfect. We celebrate making
with new single “High Heels” — mistakes. Some of the most fun
looks back on the year. moments of the Spice Girls are
when Geri [Horner, aka Ginger
Could you feel nostalgia for late- Spice] goes wrong!
1990s/early-2000s pop culture in
the air this year? At the final show of the tour,
Yeah! I think these things go in Geri apologized for the abrupt
cycles, especially with fashion. My way she quit the group in 1998.
daughter’s 10, and she’s a big Urban Did this tour help you see your
Outfitters fan. I walked in there last younger self in a new light?
summer and was like, “Oh, my God, One hundred percent. Through
they raided my loft!” It was very the years, we’ve often talked about
much on our minds when [the Spice getting back together, and part of
Girls] finally got our shit together me was nervous because it would
and agreed to do some shows. mean revisiting things that were
quite painful. But now we’re a little
5. THANK U FOR THE TRIP On your reunion tour, some of bit older, and being a mum as well,
DOWN MEMORY LANE the new arrangements of old I’m in a different phase in my life.
Though released in November 2018, Grande’s “Thank U, songs weren’t actually new at When you have success as a young
Next” music video lived well into 2019 — the song
all — they were classic David person in the industry, you’re so
was the lead single and title track to her February
4: C OURTESY OF RCA. 5: COURTESY OF REPUBLIC (4). MELANIE C :
became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100). In the How much inspiration did you mode. I don’t think you ever have
clip, Grande reenacts scenes from four early-2000s draw from the archives? time to fully appreciate what you’re
rom-coms: Mean Girls, Bring It On, 13 Going On 30 and
A lot — because of the nostalgic doing. It’s cathartic to go back and
Legally Blonde — with everyone from Jennifer Garner
to Reese Witherspoon approving the reinterpretations feel we wanted to create, but also celebrate all the success that we’ve
on social media. On the first anniversary of the song because the ’90s are influencing had. It’s strange how long it took
and music video, Grande tweeted: “i can’t believe how so much at the moment. I’ve been for me to feel brave enough.
WIREIMAGE.
much i’ve learned and healed, how much i still have to doing a bit of DJ’ing the last couple —N O L A N F E E N E Y
learn and heal!”
of years, and this weekend, I played
Styles drops second solo album Fine Line, previewed by the singles “Lights Up” and “Watermelon Sugar,” both of which he performs while hosting Saturday Night Live in November.
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 83
THIS YEAR WAS
Lady Gaga
Kiss Jason Aldean Florida Georgia Line Mumford & Sons Charlie Puth
Our listeners got even closer to their favorite artists with a year
full of shows and performances they’ll never forget.
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💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰 The Business Of 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰 H O L I DAY M U S I C
💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
COHEN: OLIVER MORRIS/GETTY IMAGES. CAREY: STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE. MUSGRAVES: ANNE MARIE FOX. COYNE: SHIRLAINE FORREST/WIREIMAGE.
﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄
CHRISTMAS MUSIC MAY SEEM LIKE A NOVELTY — BUT STREAMING HAS MADE IT AN ANNUITY.
It’s a business worth an estimated $177 million a year in the United States (see page 87) and dominated by
artists ranging from Brenda Lee to Mariah Carey, who has turned a 1994 hit into her own cottage industry
(p. 80). Now, Kacey Musgraves is reimagining the Christmas special (p. 91), Trans-Siberian Orchestra
is amping up its pyrotechnics (p. 94) — and even Hanukkah music (p. 92) is getting lit.
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H O L I DAY M U S I C
P H OTO G R A P H E D BY R U V E N A FA N A D O R
I
N HINDSIGHT, MARIAH CAREY Yet even its status as a No. 1 single doesn’t stateside theater shows, Carey played a handful
regrets the bangs. totally capture the song’s might. “All I Want for of U.S. arenas.
“Even then it wasn’t good,” she Christmas Is You” has topped Billboard’s Holi- “We had talked about Christmas and doing
scoffs, condemning the offending day 100 for 38 of the seasonal chart’s 43 weekly something special,” says her longtime agent, Rob
fringe and ringlets she sported at her editions since it launched in 2011, and it’s also the Light of Creative Artists Agency, of the show’s
first Christmas concert in Decem- biggest-selling digital holiday track of all time: origins. “She brought up the Christmas show at
ber 1994. Then 24 with a handful To date, it has sold 3.6 million downloads in the Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes and how
of No. 1 hits already to her name, United States, according to Nielsen Music. (Re- special it was for her, how she always wished she
Carey had just released her first holiday album, markably, the song is being released as a physical could do something like that. I responded, ‘Why
Merry Christmas, when she and a gospel choir single for the first time ever this month.) Carey is can’t you?’ The hope now is to take [her Christ-
took the stage at the Cathedral of St. John the especially proud of how, last year, the song broke mas show] and really make it an annual event that
Divine in New York. Along with classic carols, Spotify’s record for the most streamed track in takes on a much wider, worldwide appeal.”
she performed live for the first time some of the a 24-hour period. “I think that’s very impor- Carey’s passion for Christmas is unmissable in
album’s new songs — including “All I Want for tant,” she says during our original conversation, conversation. She rattles off sales figures, chart
Christmas Is You.” “because people want to say, ‘She’s a physical stats and behind-the-scenes trivia as quickly as
Carey has been thinking a lot lately about that [albums] artist. She doesn’t understand or know she cracks jokes, including several that wink at
St. John the Divine concert, which over the years [streaming]. It’s a different business.’ Then why her own diva reputation. (When I first mention
has achieved legendary status among her fans. In did the song break the record for most streamed Merry Christmas’ 25th anniversary, she cuts me
November, she released a deluxe anniversary edi- song within one day?” off: “Let’s get this straight: It has only been two
tion of Merry Christmas that included previously Today, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is years since the release of the album,” she says
unreleased live recordings from that show, and the gold standard for contemporary Christmas with a laugh.) But Carey is also unflinchingly can-
she has been revisiting the film footage from that originals, sitting in the holiday canon alongside did as she looks back on painful holiday memo-
night, like the performance of “Joy to the World” “White Christmas,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and the ries from her “extremely damaged” childhood
she released as a music video 25 years ago. But carols Carey grew up singing. Even her closest — her parents divorced when she was 3 — and she
she still can’t quite get over her style choices. collaborators can’t quite fathom its cultural im- doesn’t hesitate to draw a straight line between
“Somebody tweeted the [“Joy to the World” pact. “That’s the thing I know about most Christ- them and her unabashed adoration of the holiday
video] the other day: ‘Love this. Bet she hates the mas records: You’re not going to be Bing Crosby; as an adult. Carey’s Christmas business is lucra-
hair, though,’ ” says Carey, flashing a wry smile you’re not going to be Nat ‘King’ Cole,” says Ran- tive and, of course, lots of fun, but it’s driven by
in a loft in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood dy Jackson, who played bass on Merry Christmas something much deeper.
late one November evening. Today, the amber and has worked with Carey as a musical director, “I truly love Christmas and just live for that
waves framing her face look much sleeker than producer and manager over the years. “But she feeling that’s unlike everything else,” she says.
the voluminous mane she rocked in the ’90s. took it upon herself and wrote new Christmas “It’s a childlike quality that I have, and I know
“It should’ve just been regular curls without songs that were unbelievably amazing.” that. I know most people are like, ‘Ugh, it’s
the ponytail and the blown-out Christmas. I have to get every-
bangs. But we all go through these body gifts and deal with my
things, and I digress.” family.’ It’s not that I don’t have
Nothing — neither tweet nor “We all have different triggers those issues. I do. But I put it all
HAIR BY SERGE NORMANT AT STATEMENT ARTISTS. MAKEUP BY KRISTOFER BUCKLE AT CROSBY CARTER MANAGEMENT. SET DESIGN BY TODD WIGGINS AT THE MAGNET AGENCY. ON-SITE TAILORING BY NILE CMYLO.
unfortunate coif — gets past aside for just one peaceful mo-
ment alone by the tree listening
Carey, whose keen memory and
fastidious eye for detail are at the that make us feel more grounded. to music.”
height of their powers during the
holidays. In the years since she The first time I sing ‘All I Want for Do you hear Merry Christmas
released Merry Christmas, the any differently now than you did
season has become as essential to Christmas Is You’ each year is the back then?
her brand as her famed whistle It’s interesting, because I pick
register and her many Billboard
Hot 100 chart-toppers. A few
best part of the year for me.” a lot of things apart about the
Merry Christmas album. Origi-
weeks after our interview, “All I nally, I would just nitpick “All
Want for Christmas Is You,” which I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Carey co-wrote with collaborator Not the song itself, but the vocal:
Walter Afanasieff, topped the Hot 100 (on the Creating a modern classic is not enough for “Why didn’t I fix this? Why didn’t I do that?”
chart dated Dec. 21) for the first time thanks to Carey, however. In the past decade, she has also Things that would irritate me. Now I just live
the annual (and growing) spike in streaming it built a Christmas empire that stretches well be- with it and love it. My relationship with Merry
receives around the holidays. It is Carey’s 19th yond music. The single has spawned a TV special Christmas is better than it was when I first made
No. 1 single on the chart — the most among solo (for ABC in 2010), a Hallmark Channel original the album. I put so much into it. It wasn’t like,
artists in history — and only the second holi- movie (2015’s A Christmas Melody, which she “Here’s a throwaway.” This was a real labor of
day song to reach the top position (after The starred in and directed), a children’s book (2015’s love, and I’m a perfectionist.
Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song” with David All I Want for Christmas Is You, which inspired a
Seville ruled for four weeks in 1958-59). 2017 animated film of the same name) and an an- Your two Christmas albums — Merry Christmas
“We definitely wanted to kick it into high gear nual Christmas spectacular that, since its launch II You arrived in 2010 — touch on so many sounds
this year with the song to celebrate the 25th an- in New York in 2014, has expanded into multiple and styles. Do you find the subject of Christmas
niversary, but I definitely didn’t expect it to hit cities and grossed $16.5 million, according to creatively liberating?
No. 1 two weeks before Christmas,” Carey tells figures reported to Billboard Boxscore (which I find it freeing, honestly, because it’s taking
me the day of the song’s summit. “I just want to do not include grosses for all dates). Two years myself out of having to be like, “This is my ver-
thank everybody. I want the world to have the ago, she brought the show to Europe for the first sion of what I think a hit is.” It doesn’t necessar-
best holiday ever.” time, and in 2019, instead of her usual cluster of ily make sense to everybody. I’ve said this before,
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and I touch on it in my memoir [due in 2020 on that way! We all have different triggers that Santa Claus comes to the house and talks to them.
Andy Cohen’s imprint at Henry Holt & Co.]: I make us feel more grounded. I know what makes When I didn’t have kids, I helped a friend of mine
grew up looking forward to the holidays all year me feel festive, and the first time I sing “All I that used to work with me. She had a kid, and I
long, but because I have such a tragically dys- Want for Christmas Is You” each year is the best made the holidays about her. It was for me, but it
functional family, certain family members or ex- part of the year for me. [also let me] see the holidays through the eyes of
family members would ruin it every year. As an a child. Now, with my own kids, it’s just a trillion
adult, what I’ve tried to do is take what I always What do you remember about the very first time times more impactful.
wished Christmas would be and have the perfect you performed it?
holiday season. For me, it’s not just making a It was at St. John the Divine. All of that audio is When do the holidays start for you?
Christmas album for the sake of jumping on a available for the first time on this deluxe anniver- As soon as I stop working. This year, I think
bandwagon. It’s literally exorcising the demons sary edition. That was a really defining moment they start on the 22nd, which is a day and a half
that I had to battle as a child and coming out still of my career. It was a charity event, and we raised too late, if you ask me. [I like] at least a week
feeling festive. over half a million dollars for the Fresh Air Fund of Christmas music and Christmas movies and
[a nonprofit that provides summer programs for activities only. When we’re relaxing, no one’s
You have songs on your album that speak to this children from low-income communities]. That’s allowed to listen to anything but Christmas music
melancholy. Did you always want to acknowledge the reason the whole thing is so important. I’m until Jan. 1.
the darker side of the holidays in your work? just like, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I remember it.
The truth is, it was a subconscious thing. It was boring. It was all rich people. They barely “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has led to more
Somebody mentioned to me the other day that clapped. Nobody knew ‘All I Want for Christmas’ than just Christmas shows. It has inspired books,
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the saddest yet.” But then the kids in the front were all Fresh films. It’s a big part of the movie Love, Actually.
Christmas song ever written. I was like, “Did Air Fund kids, and they were all clapping in Fresh The curious thing about that is that [the movie]
you have to get that analytical about it?!” But Air Fund T-shirts. They fueled me. Those kids happened before the song was as big as it is. So
after hearing that, I was like, “Oh, I can see it: gave me so much life. the Love, Actually moment, I’m actually very
‘Santa, won’t you bring me the one I really need/ grateful for it because I think it did help the song
Won’t you please bring my baby to me quickly.’ ” Speaking of children: Your 8-year-old twins, Mo- reach an even greater audience. But I also think
(Laughs.) I just want to enjoy the holidays. The roccan and Monroe, are a part of your Christmas the song has taken on a life of its own that I had
Christmas songs that I’ve written help me do shows. I saw them stop by the photo shoot for this never anticipated.
that. The songs that were written decades before story on their way to choir practice.
I was born help me do that. A Charlie How many asks do you get a year to
Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red- license “All I Want for Christmas Is
Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snow- You”?
man — all these things that I grew A lot. Some are from people whom I
up watching and still watch with my “I come from an extremely respect enormously. I [usually] want
kids [do that]. to say yes, but I may be working
damaged childhood. But the that year on something for myself
There’s a really sweet moment in with the song, be it a film project or
your Christmas show when you cover
“Christmastime Is Here” from A Char-
thing is, from the manure comes cartoon. I should be flattered, and
I am. But sometimes I just want to
lie Brown Christmas and clips from
the cartoon play onscreen.
a flower. If you don’t have that keep my version. It’s precious to me
because it genuinely feels like it’s a
I love that you said that because this
guy that’s working on my show right
optimism, you won’t survive.” part of my childhood that I never got
to experience.
now has been like, “Let’s redo the
Charlie Brown part.” I’m like, “But the What inspired you to branch off into
[Charles] Schulz estate gave me that film with these songs?
footage!” They were like, “We love your version They want to be onstage. I said, “If you don’t want Honestly, I’ve always wanted to do a cartoon
of ‘Christmastime Is Here’! That’s our favorite to do it, please tell me, because I’ll never force you movie around my character from the All I Want
version of that song.” For me, that was a huge to do anything with show business. It’s up to you.” for Christmas Is You book. I would love to do
compliment. But yeah, I don’t think it needs to be [They’re like,] “We want to do it! We want to do another. I think I would do a better version now
redone. You can’t make it better! You can’t rein- it!” They’ve been running out and giving me hugs because my life is different — the people in my
vent people’s memories and make them different! and throwing T-shirts to the crowd [at my shows], professional career are different. But I’m still
which is all fun and games, but they actually have happy because my kids love it. It’s a nice thing
Tradition is a big part of Christmas, but you made beautiful voices. If they want to do it, they need to for children. I’m not saying it’s a Christmas
some changes to the show this year: In New York, get to rehearsal and figure out the song and focus classic, but I know I have the capacity to make a
you moved from the Beacon Theatre to Madison and not be on the iPads all the time. But they’re Christmas classic. I would like to have the sup-
Square Garden. doing great. I’m so glad you saw them on their port system to do that. That, I think, is the next
Obviously, I still love doing those shows at the hoverboards because that’s their new favorite chapter in this. I believe it can happen.
Beacon Theatuh, dahling — it’s great that it’s thing. I love anything that’s not the iPads.
intimate — but I wanted to put on an even bigger At this point, it seems like if you wanted to do
kind of a show, more of an extravaganza. So this How has parenthood changed the way you cel- a musical based on the song, there would be an
year, certain things changed. But when it comes ebrate the holidays? audience. If you opened a pop-up “All I Want for
to, “Oh, we should change the Charlie Brown Aside from these Christmas shows, there’s the Christmas Is You” restaurant, I’m sure the line
thing, we can re-create it,” I’m like, “But I don’t actual leaving town and celebrating Christmas would be around the block.
want that!” I don’t care that it’s not super high in Aspen [Colo.], which is my favorite, favorite This is what we talked about last year! But
definition. Who cares? It is what it is! It’s more thing to do. It’s become their favorite thing to do. unfortunately, there have been a couple years
nostalgic for me the other way, so make it work We do everything from sledding to sleigh-riding. of difficult stuff that I’ve had to overcome and
92 BILLBOARD • DECEMBER 21, 2019 Carey reacts to her old music videos at billboard.com/videos.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────
Mugler dress, Jacob & Co. earrings.
get through. But you push your way through we had no money. She would wrap up fruit in erased. I just focused on the holidays. You can
anything negative. You should remember that I newspaper and give it to me like, “This is from drown in negativity, or you can push past it. I
come from an extremely damaged childhood. But the cat!” She would sing Christmas carols and don’t know what they told you to write about
the thing is, from the manure comes a flower. You make mulled wine and have her friends over. I or what you wanted to write about. But I think
have to go through some stuff where you can get got that from her, and whatever our differences that’s the story.
to a place where you can be optimistic because if are, I’m so thankful for that.
you don’t have that optimism, you won’t survive. The fact is, her Irish family disowned us. I’m Last question: What do you want for Christmas
not going to get into it — it was a different time this year?
What were your holidays like growing up? — but to her mom, that she married a black man Honestly — how do I say this? — we want peace
[My mother] is the reason why I love Christmas was the biggest affront that could ever happen. on earth. I think everybody knows that we want
so much. She got me into it. My dad wasn’t into As a person, it makes you feel like, “Well, what that. Personally, I would like for my children to
it — my parents were divorced. But she was am I? I’m not worthy of love from this side of have a beautiful holiday and have the best time
super festive and tried really hard even though the family?” But at the holidays, everything got ever. And I would like the same for myself.
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 93
Clockwise from top: Ariana
Grande, John Legend, Kelly
Clarkson, Chuck Berry, Bruce
Springsteen, Paul McCartney,
Kacey Musgraves and Michael
Bublé, who have all had success
with holiday music.
───────────────────────────────────
The Business Of
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ø"÷""
ÕEEP ÙN
GIVING Now that streaming gives seasonal music an annual boost,
Christmas songs can be hits every year. But Santa saves
most serious royalty checks for decades-old classics
B Y G L E N N P E O P L E S // I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y R YA N I N Z A N A
﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄
F
IVE MONTHS AGO, Merry Christmas. Someone from man- tion. So Koppe’s team of music elves was defined by holiday purchases,
during the dog days of agement suggested looping in Carey, — which included executives from which meant that hit recordings were
summer, Sony Music whom Koppe says is “very hands-on” marketing, publicity, A&R and product enormously profitable the year they
executive Lyn Koppe about marketing — “the look and feel, management — worked with Twitter were released but didn’t generate
was already running a timing and strategy.” And, within min- to create an exclusive video of Carey much revenue after a couple of years.
15-person meeting to utes, the five-octave alto herself had reading fans’ tweets about her holiday Few record stores stocked much older
prepare for Christmas. It wasn’t her joined the call to chime in on the best music. They created a video skit to Christmas music, and terrestrial radio
first that year, either. Koppe, executive way to promote the reissue. go with an enhanced version of the doesn’t pay to use recordings in the
vp global catalog for Sony’s Legacy “I think there were a few jaws on album for Spotify. And by fall, they United States. But because streaming
Recordings, leads a team that every the floor,” says Koppe, recalling her were promoting the Last Christmas monetizes the ongoing consumption of
January begins planning how to TikTok counterparts’ reaction to soundtrack — which includes the music rather than an initial purchase,
promote the year’s holiday releases, as Carey’s cameo at the meeting. But Wham! single the movie is named it has changed the concentrated busi-
well as the company’s evergreen sea- there was a lot at stake: The singer’s after, as well as other songs by the ness of Christmas music even more
sonal music. As the sun shone down iconic Christmas album has become an group — and working to maintain the dramatically than the rest of the indus-
on Sony’s Manhattan offices, which annuity for her and Sony, a blue-chip visibility of time-honored seasonal hits try. These changes have also amplified
overlook Madison Square Park, the property in a holiday recorded-music by Andy Williams, The Ronettes and the cumulative advantage of the classic
group tossed around ideas by phone business that was worth $177 million Elvis Presley. “We make sure they’re holiday recordings that come up first
with executives from TikTok and in 2018 in the United States alone, not forgotten about,” says Koppe. in search results — whether typed in
members of Mariah Carey’s manage- estimates Billboard. This year, at least, there’s little or voice-requested.
ment team on how to promote the Carey understands that even the danger of that. For about a century, Although it’s hard to get exact
25th-anniversary reissue of Carey’s most enduring albums need promo- the business of Christmas music figures for the holiday music business,
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 95
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the most popular recordings in the the rewards are considerable — the tracks is dominated by the original recording is “Jingle Bells,” cut by the
genre generate far more revenue than top holiday recording of 2018, Carey’s versions of classic songs, recorded by banjo player Will Lyle in 1889. In
they did a decade ago. “Last Christ- “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” was artists that younger listeners aren’t 1905, Victor Records had a hit with
mas” by Wham! sold 81,000 tracks streamed almost a quarter as much familiar with: Williams, Helms, Burl “Silent Night, Hallow’d Night,” an
in the United States in 2008 — and as the year’s top pop song. But the Ives (“Have a Holly Jolly Christ- English version of the German hymn
sold and streamed the equivalent of No. 100 holiday recording on stream- mas,” the No. 5 most popular holiday “Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht.” Thirty
706,000 last year, according to Nielsen ing services was streamed less than recording of 2018) and Gene Autry years later, Bing Crosby made the
Music. Older recordings are getting 10% as much as the No. 100 pop track. (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” song an even bigger hit, which was in-
more popular, too: Andy Williams’ To get a sense of just how much No. 9). Helms’ version of “Jingle Bell cluded on the 1940 Decca compilation
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the streaming has changed this part of Rock” is more than 12 times as popular An Album of Christmas Music — the
Year,” the third-most-popular holiday the business, consider that some of as the second-biggest version, by Now That’s What I Call Christmas! of
recording of 2018, sold 52,000 tracks the most popular holiday recordings Hall & Oates. Perhaps it is because the 78 rpm era.
in 2008 and streamed and sold the weren’t easily available on traditional holiday music is so associated with Over the next few years, Crosby
equivalent of 839,000 last year. Overall, CD albums a decade ago. The second- tradition, “I don’t know of a rerecord- helped make Christmas big business.
holiday music accounted for 0.89% most-popular holiday song in 2018 was ing that outperforms the original,” says His 1942 recording of “White Christ-
of on-demand streams in 2015 and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms, a SiriusXM director of programming mas” sold 600,000 copies that year
1.11% last year — and during that time, 1950s country artist who aside from Jess Besack. and 2 million in 1943, according to
the overall revenue from on-demand that track sold the equivalent of 1,000 These songs are like blue-chip Crosby biographer Gary Giddins, and
streaming rose from $1.57 billion in albums, including downloads and stocks: uncool but no less valuable for it is said to have sold over 50 million
2015 to $5.5 billion in 2018, according streaming. Some holiday hits by fa- it. And they’re likely to grow in value, copies worldwide — making it the
to the RIAA. mous artists weren’t even available on along with streaming revenue in gen- biggest single ever. That recording,
Most of this Christmas cash goes albums: Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful eral. “Christmas hits,” says Koppe, “are plus another take on “Silent Night”
to a relatively small number of rights Christmastime,” the Eagles’ “Please the gifts that keep on giving.” and other songs, were released as the
C
holders. Last year, the top 50 holiday Come Home for Christmas” and Bruce Crosby album Merry Christmas, a ver-
recordings accounted for 35.3% of all Springsteen’s live recording of “Santa HRISTMAS MUSIC HAS sion of which is still in print today.
holiday streaming, while the top 50 Claus Is Coming to Town” were issued been a significant part of Rock changed pop culture, but
pop tracks accounted for just 12% of as singles, though they’re all available the music business for as singers like Presley embraced the
streaming in that genre. Half of the top now on compilations. long as there has been one season, too: The most popular holiday
holiday track streams go to the top 252 At a time when streaming is ruled — and some of the same songs have LP in the United States is his Christ-
recordings, while half of pop streams by pop and hip-hop from the past two been popular since the days of wax mas Album, which has been certified
go to the top 613 pop tracks. At the top, decades, the list of the top 100 holiday cylinders. The first known Christmas 17-times platinum in various versions.
﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄
Cohen in 1985.
tion Susan Boyle included it on
PENTATONIX 729,000
N/A
HALLELUJAH
7 Pentatonix 7 2 9 , 00 0
TORI KELLY
LINDSEY STIRLING
158,000
33,000
WHAM! 706,000
8 1 ,0 0 0
LAST CHRISTMAS
8 Wham! 7 06 ,0 00
ARIANA GRANDE
GLEE CAST
104,000
36,000
GREENEST CHRISTMASES THE TOP HOLIDAY ALBUMS OF THE NIELSEN SOUNDSCAN ERA
8M 7.4M
7M 6.4M 6.3M 6.0M
6M 5.4M 5.2M
ALBUMS 5M 4.2M
SOLD
THIERRY ORBAN/SYGMA /GE T T Y IMAGES
SINCE
3.8M 3.75M 3.74M
4M
1991, IN
MILLIONS
3M 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Kenny G Josh Mariah Céline Various Michael Vince Mannheim Trans-Siberian Mannheim
2M Miracles: Groban Carey Dion Artists Bublé Guaraldi Trio Steamroller Orchestra Steamroller
The Holiday Noel Merry These Are Now That’s Christmas A Charlie Christmas Christmas Fresh Aire
Album 2007 Christmas Special Times What I Call 2011 Brown in the Aire Eve & Other Christmas
1M
1994 1994 1998 Christmas! Christmas 1995 Stories 1988
2001 1965 1996
0
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H O L I DAY M U S I C
E
sions of classics: Pentatonix had 19 of ommend songs that are already popu- feel of a modern Christmas classic,”
last year’s 200 most popular holiday lar, especially in response to general VEN BY THE STANDARDS says Jeff Moskow, head of U.S. A&R
streaming tracks, and Michael Bublé search queries like “Christmas music,” of pop music, holiday hits for the Now That’s What I Call Music
had the second-most-popular versions Billboard’s Holiday 100 chart has less are unpredictable. Among series, who slotted it after Carey’s “All
of “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” and turnover than the Supreme Court. this year’s candidates: Keith I Want for Christmas Is You” on Now’s
“All I Want for Christmas Is You.” But For hits that break through, though, Urban’s “I’ll Be Your Santa Tonight,” Christmas playlist on Spotify.
﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩
How Billboard Staffers Helped Rap Up
ONE GROUNDBREAKING CHRISTMAS who sometimes wrote music reviews, and a recent transfer from the U.K. office, con-
hit didn’t just make the Billboard charts — it Ford was a production manager who also vinced Mercury that the song would recoup
was produced by two former employees. In wrote a column about R&B. They both knew its costs (about $6,000, remembers Moore)
1979, J.B. Moore and Robert Ford left the that hip-hop represented the future of music in the United Kingdom alone.
magazine to produce “Christmas Rappin’ ” — Public Enemy’s Chuck D has cited a 1978 “Christmas Rappin’ ” — a song “ ’bout a
for an up-and-coming rapper named Kurtis article by Ford as one of the first mentions of red-suited dude with a friendly attitude” —
Kurtis Blow Blow. Released on Mercury Records, the the genre in a national publication. Even so, wasn’t originally intended to be a Christmas
single went gold, and Blow became the first they didn’t get any interest from A&R execu- tune. Moore, who wrote the lyrics, decided
rapper to sign a major-label deal. tives in New York, so they took “Chrismas to give it a holiday theme because labels
At Billboard, Moore was an ad salesman Rappin’ ” to Chicago, where Alan Saines, like songs they can sell every December.
Let It Snow,
in 2018. Similarly, Kelly Clarkson’s
“Underneath the Tree” peaked at
No. 78 when it was released in 2013
Let It Stream
and rose to No. 44 last year. “I don’t
know why some songs stick and some
BLOW: MEL FINKEL STEINL/NY DAILY NEWS/GE T T Y IMAGES. HAT: VIORIK A /GE T T Y IMAGES. MUSGR AVES: ANNE MARIE FOX.
K
that hit No. 11 on the U.K. singles chart ACEY MUSGRAVES’ I genuinely wanted to create some- The album had a mix of originals
in 1988. It took over a decade for it Golden Hour won album thing that felt different and new but and covers. What do people want
to become a Christmas staple in the of the year at the 2019 also familiar and nostalgic at the same from Christmas music today?
United Kingdom, and it’s now on Spo- Grammy Awards, but time. It was put together based on Everything has already been said
tify’s Christmas Hits playlist — even there’s another record of hers that’s the feelings that everyone experi- about Christmas a million times over,
though Rea hasn’t had a song on a U.S. equally beloved by fans: A Very Kacey ences during the holidays, [so] it was but one aspect you don’t hear a lot
chart since 1990, and most listeners Christmas, from 2016. This year, important for me to stay away from about is that the holidays are actually
are probably unfamiliar with him. “A Musgraves reimagined the album any religious themes. I treated my sad for a lot of people. There’s one
song like Chris Rea’s ‘Driving Home as The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Christmas record no differently than I song on the record called “Christmas
for Christmas’ is experiencing a lot Show, an Amazon Prime Video would one of my regular albums. It’s Makes Me Cry” that talks about how
more discovery than it would have in a special (out now) that channels the not like I threw it out there to cash in every year you go home, your parents
﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩❄❄❄﹩﹩﹩
cheer of old-school holiday variety on the holiday commerce. are a little bit older, [and] there are
shows with help from guests like people that aren’t there that used to
Camila Cabello and James Corden. What made you want to reimag- be. Moments like that were important
And it likely won’t be the last time she ine it as a star-studded Christmas for me to have.
revisits the album. “[Christmas] has special?
been a big part of her career and will With all that was going on with Where do you see A Very Kacey
continue to be moving forward,” says Golden Hour, there wasn’t really a way Christmas fitting into your career
Musgraves’ manager, Jason Owen. that I could do a proper Christmas long term?
“She is going to have her hand in the tour again, so I was like, “What if we Hopefully it’s something you can
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 99
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8 Crazy Nights
period last year.
To younger YouTube users, some of
these songs may sound as quaint as the
animation looks. But Christmas music
has always been driven by collective How the HAIM sisters, synagogue gift shops and a Scorsese music supervisor
nostalgia — listeners want a version
all helped a very modern collection of Hanukkah songs come to life
of “White Christmas” just like the
one they used to hear. “If a customer
T
requests a holiday song simply by song WO YEARS AGO, boasts a mix of covers evergreen quality to it. But sing. My hope is if this goes
title, they likely expect and enjoy the Verve Forecast ap- and original music from also, making it available well, maybe next year we
classic recorded version as a return,” proached Grammy- the likes of HAIM and The at nontraditional retailers, do another five songs and
says Karen Pettyjohn, senior music winning music supervisor Flaming Lips. like all of the synagogue just add to it. One person
curator at Amazon Music. Randall Poster (Boyhood, gift shops, and seeing if that I really wanted to get
HAIM: STEFANIE KEENAN/GET T Y IMAGES. BL ACK: MIKE MARSL AND/ WIREIMAGE. FL AMING LIPS: STEVEN FERDMAN/PATRICK MCMULL AN/GET T Y IMAGES. POSTER: MICHAEL LOCCISANO/GET T Y IMAGES.
The more customers enjoy those The Grand Budapest Hotel, The market for Christ- we can make contact with — he said he would but just
results, of course, the more likely The Irishman) with a prop- mas music is massive. the built-in audiences that got caught up in the sweep
streaming algorithms are to keep offer- osition: curate and pro- What was the strategy the various artists on the of his new record — was
ing them. Which means that songs like duce a Hanukkah album. “I behind putting out a record have [helped]. Ezra Koenig.
Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is had just finished doing the Hanukkah album?
You” could remain popular as long as soundtrack to the movie It’s not an easy thing. It How did you ensure it Why such fondness for
Christmas itself. SuperFly with Future, and doesn’t have the built-in wouldn’t come off as Hanukkah?
I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a Christmas music col- parody? It was always the fun Jew-
great follow-up: Hanuk- lectors, so we talked Probably the most famous ish holiday, really. And as
kah,’ ” recalls Poster, who about trying to have a Hanukkah song at this point far as the musical repertoire
CHRISTMAS, CONTINUED grew up celebrating the longer view — there’s an is Adam Sandler’s “The Ha- [went], “The Hanukkah
holiday. He started reach- nukkah Song.” That’s why I Song” was pretty much the
Check out Billboard Pro’s ing out to friends and Poster was searching for a spiritual favorite, or “Dreidel Dreidel.”
December Deep Dive, “The collaborators, “convincing component, which allowed I had a sense of it being
Booming Business of Christmas Music,” them that I wasn’t kidding.” me to approach artists who a musical holiday, though
for additional, exclusive analysis of But it wasn’t until longtime weren’t Jewish, who had there aren’t that many to
why the holiday season has become so pal Jack Black sent in two no real sense of the holiday choose from.
lucrative for the music business — and recordings — one of which or the history. I tried to find
how you can cash in. You’ll also find was actually a Passover balance, because I wanted What will success for the
stories and data that examine success song — that Poster felt he to have some of that silly, album look like to you?
of label-generated compilations that had the foundation for an joyful element. To tell you the truth, I feel
are streaming-focused; a look at how album. “Jack gave us the like it already is a success.
the movie Last Christmas affected the substance, so everything Was it tough to get art- For me as a Jew, it was
Wham! single that inspired it; and Apple [else] would feel like it ists onboard? important to focus on more
Music architect and A Very Special was part of a whole.” The It’s not an easy one where of the spiritual component,
Christmas executive producer Jimmy additional song ended you can say, “Hey, let’s do and I think we’ve captured
Iovine on what makes a great Christmas up inspiring the title of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside,’ ” that. I’m waiting for my
song. If you are not yet a member, Hanukkah+ (out now, and and set the stage for some- rabbi to hear it.
subscribe at billboard.com/offer. on vinyl Dec. 13), which body to just come in and —LY N D S E Y H AV E N S
The Business Of
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Trans-Siberian Orchestra at
rehearsals in November.
Jingle JuggernautTwenty years in, Trans-Siberian Orchestra — the laser-shooting, metal-riffing musical extravaganza —
is still one of the Christmas season’s most popular (and profitable) attractions
BY STEVE KNOPPER
T
HE MID-AMERICA CENTER metallic contraption on the side of the TSO’s future momentarily seemed According to Elliot Saltzman, Adam Lind
in Council Bluffs, Iowa stage spews out tiny lightning bolts timed unsure in April 2017 when the orchestra’s and Kenny Kaplan — partners in Night
— located in an industrial to lead guitarist Joel Hoekstra’s solos. founder, and one of its chief composer- Castle Management, which oversees the
park down the street from It is the show’s latest upgrade: a double arrangers, Paul O’Neill — who had once production — 60% of this year’s ticket
the Cresline Plastic Pipe Company — Tesla coil. “Well,” says Al Pitrelli, 57, the worked in promotions and management holders are repeat customers.
looks from the outside like any other tour’s musical director and West group for AC/DC and Def Leppard — died For TSO to remain relevant to
8,000-capacity arena. But every year for lead guitarist, who’s standing near the unexpectedly at the age of 61 from a future generations (and maintain its
three weeks or so in late October and soundboard, “that doesn’t suck.” reaction to prescription medicine. But current profitability), new music will
early November, Trans-Siberian Orchestra TSO’s tour — which kicked off Nov. 13 O’Neill’s family decided that the show almost certainly have to be composed.
turns the venue into a high-tech assembly and is slated to hit 66 cities for 109 shows must go on, and when the touring com- Saltzman, Lind and Kaplan say they
line and launch pad for its annual tour. in seven weeks — marks the 20th year of pany hit the road again that November, it are always thinking ahead, but right
In the main arena space, two rehearsal an unlikely live-music concept that, de- quickly showed that TSO could maintain now, they have a tour to do. “That kind
stages are set end to end to accommo- spite its compact itinerary, consistently its luster as a live act without its creator of decision comes a little later,” says
date the two iterations of TSO’s 18-piece ranks among the top live runs of the year. at the helm. In 2017 and 2018, TSO scored Kaplan. “We get through this one, then
orchestra — the East, which will play According to Billboard Boxscore data, to the two biggest Boxscore grosses in we look at how it played out, how it
dates east of this central U.S. location, date TSO has grossed $546.1 million and its history: $50.2 million and $56.7 mil- will change, what we learned along
and the West, heading in the opposite sold 11.5 million tickets to 1,484 shows. It lion, respectively. (The latter figure also the way.”
direction. On this particular Thursday is one of only 32 acts in the history of the reflects the highest ticket prices in the O’Neill used to tell the musicians and
night in early November, the East group database to gross more than $500 mil- act’s history.) The orchestra finished at crew that the music should last centu-
runs through its nearly two-and-half-hour lion as a solo headliner and one of only No. 20 on Billboard’s Money Makers rank- ries, and they are determined to fulfill
set — complete with dozens of fiery ex- 15 solo headliners to sell in excess of ing of the top-earning acts of 2018, with that prophecy. “I’m fairly positive he’s
plosions, webs of crisscrossing green and 10 million tickets. And though it’s not a $18.5 million in collective sales, stream- watching it, going, ‘You're doing good,
red lasers, floating video screens, dueling radio staple — even during the holiday ing, publishing and touring income. guy, keep going,’ ” says Pitrelli. “He
long-haired metal guitarists and elaborate season — TSO has had nine albums on Based on ticketing trends for the act, used to tell me every tour: ‘Just get me
classical and progressive-rock pieces the Billboard 200, four of which reached Billboard estimates that TSO’s 2019 through January.’ I’m going to get him
engineered from (among many other the top 10; sold 10.1 million albums and box office could approach $60 million, through another January.”
JASON McEACHERN
things) Beethoven riffs, Jimi Hendrix’s 4.9 million song downloads; and gener- thanks, in part, to the decision to revisit
“Purple Haze” and “Hark! The Herald ated 467.9 million on-demand streams, the orchestra’s debut album, Christmas Additional reporting by Eric Frankenberg.
Angels Sing.” At one point, a 24-foot-long according to Nielsen Music. Eve and Other Stories, in its entirety. Read the full story at billboard.com.
THE BORDER-
CROSSING
BALLAD:
‘SOMEONE
YOU LOVED’
B Y TAY L O R W E AT H E R B Y
Capaldi photographed by
Shayan Asgharnia on June 11 at
Capitol Records in Los Angeles.
T
his June, Lewis Capaldi’s face was plastered
along the walls of London’s Underground sta-
tions. The ads, promoting his debut album,
Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent,
featured an amusingly unflattering photo of
the Glasgow-born singer, his head wrapped
in a towel, tossing up a peace sign, and read “The Scottish
Beyoncé on a London Underground billboard. Finally
famous.” By that point, he was, at least in Britain: His single
“Someone You Loved” had held the top spot of the Official
U.K. Singles Chart for seven nonconsecutive weeks.
What Capaldi didn’t realize then was that five everyone that Lewis was a real priority. We got
months later, he would be pretty famous in the huge support from Spotify Germany, which was
United States, too. “Someone You Loved” — an really instrumental. They pushed him to the rest
anthemic ballad about burning heartbreak — hit of the world.
No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late October and
held the top spot for another two weeks in Novem- ROSA ASCIOLLA head of artist and label marketing,
ber. (It also reigned for multiple weeks on Main- North America, Spotify
stream Top 40, Adult Top 40 and Radio Songs, and There was a lot of excitement around Lewis.
it topped Adult Contemporary for one week.) Yet Globally, he was someone that we wanted to take a
it was by no means an obvious international hit. It chance on in 2017. There was magic in the marriage
wasn’t propelled to viral popularity through a Tik- of his voice and the music and the unassuming pop
Tok clip or meme, it boasted no big-name feature, star [he was]. That was really compelling for us.
and Capaldi — a ginger-haired 23-year-old with no
heartthrob aspirations — was an unknown stateside LIEBERBERG The confidence was there — his
and, by his own admission, an unlikely pop star. personality, the way he handled social media.
But to Capaldi’s team, the reason for the song’s When you hear him perform, you can tell that this
success was fairly simple: Its emotional content is somebody who can convey his emotions in a
deeply resonated with a ready and willing audi- unique way, touching people around the globe.
ence, thanks in large part to the talent and commit-
ment of the artist himself. “The American public FRANK BRIEGMANN president/CEO,
always has had a strong connection to heartbreak UMG Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon
songs,” says Capitol Music Group chairman/CEO We had a lot of excitement among Capitol,
Steve Barnett, who led the effort to launch Capaldi Virgin U.K. and us, and we knew from the
in America (along with Virgin EMI/Vertigo in beginning that the collaboration would not be
the United Kingdom and Universal Music Group a sprint, but a marathon.
Central Europe). “And it had been a while since a
song like this has been as big as this. Lewis did it TED COCKLE president, Virgin EMI
brilliantly — and very much in 2019 style.” There was nothing more than a hunch and a belief
Of course, both Capaldi and Barnett had some that something about the way this chap sang felt a
help. Here’s how one of 2019’s biggest No. 1s little bit more special than most. People were super
came to be. conscious not to miss any steps, to make sure that
he wasn’t put under any undue pressure to be-
come famous overnight, and we just kept releasing
“Something About The Way music. The amount of work that was done in 2017
This Chap Sang” in Glasgow to make sure he was hailed as their man
from their city was enormous. He released “Bruises”
DANIEL LIEBERBERG president, Sony Music Enter- in May 2017, and that connected [enough] for the
tainment, Continental Europe and Africa; formerly of streaming partners to take him seriously.
Universal Music Group
I signed a lot of international artists to [UMG’s
German sector] because if you want to find “This Feels Like It
international talent in Germany, it’s quite limited. Could Be Quite Big”
I knew Ryan [Walter, Capaldi’s manager], and he
had a new artist, Lewis. I was lucky to be the first LEWIS CAPALDI artist/co-writer
person he sent the music to. I spent a week with I never saw myself as someone who would have a
the demos, and I was so convinced of his vocal big single. I kind of still don’t. I always saw myself as
ability. We had meetings with Spotify, and we told someone who would make an album — my goal once
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 107
THE No
1s
—CAPALDI pass between the U.S. and the U.K. He had some
grass-roots support, even if media were unim-
there was a level up a bit.
pressed by this chubby Scottish man that didn’t BARNETT Lewis was not open to doing any
quite look like John Mayer. remixes — he wanted it to be purely authentic,
ASCIOLLA This song was one of those rare instanc- and we supported that. It happened because of
es where he built this fan base, he was connecting the audience, but he was his best advocate. Who
with his fans. We see these indicators, and we’re “Our Biggest Asset possibly other than Lewis would anoint himself
like, “Let’s try it.” We put it in Today’s Top Hits in Was Lewis Himself” “America’s sweetheart”?
November 2018, and it just activated everyone.
ASCIOLLA [Capaldi] very much has that FaceTimey, CAPALDI I don’t think of myself as a pop star,
BARNETT The first thing we had to do was to get selfie-type of vibe going on, whether it’s on his but I’m a heartthrob for sure. (Laughs.) Right
him [stateside]. He played his first show [of 2019] in Instagram or his videos. That’s why we thought now, I still consider myself to be a one-hit
America in February. That’s when the whole thing that it was really important, whenever we had the wonder. We’ll see where we go; perhaps I’ll
started to gear up. April 1, we pushed the button opportunity, to get him in front of people. When he be a flop star. I’m just singing some songs, and
across every single area: Spotify was very helpful, was in New York, we rented a tour bus for his top if people like to listen to them, that makes me
ZAKARY WALTERS
and then traditional radio started to kick in; Pandora fans, and he narrated the history of New York, but very happy and pleases me — both emotionally
was very early; Sirius was very early. But we had to in his own Scottish way. and financially.
R
“Everybody wants a shot at the title, so you got,” says Lipman. “There was a lot of world,” and Taylor Swift, whose latest
core approach, says everybody brings their A-game into every planning and strategy applied, but the real- album, Lover, was her first as a Republic
chairman/CEO Monte situation,” says Lipman. “We respect the ity of it is, it’s just brilliant music.” artist. (The label distributed and promot-
Lipman, is built on five competition — it’s greater than it has ever For Post Malone — at this point an es- ed her prior albums, which were released
pillars: creative, expectation, been — and we also accept the chal- tablished chart-topper — the label played by Big Machine.) Swift had three top 10s
strategy, execution and accountability. And lenge. We go to work every day and want a longer game. Both “Sunflower” and on the Hot 100 this year, including two —
following that plan has helped Republic to win, and we will find a way to win.” “Circles” spent over a month in the top 10 “ME!” (with Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon
cement its status as the No. 1 Billboard That has meant breaking some of of the Hot 100 this year before reaching Urie) and “You Need to Calm Down” —
Hot 100 label for the sixth year in a row, as the accepted rules of pop music. At the its summit. “He’s the anomaly,” says Lip- that reached No. 2. “Taylor, in particu-
well as seven of the past eight. “We don’t beginning of this year, Ariana Grande man. “He’s a modern-day superstar, and lar, is very driven, focused and just an
leave things for luck,” says Lipman. “We’ve released Thank U, Next just seven months in the streaming revolution you couldn’t amazing human being,” says Lipman. “But
got a roster that we believe is second after her last album, the Grammy Award- ask for an artist like Post Malone.” Lipman it’s a real strategic alliance. We will feed
to none. And by virtue of being a strong winning Sweetener — a time frame that says that each of his No. 1s performed off each other, we’ll bounce off different
partner, with those strategic alliances, would, says Lipman, “typically go against in a “more traditional way,” climbing the ideas, and ultimately it’s Taylor’s decision
we’re able to do amazing things.” conventional wisdom.” But Grande was charts gradually and burrowing into the at every crossroads.”
In 2019, that meant Hot 100 No. 1s insistent in her vision and her plan, and national psyche before hitting the top, Lipman points to his brother, co-
from Ariana Grande (“Thank U, Next,” Republic helped her land her first two as singles used to more regularly before chairman/COO Avery, as well as his “field
“7 Rings”), the reunited Jonas Brothers chart-topping singles. the streaming era. On the other end of general,” GM Jim Roppo and executive
(“Sucker”) and Post Malone (“Sunflower” Even more impressive: Those singles the slow-burn spectrum was Lil Tecca, vp promotions Gary Spangler — whose
with Swae Lee, “Circles”), as well as both debuted at No. 1, a feat that only two the 16-year-old rapper whose debut radio market share, says Lipman, “is higher
Hot 100 top 10s from Taylor Swift, Drake dozen artists have pulled off — and only single, “Ransom,” climbed to No. 4 on the than other music groups combined” — as
and Lil Tecca. The campaigns have three others have done twice. Yet the label Hot 100 in September — another stream- part of the team that has helped Republic
bridged the traditional and the nontradi- scored another No. 1 debut, with the Jonas ing juggernaut, but one from a newcomer deliver once again. But he’s already look-
tional, with superstars and newcomers Brothers’ comeback single, “Sucker,” just in whom the label is investing. ing to the future. “What are we doing in
alike, in genres from pop to hip-hop to a month later. “It’s almost like delivering a Yet the biggest aces up Republic’s the first 90 days? What are we hoping to
R&B and everything in between. But the knockout punch: It’s calculating, it’s stra- sleeve were Drake, whom Lipman calls accomplish?” asks Lipman. “I can tell you,
results, for the label, are the same. tegic. You veer back and give it everything “the heavyweight champion of the our head is already in 2020.” —DA N RYS
M
AJOR COLLABORATIVE
How did you develop a strong fan base so albums are a rarity in Latin music, so BAD BUNNY From José, I learned discipline, in and
quickly? when rumors swirled for over a year out of the recording booth. He always wakes up early.
LIL TECCA There has to be a reason why people about a J Balvin-Bad Bunny joint release, When he goes to work, it’s work. He doesn’t go into the
connect to you. I’ve been a fan of artists before, it started to feel like an urban legend. As it turned out, studio to joke around. It’s no wonder he has gotten so
and there’s a reason why they resonate with me. the two superstars (born José Álvaro Osorio Balvin and far in life.
If there’s nothing different about you, you’re not Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, respectively) had been BALVIN I also learned discipline from Benito. He
going to get a special kind of fan base. discussing a possible project for almost two years, and comes to do what he has to do, and he composes
in June they surprise-dropped the eight-song OASIS on very quickly. Above all, he knows what he wants. And
Giuseppe, why do you think We Love You Universal Music Latin, Balvin’s label. It bowed at No. 1 that makes it easier. And he likes basketball a lot, and
Tecca went to No. 1? on the Top Latin Albums chart and earned both artists now I’m a fan.
GIUSEPPE ZAPPALA The buildup to “Ransom” their first top 10 on the Billboard 200, where it entered BAD BUNNY He eats very healthy and only at certain
helped all of Tecca’s old songs pop off. “Love Me” at No. 9. Calling from New York (Balvin) and Miami (Bad times. I’m a terrible eater. That’s why I’m chubby.
came out seven months before “Ransom”; “Did It Bunny) on different days, the pair recalled how, in the BALVIN The same, but the opposite. I would love to eat
Again” came out five months before it. So every- end, they made it all happen in just a few weeks. hamburgers, French fries, like he does, but the results
thing was a buildup because of those smaller wins. wouldn’t be positive. And he’s a total night owl. The
When we got our first 10,000 plays on Sound- The Genesis opposite of me.
Cloud, we were losing our shit. Tecca’s also very BAD BUNNY It was completely natural. We have good
engaging with his fan base. He was consistently chemistry. The Partnership
GRANDE: KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES. MALONE: AMY HARRIS/INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK. SWIFT: MATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK.
dropping good music and also marketing it. He J BALVIN In many ways, Benito and I share an aesthetic BAD BUNNY I think I’m more aggressive. I’m the evil
DRAKE: KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE. JONAS: CHRISTOPHER POLK/SHUTTERSTOCK. TECCA: SAM CONES. BUNNY: STILLZ.
was one of the first people [to use the social video and originality. When he appeared on the scene, he side, so to speak. If you have to choose a good one
app] Triller to promote his music. brought a fresh perspective. I felt like the only crazy and a bad one, I’m the bad one. Balvin’s style is more
one there! It’s very hard for a label to bring two artists relaxed. But that mix is what makes it work.
How does Tecca compare with other artists together like this. It has to come from a place of respect. BALVIN When it comes to rapping, he’s far more stac-
you have worked with? BAD BUNNY We each came with our own ideas, but it cato, and his voice is deeper. That’s his stamp. My
ZAPPALA He’s one of the hardest-working people took us just three weeks to record together. raps have a lot of attitude, but they don’t sound like
I’ve stumbled across. He’s very articulate. What he Bad Bunny.
has that a lot of artists don’t is a personal sense of The Process BAD BUNNY We were both in the studio doing our
direction in what he wants. BAD BUNNY I liked to interrupt him and challenge him. I thing creatively. No one interfered. Doing all duets
would bug him and tell him he was too slow. (Laughs.) might sound complicated, but it depends on the
Tecca, your manager thinks you can be one Really, everything was cool. artists, on the egos. José is clear, and he takes sug-
of the greats. Are you ready for that? BALVIN It was all about teamwork. There’s trust, there’s gestions. And I do, too. José said yes to everything I
LIL TECCA I don’t put myself on that pedestal. faith in each other. If anything, the creative process was brought to the table.
Right now, I’m trying to get there — if I put myself very quick and very efficient. Each of us brings a differ- BALVIN This album broke many paradigms. It’s a big
in that space already, that would just build ego. I ent color, and we complement each other. statement. It’s Medellín, Colombia, next to Santurce,
have to keep going and grinding like I’m still get- BAD BUNNY Nothing was complicated. We each gave Puerto Rico. It’s an album that showcases tolerance and
ting 100 plays. — CA R L L A M A R R E our opinion, and that was it. unity and a vision for the culture. —L E I L A C O B O
THE No
1s
The Radio Slow-Burner: “Dancing With A Stranger”
In an era of out-of-nowhere really sexy music because it made mon to take 18, 20 weeks to SMITH The song launched me
hits and splashy No. 1 debuts, me feel better, so I wanted the get to the top, especially with into a really beautiful space of
Sam Smith and Normani’s song to capture what I was doing: midtempo songs. writing and freedom. There’s a
Smith “Dancing With a Stranger” was going to clubs and kissing people. femininity within that song that has
(left) and
Normani. an old-fashioned radio success IVEY It appeals to young and old: ignited a flame within me; it trig-
story, topping Billboard’s Radio NORMANI I happened to be [at It’s easy to sing, it’s not offensive, gered the transition I’ve made into
Songs and Adult Top 40 charts the same studio as Smith] and it’s not a novelty record — it’s just a nonbinary person.
NORWAY DIGITAL
SONGS SALES
Keiino,
“Spirit in the Sky”
FRANCE DIGITAL The country’s 2019
THE OFFICIAL U.K. SONG SALES Eurovision entry
SINGLES CHART PNL, “Au Dd” is like if Chvrches
Stormzy, The powerhouse met the Frozen 2 Xue
“Vossi Bop” rap duo of brothers soundtrack — icy
The British rapper is Ademo and N.O.S. synth-pop outfitted
Stormzy has collected four with traditional BILLBOARD CHINA
hip-hop royalty overseas SOCIAL CHART
but a burgeoning name No. 1s on the France Scandinavian chanting.
stateside; his Atlantic Digital Song Sales Joker Xue,
Records deal and chart since last July. “Puppet”
The video for Xue’s
upcoming tour should
GERMANY SONGS soaring ballad
change that.
Capital Bra, “Prinzessa” about a failing
Germany’s most-streamed artist relationship came
in 2018, the rapper recently with a surprise
PORTUGAL DIGITAL SONG SALES signed to Urban Records, a bloody plot twist. BILLBOARD KOREA
division of Universal Music K-POP 100
Julinho KSD,
“Hoji N’Ka Ta Rola” Group Germany. AKMU, “How
The song’s stretchy hook Can I Love the
helped the MC — already ITALY DIGITAL Heartbreak, You’re
a YouTube success with the SONG SALES GREECE DIGITAL the One I Love”
group Instinto 26 — land a deal Mahmood, SONG SALES
AUSTRALIA DIGITAL
The sibling duo returned
with Sony Music Entertainment “Soldi” Nikos SONG SALES in 2019 following a
Portugal this fall. Italy’s 2019 Oikonomopoulos, two-year hiatus during
MEXICO POP ESPAÑOL AIRPLAY Tones and I,
Eurovision entry “Valto Terma” which Lee Chan-hyuk
Camilo + Pedro Capó, “Tutu” “Dance Monkey” fulfilled South Korea’s
A co-writer on Becky G and Natti was a triumphant, After winning a Greek OK, you’ve probably
hip-hop-inflected reality TV show in mandatory draft service.
Natasha’s 2018 hit “Sin Pijama,” heard this one. The
Camilo launched his solo career this track that 2006, he dominated Aussie native has made
year and later worked with Shakira ultimately placed the 2010s, topping his it in the United States
on a remix of this song. second in the country’s albums chart — the song peaked at
competition. with his last seven LPs. No. 9 on the Billboard
Hot 100 and earned her
a performance on The
Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon.
SOURCES Billboard Argentina, Billboard China, Billboard Korea, GfK Entertainment, Nielsen Music, Official Charts Company
I
LIGHTROCKET/GETTY IMAGES. JACKMAN: NIKO TAVERNISE/TM & COPYRIGHT/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED./COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION.
and Craig Kallman is caught between bums) in January, remaining on the chart to Live. “When that little clip of him in the songs,” says Greenwald. “And he’s
cities, and perhaps years, too. for six weeks; her Cuz I Love You peaked the studio with Travis Scott recording so good on social media, doing acoustic
MILL: TIM MOSENFELDER/GETTY IMAGES. CARDI: SCOTT DUDELSON/GETTY IMAGES. LIZZO: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/WIREIMAGE. SHEERAN: LUIGI RIZZO/PACIFIC PRESS/
The co-chairman/CEO of Atlantic at No. 4 and hasn’t left the top 30 since ‘Zeze’ was released, it skyrocketed,” says versions, lyric videos — a lot of great
Records has been busy cultivating 2020 its May release. “We haven’t changed Michael Kyser, Atlantic’s president of digital assets to make sure we have all
projects, shuttling among Los Angeles our opinion about the importance of the black music. “It went triple-platinum off the tools we need to keep marketing and
(where Portugal. The Man has been album, even in a digital, singles-driven of Instagram.” promoting the album.”
recording with Jeff Bhasker), Miami (where era,” says Kallman. “It’s all about connec- After Meek Mill, A Boogie and Kodak But the secret weapon in Atlantic’s 2019
Cardi B has been working on the follow-up tion and fulfilling the voracious desires of Black all hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, success story may well be an album that
to Invasion of Privacy) and Atlanta (where fans who are used to direct engagement all three pursued what Kyser calls “old arrived two years ago. The soundtrack
a scripted TV series about Aretha Franklin with the artist through social media. But grass-roots promotion”: touring. “All to The Greatest Showman has amassed
that he’s producing is shooting). “It has fundamentally, when it comes to artist these artists put out great music, then hit 3.2 million album-equivalent units since
been a crazy month,” he says. But right development and building culturally sig- the road to talk to the fans and touch the its late-2017 arrival, and it remained in
now he’s pushing pause to reflect on the nificant artists, the album is still a body of consumers,” says Greenwald. “So we can the top 40 of the Billboard 200 through
A&R approach that made Atlantic both the work that signifies what they represent.” do a lot of tour marketing, get radio sta- most of the 2019 chart year. “It has just
industry market-share leader (with 12.57%, Certainly that was the case with Meek tions involved, local fanzines and blogs been a nonstop juggernaut over 2018
according to Nielsen Music) and the No. 1 Mill’s Championships, which addressed — just light up the marketplaces as we’re and 2019,” says Kallman, who hopes
label on the Billboard 200 in 2019 — not the rapper’s well-documented struggles moving around the country.” the original Broadway cast recording of
that it’s really over. “We’re doing some with the Pennsylvania court system. He Established Atlantic superstar Ed Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill will
touch-up single mixes and edits for Lizzo teased the album during a conversation Sheeran also delivered a new album continue the trend. “We’re big believ-
[and] trying to find one more single for at Georgetown University about criminal in 2019 — No.6 Collaborations Project ers in the soundtrack and theatrical cast
A Boogie [Wit Da Hoodie] and looking at justice reform. “He was using his platform debuted at No. 1 and has racked up 1 mil- album world, from Hamilton to Dear Evan
producers for his new album,” he explains. not only to talk about the music, but also lion album-equivalent units as of Nov. 28. Hansen to Greatest Showman.” Speaking
Lizzo and A Boogie both contributed to talk about his experience and what he Busy touring the world, Sheeran couldn’t of secret weapons: The cast recording of
to Atlantic’s chart dominance this year: was battling,” says Atlantic co-chairman/ come to the United States to support the Hamilton has spent over four years on the
His Hoodie SZN rose to No. 1 on the COO Julie Greenwald. Kodak Black took project, so he and Atlantic took a digital Billboard 200. —J O E L E V Y
The Artists
A singer-songwriter Pedro Capó got his
first-ever Billboard No. 1 when “Calma”
— a laid-back reggae-infused track celebrating
his home country’s beaches and Medalla beer
41.2% 58.8% — topped the Latin Airplay chart in April, nine
FEMALE MALE
months after its release. Capó never intended it
37.5% 62.5% to be a single, but a series of fortunate events —
Capó (left) and Farruko in one of the “Calma” music
RETURNING CHART-TOPPERS FIRST-TIME CHART-TOPPERS from a fortuitous product placement to star-
videos, which has racked up over 1.7 billion YouTube views.
studded remixes — turned it into Latin music’s
33.3% 66.7% sleeper hit of the year.
GROUP/DUET SOLO ARTISTS Farruko I was under house arrest [for not declar-
Pedro Capó It was so innocent. We were just ing transportation of over $10,000 into the United
jamming with all things tropical and that mental States], so I’d listen to music and write every
Most Weeks At The Top picture of Puerto Rican beer on the beach. I
thought it was a very special song, but I didn’t
afternoon. I was listening to a Puerto Rican playlist
and the song came up. It brought up all these
think it was a hit. We took it to Sony, but no one feelings. So I wrote Pedro on Instagram: “Brother,
2 Weeks 8 Weeks
POST felt it, and that was that. I love that song. It would be an honor for me to
ARIANA
MALONE GRANDE Isabel De Jesús, director of A&R and premium collaborate on a remix.”
“Circles” “7 Rings”
3 Weeks content, Sony Music U.S. Latin I’ve worked Alex Gallardo, president, Sony Music U.S. Latin
LEWIS
19 Weeks
with Pedro 10 years, and when I heard the song, In the urban world, Farruko has one of the best
CAPALDI
“Someone LIL NAS X I thought it was the best thing he’d given me. noses for hits. The song was this cool reggae
You Loved” “Old Town Road” But when we presented it, everyone thought it [track], and Farruko saw the potential to make it
(18 with Billy Ray
Cyrus) was cool but not a huge song. Things changed more street and brought all his fans. Suddenly you
7 Weeks when [Capó’s friend, musician] Joy [Santiago] got had an island song, but with bite.
LIZZO 2 Weeks Medalla involved. Then I got the green light. De Jesús The U.S. Latin team felt it immediately.
“Truth Hurts” HALSEY
“Without Me” Capó Joy played the song for Medalla’s head of When Farruko got on the song, it became a
marketing in Puerto Rico. She said: “If you get me priority. Then, Rafa [Arcaute, vp A&R for Sony
a meeting with Sony, I’ll stop my summer cam- Music U.S. Latin] had dinner with Swizz Beatz
paign and go with this instead.” They put up the and he showed the track to Alicia [Keys, who
WAS money for the video and the song came out. hopped on another remix].
93.2
The Average No. 1
De Jesús We began to see the metrics from Gallardo This is a great example of how no one
the onset. The numbers were growing unusually has the absolute truth when it comes to spotting
HAD fast for Pedro. Within a few weeks we started to hits. We liked the song, but didn’t think it could
BPM rhapsodize about who would be a great artist to be big. Then Farruko came along, and we were
LASTED
remix it. Literally the next day, Pedro sent me a wowed. And then Alicia came along. It’s the beauty
GOMEZ: JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC. HALSEY: MATT BARON/SHUTTERSTOCK. MENDES: EFREN LANDAOS/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET/GETTY IMAGES. CABELLO: XAVIER COLLIN/SHUTTERSTOCK. LIZZO, GRANDE:
screenshot of his conversation with Farruko. of the business; we’re always surprised. —L .C.
KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES. SCOTT: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC. LIL NAS X: TAYLOR HILL/GETTY IMAGES. FARRUKO: COURTESY OF SONY LATIN. SHEERAN: EMMI KORHONEN/SHUTTERSTOCK.
5.4 SONGWRITERS MINUTES SECONDS
NG top-grossing tour for two consecutive have won the year-end top honor two
M
I
ST
EN
T
BO
Boxscore during the tracking period, (1991, 1993) and Madonna (2004,
he grossed $223.7 million and sold 2012) have each scored twice; Bon
2,587,445 tickets this year. Jovi three times (2008, 2010, 2013),
The Rolling Stones are the only other the Stones five (1995, 1998, 1999,
Selena Gomez Sheeran
“Lose You to
act to achieve this two-timer feat, in 2003, 2006), and U2 holds the record
Love Me” 1998 and 1999. But in 1999, they were beat in with seven year-end wins (1992, 1997, 2001,
total attendance by Dave Matthews Band and 2005, 2009, 2011, 2017).
Travis Scott *NSYNC. Sheeran is the first to both outgross Sheeran scored another Boxscore No. 1 earlier
“Highest in
the Room”
Halsey and outsell the competition two years in a row. in 2019 when he crowned the Top Tours list in
“Without Me”
The 2019 leg of the ÷ (Divide) tour ended in April with the month’s highest-grossing trek
Ariana
Grande
August. Sheeran’s full 2018 run was the year’s ($31.8 million from his tour’s Asia leg). But the
Lizzo Shawn Mendes
“7 Rings” and Camila Cabello biggest tour and had the biggest year-end sweetest win for him came at the tour’s end,
S
“Truth
Hurts” LO H IP “Señorita” gross of any tour in Boxscore history. The trek when it became the highest-grossing and best-
VE/
R E L AT I O NS
earned $429.5 million during the 2018 chart year, selling tour of all time. —E R I C F RA N K E N B E R G
3 4
8
9
12 10 11
CONGRATULATIONS TO
FROM
MILL: TIM MOSENFELDER/GETTY IMAGES. CABELLO: KEVIN MAZUR/AMA2019/GETTY IMAGES. DABABY: STEVE JENNINGS/FILMMAGIC. SWIFT: JEFF KRAVITZ/AMA2019/FILMMAGIC.
POST
IN
HIS
PRIME
Post Malone earns top artist in a year when
youthful, genre-blending acts led the way on the
charts, while women make history at the top of
the year-end Billboard 200 albums ranking
BY KEITH CAULFIELD
OST MALONE CROWNS BILLBOARD’S years: S.R.O., Whipped Cream & Other Delights and (with “Don’t Let Me Down,” featuring Daya, at
year-end Top Artists tally for the first Going Places ranked at Nos. 7-10 in 1966, while No. 8 and “Closer,” featuring Halsey, at No. 10), and
time, capping off a blockbuster year for in 1967, the act placed Whipped Cream & Other 2017 (thanks to “Something Just Like This,” with
the genre-hopping star. The 24-year-old Delights, Going Places and What Now My Love at Coldplay, at No. 5 and “Closer” at No. 7).
singer-songwriter finishes in first place Nos. 1, 3 and 5, respectively. Amazingly, Post Malone is the only act to have
in large part due to a trio of smash albums on the Beerbongs debuted at No. 1 on the weekly Bill- a pair of top 10s in both the year-end Hot 100 and
Billboard 200, along with a bevy of hits on the board 200 dated May 12, 2018, and ranked in the Billboard 200 recaps at the same time in two con-
Billboard Hot 100. top 20 in every week during the 2019 chart year secutive years. (To quote the artist: “Wow.”)
As Post Malone is the year’s top male artist, he’s (Nov. 24, 2018-Nov. 16, 2019). Hollywood’s Bleeding On the year-end 2019 Billboard 200 Albums
joined by Ariana Grande as the top female artist blasted in at No. 1 on the Sept. 21 list and racked recap, Billie Eilish (who was born Dec. 18, 2001)
(No. 2 on the overall Top Artists ranking) and the up five weeks at the top during the chart year — becomes the youngest artist to have the year-end
Jonas Brothers as the top duo/group (No. 11 on the longer than any other album in this period. No. 1 album as the 18-year-old’s When We All Fall
overall list). Post Malone’s domination continues on the 2019 Asleep, Where Do We Go? tops the tally. The set
Post Malone finishes 2019 with his two most re- year-end Hot 100 Songs chart, where he has two launched atop the Billboard 200 on April 13 and
MALONE: EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES. GRANDE: KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES.
cent albums ranking in the top 10 on the year-end top 10 titles: “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the spent the rest of the chart year in the top 10. Eilish
Billboard 200 Albums recap: 2018’s beerbongs & Spider-Verse),” a co-billed collaboration with Swae also leads the 2019 Top New Artists chart.
bentleys is No. 5, while this year’s Hollywood’s Lee at No. 2, and “Wow.” at No. 5. Because he also Following Eilish at Nos. 2-4 on the Billboard 200
Bleeding sits at No. 9. A year ago, he also had two had two tracks in the 2018 year-end top 10 (“rock- Albums ranking are a trio of albums by leading
titles in the top 10, as beerbongs and his first album, star,” featuring 21 Savage, at No. 5 and “Psycho,” ladies: Thank U, Next by Grande, the A Star Is
2016’s Stoney, were Nos. 3 and 9, respectively. He featuring Ty Dolla $ign, at No. 6), Post Malone is Born soundtrack by Lady Gaga and her co-star
is the first act to have two albums in the year-end just the second act, and first solo artist, to tally Bradley Cooper, and Lover by Taylor Swift. It’s
top 10 in back-to-back years since 1966 and 1967, a pair of top 10s in back-to-back years since the
Post Malone (above), who is No. 1 on 2019’s Top Artists
when Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass had three Hot 100 launched in 1958. Only duo The Chain- recap, doubles up with a pair of top 10s on both the year-end
albums in the year-end top 10 in both of those smokers had previously managed the feat: in 2016 Billboard 200 Albums and Hot 100 Songs rankings.
TOP ARTISTS
POS / ARTIST / LABEL
33 21 SAVAGE Slaughter Gang/Epic 45 THE ROLLING STONES The Rolling Stones/Promotone B.V./Polydor/Interscope/IGA
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 123
NO. 1, COMEDY DIGITAL TRACK SALES
THUG: PRINCE WILLIAMS/WIREIMAGE. LEVINE: TYLER GOLDEN/NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL/GETTY IMAGES. STRAIT: RICK DIAMOND/SHUTTERSTOCK. BROWN: EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES.
79 KANYE WEST G.O.O.D./Def Jam
80 DJ KHALED We The Best/Epic
82 EAGLES ERC
88 MUSTARD 10 Summers/Interscope/IGA
46 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER One Mode/Capitol 61 NORMANI Keep Cool/RCA 89 6IX9INE ScumGang/TenThousand Projects
47 LAUREN DAIGLE Centricity/12Tone 62 FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE BMLG 90 KENDRICK LAMAR Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope/IGA
48 LIL TECCA Galactic/Republic 63 TWENTY ONE PILOTS Fueled By Ramen/EMG 91 POLO G Columbia
49 METALLICA Blackened 64 BILLY RAY CYRUS Wheelhouse/BMG/BBMG 92 SHECK WES Cactus Jack/G.O.O.D./Interscope/IGA
50 BRUNO MARS Atlantic/AG 65 CHRIS STAPLETON Mercury Nashville/UMGN 93 MIGOS Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
51 YOUNG THUG Young Stoner Life/300/Atlantic/AG 66 SUMMER WALKER LVRN/Interscope/IGA 94 LIL UZI VERT Generation Now/Atlantic/AG
52 ELLA MAI 10 Summers/Interscope/IGA 67 MORGAN WALLEN Big Loud 95 NIPSEY HUSSLE All Money In No Money Out/Atlantic/AG
53 BRADLEY COOPER Interscope/IGA 68 BASTILLE Virgin/Capitol 96 FLEETWOOD MAC Unsigned
54 LEWIS CAPALDI Vertigo/Capitol 69 OFFSET Quality Control/Motown/Capitol 97 THE WEEKND XO/Republic
55 EMINEM Shady/Aftermath/Interscope/IGA 70 TRIPPIE REDD TenThousand Projects 98 ERIC CHURCH EMI Nashville/UMGN
56 JASON ALDEAN Macon/Broken Bow/BMG/BBMG 71 TYLER, THE CREATOR Columbia 99 BENNY BLANCO Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope/IGA
57 NF NF Real Music/Capitol/Caroline 72 FUTURE Freebandz/Epic 100 LUKE BRYAN Capitol Nashville/UMGN
8 DABABY SouthCoast/Interscope/IGA
9 LUKE COMBS River House/Columbia Nashville/SMN
10 LIL BABY Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
SOUNDTRACKS
1 ARIANA GRANDE Republic
2 BILLIE EILISH Darkroom/Interscope/IGA
Jonas Brothers
3 TAYLOR SWIFT Republic
celebrate their
SHINE
second year-end 4 HALSEY Capitol
finish at No. 1 on the 5 CARDI B The KSR Group/Atlantic/AG
Top Artists — Duo/
Group recap, having 6 LIZZO Nice Life/Atlantic/AG
first earned the 7 P!NK RCA
distinction in 2008.
8 LADY GAGA Interscope/IGA OR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER
9 CAMILA CABELLO SYCO/Epic half a century, four soundtracks
TOP ARTISTS — DUO/GROUP 10 LAUREN DAIGLE Centricity/12Tone appear in the top 15 of the 2019
year-end Billboard 200 albums chart.
POS / ARTIST / LABEL TOP NEW ARTISTS Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star
Is Born ranks at No. 3, joined by Queen’s
1 JONAS BROTHERS Republic Bohemian Rhapsody at No. 12, The Greatest
2 BTS BigHit Entertainment POS / ARTIST / LABEL Showman at No. 14 and Spider-Man: Into
3 PANIC! AT THE DISCO DCD2/Fueled By Ramen/EMG the Spider-Verse at No. 15. (A Star Is Born is
1 BILLIE EILISH Darkroom/Interscope/IGA
4 QUEEN Hollywood the highest-placing soundtrack on a yearly
2 LIL NAS X Columbia
5 DAN + SHAY Warner Music Nashville/WMN recap since Frozen was the No. 1 overall
3 DABABY SouthCoast/Interscope/IGA
6 IMAGINE DRAGONS KIDinaKORNER/Interscope/IGA album of 2014.)
4 LIZZO Nice Life/Atlantic/AG
7 MAROON 5 222/Interscope/IGA The last year that the top 15 was so full
5 GUNNA Young Stoner Life/300/AG
8 THE ROLLING STONES The Rolling Stones/Promotone B.V./Polydor/Interscope/IGA of screen-powered tunes was 1967, when
9 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER One Mode/Capitol
10 METALLICA Blackened TOP LABELS the region was populated by three film
soundtracks — Dr. Zhivago at No. 3, The
Sound of Music at No. 4 and A Man and a
1 REPUBLIC
Woman at No. 6 — along with a pair of al-
bums by TV stars The Monkees: More of the
2 INTERSCOPE GEFFEN A&M Monkees at No. 1 and their self-titled debut
POS / ARTIST / LABEL 3 ATLANTIC GROUP LP at No. 2. However, those Monkees titles,
1 POST MALONE Republic 4 CAPITOL while containing music featured on the
2 KHALID Right Hand/RCA 5 RCA quartet’s NBC series, were not categorized
3 DRAKE OVO Sound/Republic 6 COLUMBIA as soundtracks.
4 TRAVIS SCOTT Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic 7 EPIC So, if one skips past that bit of
5 ED SHEERAN Atlantic/AG 8 UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES Monkee business, the last year with
6 LIL NAS X Columbia 9 SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE four soundtracks in the year-end top 15
7 JUICE WRLD Grade A/Interscope/IGA 10 WARNER until 2019 was 1965, when Mary Poppins
reigned at No. 1, followed by The Sound of
Lizzo wraps 2019 at No. 4 on Music at No. 3, My Fair Lady at No. 4 and
Top New Artists and No. 6 on
Goldfinger at No. 6.
Top Artists — Female, while
also claiming the No. 13 hit on Of 2019’s four top soundtrack finishers,
Hot 100 Songs, “Truth Hurts,” two are holdovers from the 2018 roundup:
JONAS BROTHERS: KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES. LIZZO: FRANK HOENSCH/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES.
Traditional Holiday Music Contemporary Holiday Hits Timeless Christmas 24/7 Acoustic Soul/Motown/
CH. 73 CH. 30 Music & Carols Holiday Tunes R&B Holiday
CH. 70 CH. 14 CH. 49
Country Christmas Music Celebrate the Reason Classical Christmas Carols Latin Holiday Music Hanukkah Music
CH. 58 for the Season! CH. 76 CH. 781 CH. 788
CH. 63 (online & on the app only) (online & on the app only)
Ultimate New Year’s Holiday Hits from the Welcome to the Rockin’ Downtempo Classic/Contemporary
Soundtrack ’70s & ’80s Xmas Channel Holiday Electronic Jazz Christmas
CH. 30 CH. 783 CH. 784 CH. 785 CH. 786
(starting 12/29) (online & on the app only) (online & on the app only) (online & on the app only) (online & on the app only)
© 2019 Sirius XM Radio Inc. SiriusXM, Automatic, Pandora and all related logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its respective subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
2019
1 OLD TOWN ROAD Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus Columbia
2 SUNFLOWER Post Malone & Swae Lee Republic
3 WITHOUT ME Halsey Capitol
4 BAD GUY Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope
5 WOW. Post Malone Republic
6 HAPPIER Marshmello & Bastille Joytime Collective/Astralwerks/Capitol
7 7 RINGS Ariana Grande Republic
8 TALK Khalid Right Hand/RCA
9 SICKO MODE Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
10 SUCKER Jonas Brothers Republic
11 HIGH HOPES Panic! At The Disco DCD2/Fueled By Ramen/EMG
12 THANK U, NEXT Ariana Grande Republic
13 TRUTH HURTS Lizzo Nice Life/Atlantic
14 DANCING WITH A STRANGER Sam Smith & Normani Capitol
15 SENORITA Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello SYCO/Island/Epic/Republic
16 I DON'T CARE Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Atlantic/Def Jam
17 EASTSIDE benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope
18 GOING BAD Meek Mill Feat. Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Maybach/Republic/Atlantic
19 SHALLOW Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper Interscope
20 BETTER Khalid Right Hand/RCA
21 NO GUIDANCE Chris Brown Featuring Drake CBE/RCA
22 GIRLS LIKE YOU Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B 222/Interscope
23 SWEET BUT PSYCHO Ava Max Atlantic
24 SUGE DaBaby SouthCoast/Interscope
ARIANA GRANDE’S “7 RINGS” is, aptly, the year’s 75 BABY SHARK Pinkfong Smart Study
76 MY TYPE Saweetie ICY/Artistry Worldwide/Warner
NO. 7 HIT ON HOT 100 SONGS. She added
77 WORTH IT YK Osiris Def Jam
three top 10s on the weekly Hot 100 in
78 ONLY HUMAN Jonas Brothers Republic
2019, upping her career total to 14. 79 KNOCKIN' BOOTS Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville
80 TRIP Ella Mai 10 Summers/Interscope
81 RUMOR Lee Brice Curb
49 MO BAMBA Sheck Wes Cactus Jack/G.O.O.D./Interscope 82 SWERVIN A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Feat. 6ix9ine Highbridge The Label/Atlantic
50 BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Ed Sheeran Feat. Khalid Right Hand/Atlantic/RCA 83 HOW DO YOU SLEEP? Sam Smith Capitol
51 WAKE UP IN THE SKY Gucci Mane X Bruno Mars X Kodak Black Guwop/Atlantic 84 BABY Lil Baby & DaBaby Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
52 WHISKEY GLASSES Morgan Wallen Big Loud 85 LOOK WHAT GOD GAVE HER Thomas Rhett Valory
53 GOD'S COUNTRY Blake Shelton Warner Music Nashville/WMN 86 GOOD AS YOU Kane Brown Zone 4/RCA Nashville
54 BE ALRIGHT Dean Lewis Island/Republic 87 CLOUT Offset Featuring Cardi B Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
55 PURE WATER Mustard & Migos Quality Control/Motown/10 Summers/Capitol/Interscope 88 LOVE LIES Khalid & Normani Fox/RCA
56 THE GIT UP Blanco Brown TrailerTrapMusic/BMG/Wheelhouse/Stoney Creek/Broken Bow/Warner 89 ONE THING RIGHT Marshmello & Kane Brown Joytime Collective/RCA Nashville/RCA
57 TAKI TAKI DJ Snake Feat. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B DJ Snake/Geffen/Interscope
90 CASH SHIT Megan Thee Stallion Feat. DaBaby 1501 Certified/300
58 CLOSE TO ME Ellie Goulding X Diplo Feat. Swae Lee Polydor/Interscope
91 TEQUILA Dan + Shay Warner Bros. Nashville/WAR/Warner Bros.
59 ENVY ME Calboy Paper Gang/Polo Grounds/RCA
92 SHOTTA FLOW NLE Choppa No Love
60 YOU SAY Lauren Daigle Centricity/12Tone/Warner Bros.
93 HOT GIRL SUMMER Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign 1501 Certified/300
61 HEY LOOK MA, I MADE IT Panic! At The Disco DCD2/Fueled By Ramen/EMG
94 TALK YOU OUT OF IT Florida Georgia Line BMLG
62 CIRCLES Post Malone Republic
95 BEAUTIFUL Bazzi Featuring Camila Cabello ZZZ/iamcosmic/Atlantic
63 BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville
96 EYES ON YOU Chase Rice Dack Janiels/Broken Bow
64 THE LONDON Young Thug, J. Cole & Travis Scott Young Stoner Life/Atlantic/300
97 ALL TO MYSELF Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville/WAR
65 CON CALMA Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry Feat. Snow El Cartel/UMLE/Capitol
98 BOYFRIEND Ariana Grande & Social House SRV/Silent/Republic
66 MURDER ON MY MIND YNW Melly YNW Melly/300
99 WALK ME HOME P!nk RCA
67 WHEN THE PARTY'S OVER Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope
100 ROBBERY Juice WRLD Grade A/Interscope
68 ACT UP City Girls Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
69 I LIKE IT Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin The KSR Group/Atlantic
70 TRAMPOLINE SHAED Photo Finish/Caroline NO. 1, RHYTHMIC
71 LEAVE ME ALONE Flipp Dinero Cinematic/We The Best/Epic
72 BREATHIN Ariana Grande Republic “Wow.,” Post Malone
73 BURY A FRIEND Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 129
2019
5 HALSEY Capitol
Khalid earned his
6 LIL NAS X Columbia highest-charting
Hot 100 hit in a lead
7 TRAVIS SCOTT Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
role when “Talk” rose
8 CARDI B The KSR Group/Atlantic to No. 3 in June.
9 JONAS BROTHERS Republic
11 DABABY SouthCoast/Interscope
12 DRAKE OVO Sound/Republic
49 CITY GIRLS Quality Control/Motown/Capitol 3 WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC 3 KOBALT SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC,ASCAP
SAM SMITH added TWO TOP 25 HITS ON THE WEEKLY 7 LAST FRONTIER 7 WC MUSIC CORP.,ASCAP
HOT 100 in 2019, the first time that the singer- 8 ARTIST PUBLISHING GROUP MUSIC 8 EMI APRIL MUSIC, INC.,ASCAP
1 OLD TOWN ROAD Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus Columbia
POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL 2 SHALLOW Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper Interscope/IGA
1 HIGH HOPES Panic! At The Disco DCD2/Fueled By Ramen/EMG 3 SUNFLOWER Post Malone & Swae Lee Republic
2 WITHOUT ME Halsey Capitol 4 WITHOUT ME Halsey Capitol
3 SUCKER Jonas Brothers Republic 5 TRUTH HURTS Lizzo Nice Life/Atlantic/AG
4 TALK Khalid Right Hand/RCA 6 YOU SAY Lauren Daigle Centricity/12Tone
5 DANCING WITH A STRANGER Sam Smith & Normani Capitol 7 BAD GUY Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope/IGA
6 HAPPIER Marshmello & Bastille Joytime Collective/Astralwerks/Capitol 8 WOW. Post Malone Republic
7 I DON'T CARE Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Atlantic/Def Jam 9 HIGH HOPES Panic! At The Disco DCD2/Fueled By Ramen/EMG
8 EASTSIDE benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope 10 SUCKER Jonas Brothers Republic
9 SUNFLOWER Post Malone & Swae Lee Republic 11 GOD'S COUNTRY Blake Shelton Warner Music Nashville/WMN 3 WITHOUT ME Halsey Capitol
10 WOW. Post Malone Republic 12 7 RINGS Ariana Grande Republic 4 SICKO MODE Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
11 TRUTH HURTS Lizzo Nice Life/Atlantic 13 THE GIT UP Blanco Brown TrailerTrapMusic/BMG/BBMG 5 BAD GUY Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope
12 GIRLS LIKE YOU Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B 222/Interscope 14 HAPPIER Marshmello & Bastille Joytime Collective/Astralwerks 6 7 RINGS Ariana Grande Republic
13 SENORITA Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello SYCO/Island/Epic/Republic 15 I DON'T CARE Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Atlantic/Def Jam/AG 7 WOW. Post Malone Republic
14 BAD GUY Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope 8 HAPPIER Marshmello & Bastille Joytime Collective/Astralwerks/Capitol
16 SENORITA Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello Island
15 IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU Shawn Mendes Island/Republic 9 BABY SHARK Pinkfong Smart Study
17 ME! Taylor Swift Featuring Brendon Urie Republic
16 7 RINGS Ariana Grande Republic 10 THANK U, NEXT Ariana Grande Republic
18 SOMEONE YOU LOVED Lewis Capaldi Vertigo/Capitol
11 MIDDLE CHILD J. Cole Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope
19 SPEECHLESS Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville/WMN
12 GOING BAD Meek Mill Feat. Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Maybach/Republic/Atlantic
NO. 1, ADULT TOP 40 20 SWEET BUT PSYCHO Ava Max Atlantic/AG
13 RAN$OM Lil Tecca Galactic/Republic
21 THANK U, NEXT Ariana Grande Republic
“Sucker,” Jonas Brothers 22 DANCING WITH A STRANGER Sam Smith & Normani Capitol
14 DRIP TOO HARD Lil Baby & Gunna Young Stoner Life/Quality Control/Motown/300/Capitol
15 SUGE DaBaby SouthCoast/Interscope
23 YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN Taylor Swift Republic
16 TRUTH HURTS Lizzo Nice Life/Atlantic
24 SICKO MODE Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
17 THANK U, NEXT Ariana Grande Republic 17 NO GUIDANCE Chris Brown Featuring Drake CBE/RCA
25 BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville/SMN
18 SWEET BUT PSYCHO Ava Max Atlantic 18 SENORITA Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello SYCO/Island/Epic/Republic
26 TALK Khalid Right Hand/RCA
19 YOUNGBLOOD 5 Seconds Of Summer One Mode/Capitol 19 TALK Khalid Right Hand/RCA
27 WHISKEY GLASSES Morgan Wallen Big Loud
20 OLD TOWN ROAD Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus Columbia 20 BETTER Khalid Right Hand/RCA
28 BEAUTIFUL CRAZY Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville/SMN
21 SOMEONE YOU LOVED Lewis Capaldi Vertigo/Capitol 21 LUCID DREAMS Juice WRLD Grade A/Interscope
29 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Queen Hollywood
22 SHALLOW Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper Interscope 22 POP OUT Polo G Featuring Lil Tjay Columbia
30 KNOCKIN' BOOTS Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville/UMGN
23 SICKO MODE Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic 23 MO BAMBA Sheck Wes Cactus Jack/G.O.O.D./Interscope
31 EASTSIDE benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope/IGA
24 SPEECHLESS Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville/WAR/Warner 24 PANINI Lil Nas X Columbia
25 BETTER Khalid Right Hand/RCA 32 ALWAYS REMEMBER US THIS WAY Lady Gaga Interscope/IGA
25 MONEY IN THE GRAVE Drake Feat. Rick Ross OVO Sound/Republic
26 CLOSE TO ME Ellie Goulding X Diplo Feat. Swae Lee Polydor/Interscope 33 IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU Shawn Mendes Island
26 THOTIANA Blueface Blueface/Fifth Amendment/eOne
27 BETTER NOW Post Malone Republic 34 BETTER Khalid Right Hand/RCA
27 ZEZE Kodak Black Feat. Travis Scott & Offset Dollaz N Dealz/Atlantic
28 HEY LOOK MA, I MADE IT Panic! At The Disco DCD2/Fueled By Ramen/EMG 35 WALK ME HOME P!nk RCA
28 SUCKER Jonas Brothers Republic
29 NO GUIDANCE Chris Brown Featuring Drake CBE/RCA 36 GIRLS LIKE YOU Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B 222/Interscope/IGA
29 ENVY ME Calboy Paper Gang/Polo Grounds/RCA
30 BREATHIN Ariana Grande Republic 37 BE ALRIGHT Dean Lewis Island
30 MURDER ON MY MIND YNW Melly YNW Melly/300
31 MIA Bad Bunny Featuring Drake Rimas/OVO Sound/Warner Bros. 38 NATURAL Imagine Dragons KIDinaKORNER/Interscope/IGA
31 GOODBYES Post Malone Featuring Young Thug Republic
32 GOING BAD Meek Mill Feat. Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Maybach/Republic/Atlantic 39 PLEASE ME Cardi B & Bruno Mars Atlantic/AG
32 BELIEVER Imagine Dragons KIDinaKORNER/Interscope
33 GOODBYES Post Malone Featuring Young Thug Republic 40 GOOD AS HELL Lizzo Nice Life/Atlantic/AG 33 I DON'T CARE Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Atlantic/Def Jam
34 BREAK UP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND, I'M BORED Ariana Grande Republic 41 ONE THING RIGHT Marshmello & Kane Brown Joytime Collective/RCA Nashville/SMN 34 A LOT 21 Savage Slaughter Gang/Epic
35 PLEASE ME Cardi B & Bruno Mars Atlantic 42 PERFECT Ed Sheeran Atlantic/AG 35 GIRLS LIKE YOU Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B 222/Interscope
36 SUGE DaBaby SouthCoast/Interscope 43 MONEY Cardi B The KSR Group/Atlantic/AG 36 BREAK UP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND, I'M BORED Ariana Grande Republic
37 BE ALRIGHT Dean Lewis Island/Republic 44 GOODBYES Post Malone Featuring Young Thug Republic 37 MONEY Cardi B The KSR Group/Atlantic
38 BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Ed Sheeran Feat. Khalid Right Hand/Atlantic/RCA 45 LOOK WHAT GOD GAVE HER Thomas Rhett Valory/BMLG 38 SWERVIN A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Feat. 6ix9ine Highbridge The Label/Atlantic
39 TRAMPOLINE SHAED Photo Finish/Caroline 46 RUMOR Lee Brice Curb 39 EASTSIDE benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope
40 YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN Taylor Swift Republic 47 CIRCLES Post Malone Republic 40 SWEET BUT PSYCHO Ava Max Atlantic
41 LOVE LIES Khalid & Normani Fox/RCA 48 NO GUIDANCE Chris Brown Featuring Drake CBE/RCA 41 BURY A FRIEND Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope
42 BEAUTIFUL CRAZY Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville 49 BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Ed Sheeran Featuring Khalid Atlantic/AG 42 DANCING WITH A STRANGER Sam Smith & Normani Capitol
43 ZEZE Kodak Black Feat. Travis Scott & Offset Dollaz N Dealz/Atlantic 50 TEQUILA Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville/WMN 43 BETTER NOW Post Malone Republic
CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
STREAMING SONGS
44 LOOK BACK AT IT A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Highbridge The Label/Atlantic
45 DRIP TOO HARD Lil Baby & Gunna Young Stoner Life/Quality Control/Motown/300/Capitol 45 THE GIT UP Blanco Brown TrailerTrapMusic/BMG/Wheelhouse/Stoney Creek/Broken Bow/Warner
46 WHISKEY GLASSES Morgan Wallen Big Loud 46 SOMEONE YOU LOVED Lewis Capaldi Vertigo/Capitol
47 YOU SAY Lauren Daigle Centricity/12Tone/Warner Bros. 47 PLEASE ME Cardi B & Bruno Mars Atlantic
48 THIS IS IT Scotty McCreery Triple Tigers POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL
48 PURE WATER Mustard & Migos Quality Control/Motown/10 Summers/Capitol/Interscope
49 BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville 1 OLD TOWN ROAD Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus Columbia 49 THE LONDON Young Thug, J. Cole & Travis Scott Young Stoner Life/Atlantic/300
50 GIRL LIKE YOU Jason Aldean Macon/Broken Bow 2 SUNFLOWER Post Malone & Swae Lee Republic 50 ACT UP City Girls Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
23 DRIP HARDER Lil Baby & Gunna Young Stoner Life/300/Quality Control/Motown/AG/Capitol
61 LEGEND: THE BEST OF... Bob Marley And The Wailers Tuff Gong/Island/UMe
62 COSMIC Bazzi ZZZ/iamcosmic/Atlantic/AG
Billie Eilish is the first
63 DREAMVILLE & J. COLE: REVENGE OF THE DREAMERS III Various Artists Dreamville/Interscope/IGA
non-R&B or hip-hop
act to rule the yearly 64 FATHER OF ASAHD DJ Khaled We The Best/Epic
Top New Artists list 65 CHRONICLE THE 20 GREATEST HITS Creedence Clearwater Revival Fantasy/Concord
since pop vocal quintet
One Direction in 2012. 66 CURTAIN CALL: THE HITS Eminem Shady/Aftermath/Interscope/IGA
BILLBOARD 200 ALBUMS 8 ASTROWORLD Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic 69 VIEWS Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Republic
EILISH: HARRY DURRANT/GETTY IMAGES. TOOL: TAYLOR HILL/GETTY IMAGES.
9 HOLLYWOOD'S BLEEDING Post Malone Republic 70 JOURNEY'S GREATEST HITS Journey Columbia/Legacy
10 HOODIE SZN A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Highbridge The Label/Atlantic/AG 71 IGOR Tyler, The Creator Columbia
POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL 11 THIS ONE'S FOR YOU Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville/SMN 72 REARVIEW TOWN Jason Aldean Macon/Broken Bow/BMG/BBMG
1 WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope/IGA 12 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (SOUNDTRACK) Queen Hollywood 73 TRENCH twenty one pilots Fueled By Ramen/EMG
2 THANK U, NEXT Ariana Grande Republic 13 FREE SPIRIT Khalid Right Hand/RCA 74 REPUTATION Taylor Swift Big Machine/BMLG
3 A STAR IS BORN (SOUNDTRACK) Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper Interscope/IGA 14 THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Soundtrack Fox/20th Century Fox/Atlantic/AG 75 HARDER THAN EVER Lil Baby Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
4 LOVER Taylor Swift Republic 15 SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Soundtrack Republic 76 CULTURE II Migos Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
5 BEERBONGS & BENTLEYS Post Malone Republic 16 DONT SMILE AT ME Billie Eilish Darkroom/Interscope/IGA 77 SWIMMING Mac Miller Warner
6 SCORPION Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Republic 17 GOODBYE & GOOD RIDDANCE Juice WRLD Grade A/Interscope/IGA 78 KANE BROWN Kane Brown Zone 4/RCA Nashville/SMN
7 CHAMPIONSHIPS Meek Mill Maybach/Atlantic/AG 18 I AM > I WAS 21 Savage Slaughter Gang/Epic 79 DUMMY BOY 6ix9ine ScumGang
105 GIRL Maren Morris Columbia Nashville/SMN 131 WE ALL SHINE YNW Melly YNW Melly/300/AG 165 HOPELESS FOUNTAIN KINGDOM Halsey Astralwerks
106 LIFE CHANGES Thomas Rhett Valory/BMLG 132 THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971-1975 Eagles Asylum/Elektra/Rhino 166 LUCA BRASI 3 Kevin Gates Bread Winners' Association/Atlantic/AG
107 UNTIL DEATH CALL MY NAME YoungBoy Never Broke Again Never Broke Again/Atlantic/AG 133 SKINS XXXTENTACION Bad Vibes Forever/EMPIRE 167 DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS Bruno Mars Elektra/EMG
108 BAD HABITS NAV XO/Republic 134 GREATEST HITS SO FAR... Zac Brown Band ROAR/Southern Ground/Atlantic/AG 168 BLONDE Frank Ocean Boys Don't Cry
109 OVER IT Summer Walker LVRN/Interscope/IGA 135 PERFECT TEN Mustard 10 Summers/Interscope/IGA 169 EVIL GENIUS Gucci Mane Guwop/Atlantic/AG
110 FEED THA STREETS II Roddy Ricch Bird Vision/Atlantic/AG 136 DIVINELY UNINSPIRED TO A HELLISH EXTENT Lewis Capaldi Vertigo/Capitol 170 FUTURE & JUICE WRLD PRESENT... WRLD ON DRUGS Future & Juice WRLD Grade A/Interscope/Freebandz/IGA/Epic
111 CAN'T SAY I AIN'T COUNTRY Florida Georgia Line BMLG 137 KOD J. Cole Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope/IGA 171 A DECADE OF DESTRUCTION Five Finger Death Punch Prospect Park
112 X Ed Sheeran Atlantic/AG 138 YOUNGBLOOD 5 Seconds Of Summer One Mode/Capitol 172 CARE PACKAGE Drake OVO Sound/Republic
113 DIE A LEGEND Polo G Columbia 139 IN THE LONELY HOUR Sam Smith Capitol 173 ALADDIN (2019) Soundtrack Walt Disney
114 FEAR INOCULUM Tool Tool Dissectional/Volcano/RCA 140 CRY PRETTY Carrie Underwood Capitol Nashville/UMGN 174 METALLICA Metallica Blackened/Rhino
141 JESUS IS KING (SOUNDTRACK) Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam 175 HEARTBREAK ON A FULL MOON Chris Brown RCA
142 EXPECTATIONS Bebe Rexha Warner 176 CHRISTMAS IS HERE! Pentatonix RCA
NO. 1, WORLD ALBUMS 143 MARSHMELLO: FORTNITE EXTENDED SET Marshmello Joytime Collective 177 GREATEST HITS Red Hot Chili Peppers Warner
Map of the Soul: 144 GREATEST HITS The Notorious B.I.G. Bad Boy/Rhino
PERSONA, BTS 146 CALIFORNIA SUNRISE Jon Pardi Capitol Nashville/UMGN 180 CRASH TALK ScHoolboy Q Top Dawg/Interscope/IGA
147 SUNCITY Khalid Right Hand/RCA 181 NORTHSBEST Lil Mosey Interscope/IGA
148 GREATEST HITS Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers MCA/Geffen/UMe 182 NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL! Lana Del Rey Polydor/Interscope/IGA
115 BIRDS IN THE TRAP SING MCKNIGHT Travis Scott Grand Hustle/Epic 149 HURTS 2B HUMAN P!nk RCA 183 SOUNDS OF SUMMER: THE VERY BEST OF THE BEACH BOYS The Beach Boys Capitol/UMe
116 1989 Taylor Swift Big Machine/BMLG 150 QUALITY CONTROL: CONTROL THE STREETS, VOLUME 2 Various Artists Quality Control/Motown/Capitol 184 BLACK PANTHER: THE ALBUM, MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY Soundtrack Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope/IGA
117 BLURRYFACE twenty one pilots Fueled By Ramen/EMG 151 FRIENDS KEEP SECRETS (EP) benny blanco Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope/IGA 185 SUPERM: THE 1ST MINI ALBUM (EP) SuperM SM/Capitol
118 LOVE YOURSELF: ANSWER BTS BigHit Entertainment 152 AI YOUNGBOY 2 YoungBoy Never Broke Again Never Broke Again/Atlantic/AG 186 CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND Logic Visionary/Def Jam
119 GOOD KID, M.A.A.D CITY Kendrick Lamar Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope/IGA 153 CENTER POINT ROAD Thomas Rhett Valory/BMLG 187 LAST DAY OF SUMMER Summer Walker LVRN/Interscope/IGA
120 24K MAGIC Bruno Mars Atlantic/AG 154 NOTHING WAS THE SAME Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Republic 188 50 NUMBER ONES George Strait MCA Nashville/UMGN
121 GREATEST HITS Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Hideout/Capitol/UMe 155 HOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM Beyonce Parkwood/Columbia 189 AURA Ozuna VP Entertainment/DimeloVi/Sony Music Latin
122 STOKELEY Ski Mask The Slump God Victor Victor Worldwide/Republic 156 THE PREQUEL (EP) Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville/SMN 190 T R A P S O U L Bryson Tiller TrapSoul/RCA
123 BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS The Weeknd XO/Republic 157 GREATEST HITS Guns N' Roses Geffen/UMe 191 MERRY CHRISTMAS Mariah Carey Columbia/Legacy
124 WE LOVE YOU TECCA Lil Tecca Galactic/Republic 158 21 Adele XL/Columbia 192 DANGEROUS WOMAN Ariana Grande Republic
125 BACK IN BLACK AC/DC Columbia/Legacy 159 THE BIG DAY Chance The Rapper Chance The Rapper 193 4RESPECT 4FREEDOM 4LOYALTY 4WHATIMPORTANT YoungBoy Never Broke Again Never Broke Again/Atlantic/AG
126 BALLADS 1 Joji 88rising/12Tone 160 NEVERMIND Nirvana Sub Pop/DGC/Geffen/UMe 194 SHELBY Lil Skies All We Got/Atlantic/AG
127 ANTI Rihanna Westbury Road/Roc Nation 161 BRETT YOUNG Brett Young BMLG 195 OASIS J Balvin & Bad Bunny Universal Music Latino/UMLE
128 LOVE Michael Buble Reprise/Warner 162 THE BEATLES [WHITE ALBUM] The Beatles Apple/Capitol/UMe
196 FREUDIAN Daniel Caesar Golden Child
129 THRILLER Michael Jackson Epic/Legacy 163 FEVER Megan Thee Stallion 1501 Certified/300/AG
197 LIFE OF A DARK ROSE Lil Skies All We Got/Atlantic/AG
130 CHRISTMAS Michael Buble 143/Reprise/Warner Bros. 164 DNA Backstreet Boys K-BAHN/RCA
198 ALL TIME GREATEST HITS Lynyrd Skynyrd MCA/Geffen/UMe
199 SIGNED TO THE STREETS 3 Lil Durk Alamo/Interscope/IGA
SEE MORE YEAR-END CHARTS AT B I L L B OA R D.C O M /C H A R T S /2 0 1 9/ Y E A R - E N D .
200 FATHER OF THE BRIDE Vampire Weekend Spring Snow/Columbia
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 135
2019
5 QUEEN Hollywood
BEATLES: PICTURELUX/THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE/ALAMY. GAGA: MATTEO CHINELLATO/NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES. BTS: BAUZEN/GC IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES.
7 KHALID Right Hand/RCA
8 JUICE WRLD Grade A/Interscope/IGA
9 ED SHEERAN Atlantic/AG
22 EMINEM Shady/Aftermath/Interscope/IGA
23 LIZZO Nice Life/Atlantic/AG
24 21 SAVAGE Slaughter Gang/Epic
17 WAYV LABEL V
35 ANUEL AA Real Hasta La Muerte
36 SUPERM SM/Capitol
3 ARIANA GRANDE Republic 22 LALI Ariola/Sony Music Argentina 41 ALAN WALKER MER Musikk/RCA
12 TOMORROW X TOGETHER BigHit Entertainment/Republic 31 FREDDIE MERCURY Hollywood 50 MEEK MILL Maybach/Atlantic/AG
13 CARDI B The KSR Group/Atlantic/AG 32 WANNA ONE SWING Entertainment/Stone Music Entertainment
33 JUSTIN BIEBER SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Def Jam SEE MORE YEAR-END CHARTS AT B I L L B OA R D.C O M /
14 NCT DREAM SM
C H A R T S /2 0 1 9/ Y E A R - E N D .
15 LIL NAS X Columbia 34 ASTRO Interpark
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 137
2019
Morgan Wallen’s
HOT COUNTRY SONGS 27 ON MY WAY TO YOU Cody Johnson CoJo/Warner Music Nashville/WMN
28 THIS IS IT Scotty McCreery Triple Tigers
“Whiskey Glasses” is 29 LOVE YOU TOO LATE Cole Swindell Warner Music Nashville/WMN
No. 1 for the year on POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL
Hot Country Songs 30 THE ONES THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT BACK HOME Justin Moore Valory
and Country Airplay, 1 WHISKEY GLASSES Morgan Wallen Big Loud 31 EVERY LITTLE THING Russell Dickerson Triple Tigers
an honor last achieved 2 SPEECHLESS Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville/WAR 32 NIGHT SHIFT Jon Pardi Capitol Nashville
by Sam Hunt with
“Body Like a Back 3 GOD'S COUNTRY Blake Shelton Warner Music Nashville/WMN 33 GIRL LIKE YOU Jason Aldean Macon/Broken Bow
Road” in 2017. 4 BEAUTIFUL CRAZY Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville 34 GOOD VIBES Chris Janson Warner Music Nashville/WAR
5 BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville 35 LIVING Dierks Bentley Capitol Nashville
6 THE GIT UP Blanco Brown TrailerTrapMusic/BBMG/BMG/Wheelhouse/Stoney Creek/Broken Bow 36 MAKE IT SWEET Old Dominion RCA Nashville
7 TEQUILA Dan + Shay Warner Bros./WAR 37 SOME OF IT Eric Church EMI Nashville
8 RUMOR Lee Brice Curb
COMBS: JOHN SHEARER/GETTY IMAGE. WALLEN: JASON KEMPIN/GETTY IMAGES. DAN + SHAY: RICH FURY/GETTY. MORRIS: STEVEN FERDMAN/GETTY IMAGES.
9 KNOCKIN' BOOTS Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville
NO. 1, COUNTRY DIGITAL SONG SALES
10 MEANT TO BE Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line Warner Bros./BMLG
11 LOOK WHAT GOD GAVE HER Thomas Rhett Valory
“God’s Country,” Blake Shelton
12 TALK YOU OUT OF IT Florida Georgia Line BMLG
13 GOOD AS YOU Kane Brown Zone 4/RCA Nashville
14 I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU Chris Lane Big Loud 38 EVEN THOUGH I'M LEAVING Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville
15 ALL TO MYSELF Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville/WAR 39 WHAT IF I NEVER GET OVER YOU Lady Antebellum BMLG
17 MISS ME MORE Kelsea Ballerini Black River 41 SOUTHBOUND Carrie Underwood Capitol Nashville
18 WHAT HAPPENS IN A SMALL TOWN Brantley Gilbert + Lindsay Ell Stoney Creek/Valory 42 RAISED ON COUNTRY Chris Young RCA Nashville
19 PRAYED FOR YOU Matt Stell Wide Open/RECORDS/Good Company/Arista Nashville 43 WE WERE Keith Urban Hit Red/Capitol Nashville
20 EYES ON YOU Chase Rice Dack Janiels/Broken Bow 44 TAKE IT FROM ME Jordan Davis MCA Nashville
21 ONE THING RIGHT Marshmello & Kane Brown Joytime Collective/RCA Nashville 45 LOVE SOMEONE Brett Eldredge Warner Music Nashville/WMN
22 SHE GOT THE BEST OF ME Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville 46 10,000 HOURS Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber Warner Music Nashville/WAR
23 REARVIEW TOWN Jason Aldean Macon/Broken Bow 47 BEST SHOT Jimmie Allen Stoney Creek
24 HERE TONIGHT Brett Young BMLG 48 DOWN TO THE HONKYTONK Jake Owen Big Loud
25 THE BONES Maren Morris Columbia Nashville 49 LOVE AIN'T Eli Young Band Valory
26 ONE MAN BAND Old Dominion RCA Nashville 50 LOVE WINS Carrie Underwood Capitol Nashville
1 THIS ONE'S FOR YOU Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville/SMN 28 DIG YOUR ROOTS Florida Georgia Line BMLG
2 DAN + SHAY Dan + Shay Warner Music Nashville/WMN 29 CRASH MY PARTY Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville/UMGN
3 EXPERIMENT Kane Brown Zone 4/RCA Nashville/SMN 30 HOME STATE Jordan Davis MCA Nashville/UMGN
4 TRAVELLER Chris Stapleton Mercury/UMGN 31 TELLING ALL MY SECRETS Mitchell Tenpenny Riser House/Columbia Nashville/SMN
5 REARVIEW TOWN Jason Aldean Macon/Broken Bow/BMG/BBMG 32 THE MOUNTAIN Dierks Bentley Capitol Nashville/UMGN
6 KANE BROWN Kane Brown Zone 4/RCA Nashville/SMN 33 THE GREATEST HITS COLLECTION Brooks & Dunn Arista Nashville/Legacy Patience paid off for Dan + Shay: In February their song “Tequila”
7 GOLDEN HOUR Kacey Musgraves MCA Nashville/UMGN 34 UNAPOLOGETICALLY Kelsea Ballerini Black River hit No. 1 in its 54th week on Hot Country Songs, completing the
lengthiest journey to the summit in the chart’s history.
8 IF I KNOW ME Morgan Wallen Big Loud 35 HOTEL CALIFORNIA Eagles Asylum/Elektra/Rhino
9 LIFE CHANGES Thomas Rhett Valory/BMLG 36 WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY Luke Bryan Capitol Nashville/UMGN
10
11
GIRL Maren Morris Columbia Nashville/SMN
13 GREATEST HITS SO FAR... Zac Brown Band ROAR/Southern Ground/Atlantic/AG 40 FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2 Chris Stapleton Mercury/UMGN POS / LABEL
14 CALIFORNIA SUNRISE Jon Pardi Capitol Nashville/UMGN 41 HONKY TONK TIME MACHINE George Strait MCA Nashville/UMGN 1 SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE
15 BRETT YOUNG Brett Young BMLG 42 THE ESSENTIAL ELVIS PRESLEY Elvis Presley RCA/Sony Strategic Marketing Group/Legacy 2 UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE
16 RELOADED: 20 #1 HITS Blake Shelton Warner Music Nashville/WMN 43 LEE BRICE Lee Brice Curb 3 BIG MACHINE LABEL GROUP
17 CENTER POINT ROAD Thomas Rhett Valory/BMLG 44 THE OWL Zac Brown Band Zac Brown Collective/BMG 4 WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE
18 THE PREQUEL (EP) Luke Combs River House/Columbia Nashville/SMN 45 YOURS, Russell Dickerson Triple Tigers/RED 5 BROKEN BOW MUSIC GROUP
19 TICKET TO L.A. Brett Young BMLG 46 FEARLESS Taylor Swift Big Machine/BMLG 6 BIG LOUD
20 50 NUMBER ONES George Strait MCA Nashville/UMGN 47 RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER AND OTHER CHRISTMAS CLASSICS Gene Autry Columbia/Legacy 7 LEGACY
21 FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 1 Chris Stapleton Mercury/UMGN 48 REBOOT Brooks & Dunn Arista Nashville/SMN 8 CURB
22 DESPERATE MAN Eric Church EMI Nashville/UMGN 49 HAPPY ENDINGS Old Dominion RCA Nashville/SMN 9 BLACK RIVER
23 MONTEVALLO Sam Hunt MCA Nashville/UMGN 50 RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER Burl Ives MCA Special Products/Geffen/UMe 10 TRIPLE TIGERS
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 139
JAN UARY 25 , 2020 PROMOTION
I S S U E DAT E 1 /2 5 | A D C L O S E 1 / 1 5 | M AT E R I A L S D U E 1 / 1 6
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25
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ϥʵ˜˟˟˕ˢ˔˥˗ʵ˨˟˟˘˧˜ˡʭ˧˛˘ˣ˨˟˦˘ˢ˙˧˛˘˜ˡ˗˨˦˧˥ˬʟ ϥʷ˜˚˜˧˔˟ˠ˔˚˔˭˜ˡ˘˘˫ˣ˘˥˜˘ˡ˖˘ˢˣ˧˜ˠ˜˭˘˗˙ˢ˥ˠˢ˕˜˟˘ʟ
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of our charts and more
ϥ˃˥˜ˢ˥˜˧ˬ˔˖˖˘˦˦˧ˢ˘˟˜˧˘˘˩˘ˡ˧˦˜ˡ˖˟˨˗˜ˡ˚˧˛˘˃ˢ˪˘˥ʤʣʣ
ϥʶ˛˔˥˧˦˔ˡ˔˟ˬ˦˜˦˕ˬʵ˜˟˟˕ˢ˔˥˗Ϟ˦˧ˢˣ˘˫˘˖˦ ˣ˔˥˧ˬʟʿ˔˧˜ˡˀ˨˦˜˖ˊ˘˘˞˔ˡ˗˧˛˘ʿ˜˩˘ˀ˨˦˜˖ˆ˨ˠˠ˜˧
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˃˥˜˖˜ˡ˚ʢˣ˔ˬˠ˘ˡ˧˦˥˘˩˘˥˧˧ˢ˧˛˘ˡʠ˦˧˔ˡ˗˔˥˗ˣ˥˜˖˜ˡ˚˔˙˧˘˥˧˛˘Ё˥˦˧ʤʥˠˢˡ˧˛˦ʡ
2019
8 LOVELYTHEBAND RED
9 MUMFORD & SONS Gentlemen Of The Road/Glassnote
10 HOZIER Rubyworks/Columbia
11 FLEETWOOD MAC Unsigned
14 METALLICA Blackened
15 SLIPKNOT Roadrunner/EMG
22 JOURNEY Nomota
A nearly three-and-
a-half-year break
between album releases
didn’t slow down The
Lumineers, whose
“Gloria,” from 2019’s
III, topped the weekly
Alternative and Triple A
airplay tallies for five
weeks each.
26 BLOW Ed Sheeran With Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars Atlantic 46 ZERO Imagine Dragons Walt Disney/KIDinaKORNER/Interscope 21 BACK IN BLACK AC/DC Columbia/Legacy
27 YOU'RE SOMEBODY ELSE flora cash Icons Creating Evil Art/RCA 47 LOVE IT IF WE MADE IT The 1975 Dirty Hit/Interscope 22 THEIR GREATEST HITS 1971-1975 Eagles Asylum/Elektra/Rhino
28 UNDER YOUR SCARS Godsmack BMG 48 S.O.S. (SAWED OFF SHOTGUN) The Glorious Sons Black Box Recordings/BMG 23 METALLICA Metallica Blackened/Rhino
29 ALLIGATOR Of Monsters And Men Republic 49 JOY Bastille Virgin/Capitol 24 A DECADE OF DESTRUCTION Five Finger Death Punch Prospect Park
30 ALMOST (SWEET MUSIC) Hozier Rubyworks/Columbia 50 I WANT TO BREAK FREE Queen Hollywood 25 GREATEST HITS Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers MCA/Geffen/UMe
31 UNDER PRESSURE Queen & David Bowie Hollywood/Jones/Tintoretto/Parlophone/Rhino 26 GREATEST HITS Guns N' Roses Geffen/UMe
32 MISSED CONNECTION The Head And The Heart Reprise/Warner
FIVE OF THE TOP 10 SONGS ON THE YEAR-END ALTERNATIVE 1 BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (SOUNDTRACK) Queen Hollywood 31 13 REASONS WHY, SEASON 2 Soundtrack Netflix/Interscope/IGA
CHART ARE BY LEAD SOLOISTS: LANA DEL REY, BILLIE EILISH, 2 GREATEST HITS Queen Hollywood 32 SIMON AND GARFUNKEL'S GREATEST HITS Simon & Garfunkel Columbia/Legacy
DOMINIC FIKE, MATT MAESON and MARSHMELLO. 3 DIAMONDS Elton John Rocket/Island/UMe 33 ALL TIME GREATEST HITS Lynyrd Skynyrd MCA/Geffen/UMe
4 PRAY FOR THE WICKED Panic! At The Disco DCD2/Fueled By Ramen/EMG 34 WASTELAND, BABY! Hozier Rubyworks/Columbia
The haul ties the record established in
5 ORIGINS Imagine Dragons KIDinaKORNER/Interscope/IGA 35 BORN TO DIE Lana Del Rey Polydor/Interscope/IGA
1990, when the region was ruled by Kate
6 EVOLVE Imagine Dragons KIDinaKORNER/Interscope/IGA 36 FATHER OF THE BRIDE Vampire Weekend Spring Snow/Columbia
LUMINEERS: CINDY ORD/GETTY IMAGES. PANIC: JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC. QUEEN: NIGEL WRIGHT/MIRRORPIX/GETTY IMAGES.
10 GREATEST HITS I II & III: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION Queen Hollywood 40 THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Geffen/UMe
34 WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Queen Hollywood 11 JOURNEY'S GREATEST HITS Journey Columbia/Legacy 41 [HYBRID THEORY] Linkin Park Warner
35 HARMONY HALL Vampire Weekend Spring Snow/Columbia 12 THE ESSENTIAL BILLY JOEL Billy Joel Columbia/Legacy 42 MOTHERSHIP Led Zeppelin Swan Song/Atlantic/Rhino
36 FEAR INOCULUM Tool Tool Dissectional/Volcano/RCA 13 RUMOURS Fleetwood Mac Warner Bros./Rhino 43 THE DIRT (SOUNDTRACK) Motley Crue Motley/Eleven Seven/E7LG
37 KILLER QUEEN Queen Hollywood 14 1 The Beatles Apple/Capitol/UMe 44 SUBLIME Sublime Gasoline Alley/MCA/Geffen/UMe
38 MOVEMENT Hozier Rubyworks/Columbia 15 DELTA Mumford & Sons Gentlemen Of The Road/Glassnote 45 GREATEST HITS Fleetwood Mac Warner Bros./Rhino
39 MONSTERS Shinedown Atlantic 16 THE BEATLES [WHITE ALBUM] The Beatles Apple/Capitol/UMe 46 III The Lumineers Dualtone
40 GO The Black Keys Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch/Warner 17 NIGHT VISIONS Imagine Dragons KIDinaKORNER/Interscope/IGA 47 HONK The Rolling Stones Promotone B.V./The Rolling Stones/Polydor/Interscope/IGA
41 SOCIAL CUES Cage The Elephant RCA 18 FEAR INOCULUM Tool Tool Dissectional/Volcano/RCA 48 ANTHEM OF THE PEACEFUL ARMY Greta Van Fleet Lava/Republic
42 THIS LIFE Vampire Weekend Spring Snow/Columbia 19 BLURRYFACE twenty one pilots Fueled By Ramen/EMG 49 A BRIEF INQUIRY INTO ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS The 1975 Dirty Hit/Interscope/IGA
43 PRESSURE Muse Helium-3/Warner Bros. 20 GREATEST HITS Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band Hideout/Capitol/UMe 50 THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Pink Floyd Pink Floyd/Legacy
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 143
2019
TOP R&B/HIP-HOP ARTISTS 13 GOODBYES Post Malone Featuring Young Thug Republic
14 ZEZE Kodak Black Feat. Travis Scott & Offset Dollaz N Dealz/Atlantic
37 SWERVIN A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Feat. 6ix9ine Highbridge The Label/Atlantic
38 BABY Lil Baby & DaBaby Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
15 MONEY IN THE GRAVE Drake Feat. Rick Ross OVO Sound/Republic 39 TRIP Ella Mai 10 Summers/Interscope
POS / ARTIST / LABEL 16 DRIP TOO HARD Lil Baby & Gunna Young Stoner Life/Quality Control/Motown/300/Capitol 40 SHOTTA FLOW NLE Choppa No Love
1 POST MALONE Republic 17 PLEASE ME Cardi B & Bruno Mars Atlantic 41 CASH SHIT Megan Thee Stallion Feat. DaBaby 1501 Certified/300
2 KHALID Right Hand/RCA 18 MONEY Cardi B The KSR Group/Atlantic 42 HOT GIRL SUMMER Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign 1501 Certified/300
3 DRAKE OVO Sound/Republic 19 A LOT 21 Savage Slaughter Gang/Epic 43 ROBBERY Juice WRLD Grade A/Interscope
4 LIL NAS X Columbia 20 PANINI Lil Nas X Columbia 44 LUCID DREAMS Juice WRLD Grade A/Interscope
5 TRAVIS SCOTT Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic 21 THOTIANA Blueface Blueface/Fifth Amendment/eOne 45 GO LOKO YG, Tyga & Jon Z 4Hunnid/CTE/Def Jam
6 JUICE WRLD Grade A/Interscope/IGA 22 POP OUT Polo G Featuring Lil Tjay Columbia 46 EARFQUAKE Tyler, The Creator Columbia
7 DABABY SouthCoast/Interscope/IGA 23 WAKE UP IN THE SKY Gucci Mane X Bruno Mars X Kodak Black Guwop/Atlantic 47 GOOD AS HELL Lizzo Nice Life/Atlantic
8 CARDI B The KSR Group/Atlantic/AG 24 PURE WATER Mustard & Migos Quality Control/Motown/10 Summers/Capitol/Interscope 48 GIRLS NEED LOVE Summer Walker X Drake Frozen Moments/LVRN/Interscope
9 LIL BABY Quality Control/Motown/Capitol 25 LOOK BACK AT IT A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Highbridge The Label/Atlantic 49 MIXED PERSONALITIES YNW Melly Feat. Kanye West YNW Melly/300
10 MEEK MILL Maybach/Atlantic/AG 26 MO BAMBA Sheck Wes Cactus Jack/G.O.O.D./Interscope 50 ON CHILL Wale Featuring Jeremih Maybach/Warner
11 A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE Highbridge The Label/Atlantic/AG 27 ENVY ME Calboy Paper Gang/Polo Grounds/RCA
15 CHRIS BROWN CBE/RCA 31 LEAVE ME ALONE Flipp Dinero Cinematic/We The Best/Epic POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL
16 KODAK BLACK Dollaz N Dealz/Atlantic/AG 32 MY TYPE Saweetie ICY/Artistry Worldwide/Warner 1 BEERBONGS & BENTLEYS Post Malone Republic
17 GUNNA Young Stoner Life/300/AG 33 WORTH IT YK Osiris Def Jam 2 SCORPION Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Republic
18 J. COLE Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope/IGA 34 BETTER NOW Post Malone Republic 3 CHAMPIONSHIPS Meek Mill Maybach/Atlantic/AG
19 YOUNG THUG Young Stoner Life/300/Atlantic/AG 35 CLOSE FRIENDS Lil Baby Quality Control/Motown/Capitol 4 ASTROWORLD Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
20 LIL TECCA Galactic/Republic 36 CLOUT Offset Featuring Cardi B Quality Control/Motown/Capitol 5 HOLLYWOOD'S BLEEDING Post Malone Republic
POS / LABEL
1 REPUBLIC
2 ATLANTIC GROUP
4 COLUMBIA
5 RCA
6 EPIC
7 CAPITOL
8 300
9 DEF JAM
10 WARNER
1 OLD TOWN ROAD Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus Columbia
2 SUNFLOWER Post Malone & Swae Lee Republic
3 TALK Khalid Right Hand/RCA
4 WOW. Post Malone Republic
5 TRUTH HURTS Lizzo Nice Life/Atlantic
6 SICKO MODE Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
7 NO GUIDANCE Chris Brown Featuring Drake CBE/RCA
8 MIDDLE CHILD J. Cole Dreamville/Roc Nation/Interscope
9 GOING BAD Meek Mill Feat. Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Maybach/Republic/Atlantic
10 RAN$OM Lil Tecca Galactic/Republic
11 SUGE DaBaby SouthCoast/Interscope
12 BETTER Khalid Right Hand/RCA
NO. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in 19 POP OUT Polo G Featuring Lil Tjay Columbia
POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL 23 LOOK BACK AT IT A Boogie Wit da Hoodie Highbridge The Label/Atlantic
1 FREE SPIRIT Khalid Right Hand/RCA 24 THE LONDON Young Thug, J. Cole & Travis Scott Young Stoner Life/Atlantic/300
25 DRIP OR DROWN 2 Gunna Young Stoner Life/300/AG
2 AMERICAN TEEN Khalid Right Hand/RCA 25 ACT UP City Girls Quality Control/Motown/Capitol
26 VICTORY LAP Nipsey Hussle All Money In No Money Out/Atlantic/AG
3 INDIGO Chris Brown CBE/RCA
POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL 1 OLD TOWN ROAD Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus Columbia 24 PLAYING GAMES Summer Walker LVRN/Interscope
2 SUNFLOWER Post Malone & Swae Lee Republic 25 WAKE UP Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
1 BEERBONGS & BENTLEYS Post Malone Republic
2 SCORPION Drake Young Money/Cash Money/Republic
SEE MORE YEAR-END CHARTS AT B I L L B OA R D.C O M /C H A R T S /2 0 1 9/ Y E A R - E N D .
3 ASTROWORLD Travis Scott Cactus Jack/Grand Hustle/Epic
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 145
2019
3 RIMAS
4 GLAD EMPIRE
5 INTERSCOPE
6 WARNER
7 RICH
8 WARNER LATINA
9 EL CARTEL
10 DEL
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B I L L BOA R D . CO M / N E WS L E T T E RS
2019
5 OASIS J Balvin & Bad Bunny Universal Music Latino/UMLE 26 CON TODAS LAS FUERZAS Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga Lizos/Sony Music Latin 47 BENDECIDO Lenin Ramirez DEL
6 VIDA Luis Fonsi Universal Music Latino/UMLE 27 LA MEJOR VERSION DE MI Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga Lizos/Sony Music Latin 48 PARA AVENTURAS Y CURIOSIDADES Mau y Ricky Sony Music Latin
7 VIBRAS J Balvin Universal Music Latino/UMLE 28 QUE BENDICION Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga Lizos 49 OPUS Marc Anthony Sony Music Latin
8 TODAVIA ME AMAS: LO MEJOR DE AVENTURA Aventura The Orchard/Sony Music Latin 29 UNDERGROUND T3r Elemento Parral/La Red 50 AHORA Reik Sony Music Latin
FLASHENTERTAINMENT.COM
2019
1 LAUREN DAIGLE Centricity/12Tone/Capitol CMG 17 KNOWN Tauren Wells Reunion/PLG 36 CLOSED ON SUNDAY Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
2 FOR KING & COUNTRY Curb-Word 18 BUILD MY LIFE Pat Barrett Bowyer & Bow/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 37 IS HE WORTHY? Chris Tomlin Rivermusic/Sparrow/Capitol CMG
3 KANYE WEST G.O.O.D./Def Jam 19 STAND IN YOUR LOVE Josh Baldwin Bethel 38 JOY. for KING & COUNTRY Curb-Word
4 HILLSONG UNITED Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 20 DEAD MAN WALKING Jeremy Camp Stolen Pride/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 39 WITH LIFTED HANDS Ryan Stevenson Gotee
5 CASTING CROWNS Beach Street/Reunion/PLG 21 FOLLOW GOD Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam 40 FIGHTING FOR ME Riley Clemmons Sparrow/Capitol CMG
6 ELEVATION WORSHIP Elevation Worship/PLG 22 RECKLESS LOVE Cory Asbury Bethel 41 SELAH Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
7 HILLSONG WORSHIP Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 23 HEAD ABOVE WATER Avril Lavigne Avril Lavigne/BMG 42 SURVIVOR Zach Williams Essential/PLG
8 MERCYME Fair Trade/PLG 24 REASON Unspoken Centricity 43 ON GOD Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
25 ALIVE Big Daddy Weave Curb-Word 44 PRIZE WORTH FIGHTING FOR Jamie Kimmett Reunion/PLG
9 SKILLET Hear It Loud/Atlantic/PLG
26 LET IT RAIN (IS THERE ANYBODY) Crowder Feat. Mandisa sixsteps/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 45 BURN THE SHIPS for KING & COUNTRY Curb-Word
10 BETHEL MUSIC Bethel
27 RED LETTERS Crowder sixsteps/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 46 EVERYTHING WE NEED Kanye West Feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Ant Clemons G.O.O.D./Def Jam
11 CHRIS TOMLIN Rivermusic/Sparrow/Capitol CMG
28 CHURCH (TAKE ME BACK) Cochren & Co. Gotee 47 I'M GONNA LET IT GO Jason Gray Centricity
12 TAUREN WELLS Reunion/PLG
29 TILL I FOUND YOU Phil Wickham Fair Trade 48 WHOLE HEART (HOLD ME NOW) Hillsong UNITED Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG
13 CROWDER sixsteps/Sparrow/Capitol CMG
30 RESCUE STORY Zach Williams Essential/PLG 49 USE THIS GOSPEL Kanye West Feat. Clipse & Kenny G G.O.O.D./Def Jam
14 TOBYMAC ForeFront/Capitol CMG
31 THE CHRISTMAS SONG Lauren Daigle Centricity 50 CHANGED Jordan Feliz Centricity
15 ZACH WILLIAMS Essential/PLG
3 CENTRICITY
4 CURB-WORD
5 DEF JAM
6 BETHEL
7 FAIR TRADE
8 ELEVATION WORSHIP
9 GOTEE
10 DREAM
1 LOOK UP CHILD Lauren Daigle Centricity/12Tone 1 LOVE THEORY Kirk Franklin Fo Yo Soul/RCA/RCA Inspiration/PLG
2 JESUS IS KING (SOUNDTRACK) Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam 2 FOLLOW GOD Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
3 HOW CAN IT BE Lauren Daigle Centricity/Capitol CMG Kanye West’s first spiritual 3 DELIVER ME (THIS IS MY EXODUS) Donald Lawrence Presents The Tri-City Singers Feat. Le'Andria Johnson RCA Inspiration/PLG
4 BURN THE SHIPS for KING & COUNTRY Curb-Word set, Jesus Is King, debuted 4 WON'T HE DO IT Koryn Hawthorne RCA Inspiration/PLG
atop the Billboard 200,
5 PEOPLE Hillsong UNITED Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 5 CLOSED ON SUNDAY Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
Top Christian Albums
6 I CAN ONLY IMAGINE: THE VERY BEST OF MERCYME MercyMe Fair Trade/PLG and Top Gospel Albums 6 SELAH Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
7 ONLY JESUS Casting Crowns Beach Street/Reunion/PLG in November. In the 7 YOU KNOW MY NAME (LIVE) Tasha Cobbs Leonard Motown Gospel
same week, its tracks
8 THERAPY SESSION NF Capitol CMG monopolized the top 11 8 ON GOD Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
9 THE ELEMENTS tobyMac ForeFront/Capitol CMG positions on Hot Gospel 9 EVERYTHING WE NEED Kanye West Feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Ant Clemons G.O.O.D./Def Jam
Songs, a first on the survey.
10 CHAIN BREAKER Zach Williams Essential/PLG 10 UNSTOPPABLE Koryn Hawthorne RCA Inspiration/PLG
11 I SERVE A SAVIOR Josh Turner MCA Nashville/Capitol CMG 11 USE THIS GOSPEL Kanye West Feat. Clipse & Kenny G G.O.O.D./Def Jam
12 THERE IS MORE Hillsong Worship Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG
13 PRECIOUS MEMORIES COLLECTION Alan Jackson ARC/EMI Nashville/Capitol CMG
TOP GOSPEL LABELS 12 GOD IS Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
13 EVERY HOUR Kanye West Feat. Sunday Service Choir G.O.O.D./Def Jam
14 VICTORY: RECORDED LIVE Bethel Music Bethel 14 NEVER ALONE Tori Kelly Feat. Kirk Franklin SchoolBoy/Capitol/Motown Gospel
15 LIFER MercyMe Fair Trade/PLG POS / LABEL 15 BLESSINGS ON BLESSINGS Anthony Brown & group therAPy Key Of A/Fair Trade/Tyscot
16 HERE AS IN HEAVEN Elevation Worship Elevation Worship/Essential Worship/PLG 1 DEF JAM 16 FOREVER Jason Nelson RCA Inspiration/PLG
17 MANSION NF Capitol CMG 2 PROVIDENT LABEL GROUP 17 MAKE ROOM Jonathan McReynolds eOne
18 AWAKE Skillet Ardent/Fair Trade/Atlantic/PLG 3 CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP 18 WATER Kanye West Featuring Ant Clemons G.O.O.D./Def Jam
19 I KNOW A GHOST Crowder sixsteps/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 4 EONE 19 HANDS ON Kanye West Feat. Fred Hammond G.O.O.D./Def Jam
20 HILLS AND VALLEYS Tauren Wells Reunion/PLG 5 LEGACY 20 JESUS IS LORD Kanye West G.O.O.D./Def Jam
21 WONDER Hillsong UNITED Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 6 TILLYMANN 21 YOU'RE DOING IT ALL AGAIN Todd Dulaney Feat. Nicole Harris eOne
22 UNLEASHED Skillet Hear It Loud/Atlantic/Curb-Word 7 TYSCOT 22 IT'S YOURS Jekalyn Carr Lunjeal
23 HALLELUJAH HERE BELOW Elevation Worship Elevation Worship/PLG 8 CAPITOL 23 VICTORY Fred Jerkins Featuring Last Call DarkChild Gospel
24 WOW HITS 2019 Various Artists PLG/Curb-Word/Capitol CMG 9 BLACKSMOKE 24 MIRACLE WORKER JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise Feat. Rich Tolbert, Jr. JamesTown
25 LET THERE BE LIGHT Hillsong Worship Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 10 RHINO 25 POUR YOUR OIL Joshua Rogers Mixed Bag
35 THERE IS A CLOUD Elevation Worship Elevation Worship/Essential Worship/PLG 12 FRED HAMMOND F Hammond/Heritage Music 12 THE HILL Travis Greene RCA Inspiration/PLG
36 LIVING HOPE Phil Wickham Fair Trade/PLG 13 WILLIAM MURPHY RCA Inspiration/PLG 13 WOW GOSPEL 2019 Various Artists Motown Gospel/Curb-Word/RCA Inspiration/PLG
37 BEHOLD: A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION Lauren Daigle Centricity/Capitol CMG 14 JEKALYN CARR Lunjeal 14 ONE PLACE: LIVE Tasha Cobbs Motown Gospel/Capitol CMG
38 ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER Lecrae Reach/Columbia 15 ZACARDI CORTEZ Blacksmoke/WorldWide 15 BEST DAYS Tamela Mann TillyMann
39 HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET Danny Gokey Sparrow/Capitol CMG 16 TODD DULANEY eOne 16 HELLO FEAR Kirk Franklin Fo Yo Soul/Verity/RCA Inspiration/PLG
40 CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES Trans-Siberian Orchestra Lava/Atlantic/Curb-Word 17 MARANDA CURTIS C Bazz/Butterfly Works/RED Alliance/Fair Trade/PLG 17 THE BEST OF FRED HAMMOND Fred Hammond Verity/PLG
DAIGLE: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES. WEST: MICHAEL WYKE/AP IMAGES.
41 DIFFERENT Micah Tyler Fair Trade/PLG 18 JASON NELSON RCA Inspiration/PLG 18 ONE WAY Tamela Mann TillyMann
42 AMERICAN PRODIGAL Crowder sixsteps/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 19 J.J. HAIRSTON & YOUTHFUL PRAISE JamesTown/eOne 19 GOSHEN Donald Lawrence Presents The Tri-City Singers RCA Inspiration/PLG
43 WE WILL NOT BE SHAKEN Bethel Music Bethel 20 JOHN P. KEE Kee/eOne 20 SETTLE HERE William Murphy RCA Inspiration/PLG
44 YOU MAKE ME BRAVE: LIVE AT THE CIVIC Bethel Music Bethel 21 JOSHUA ROGERS Mixed Bag 21 THE CRY: A LIVE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE William McDowell Delivery Room/Integrity
45 ALL THE PEOPLE SAID AMEN Matt Maher Essential/PLG 22 KELONTAE GAVIN Marquis Boone/Tyscot/GoDigiPath 22 ALTARED Anthony Evans Sherman James
46 THE PEACE PROJECT Hillsong Worship Hillsong/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 23 ISABEL DAVIS Global Ministry/Uncle G/eOne 23 THE BEST OF ME Yolanda Adams Elektra/Atlantic/AG
47 NEON STEEPLE Crowder sixsteps/Sparrow/Capitol CMG 24 BEBE WINANS Regimen 24 THE NU NATION PROJECT Kirk Franklin Gospo Centric/RCA/RCA Inspiration/PLG
48 HARD LOVE NEEDTOBREATHE Atlantic/Curb-Word 25 BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON Motown Gospel/Capitol CMG 25 YOUR GREAT NAME Todd Dulaney eOne
49 LET IT BE CHRISTMAS Alan Jackson ARC/Gaither/Capitol CMG
SEE MORE YEAR-END CHARTS AT B I L L B OA R D.C O M /C H A R T S /2 0 1 9/ Y E A R - E N D .
50 TRIAL & TRIUMPH I AM THEY Essential/PLG
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 151
2019
TOP DANCE/
ELECTRONIC ARTISTS
POS / ARTIST / LABEL
3 DJ SNAKE DJ Snake/Geffen/IGA
4 LADY GAGA Interscope/IGA
5 AVICII Geffen/IGA
6 ODESZA Foreign Family Collective/Counter
7 ILLENIUM Astralwerks
8 CALVIN HARRIS Columbia
16 GORILLAZ Parlophone/Warner
17 SAM FELDT Spinnin'
18 GRYFFIN Darkroom/Interscope/IGA
21 ZEDD Interscope/IGA
24 GREY #808080
25 RL GRIME WeDidIt
1 COLUMBIA
3 CAPITOL
4 RCA
5 JOYTIME COLLECTIVE
6 ATLANTIC GROUP
7 COUNTER
8 REPUBLIC
9 ASTRALWERKS
10 ULTRA
Kaskade Featuring Romeo 48 NOT OK Kygo & Chelsea Cutler Kygo AS/Ultra/RCA
49 FACE MY FEARS Hikaru Utada & Skrillex Epic Japan/Sony Masterworks
50 BEACH HOUSE The Chainsmokers Disruptor/Columbia
12 SOS Avicii Featuring Aloe Blacc Avicii AB/Geffen/Interscope
13 ELECTRICITY Silk City x Dua Lipa Columbia
14 SUMMER DAYS Martin Garrix Feat. Macklemore & Patrick Stump STMPD RCRDS/RCA TOP DANCE/
15 POST MALONE Sam Feldt Featuring RANI Spinnin'/Warner
16 TAKEAWAY The Chainsmokers & Illenium Feat. Lennon Stella Disruptor/Columbia
ELECTRONIC ALBUMS
17 BODY Loud Luxury Featuring Brando Armada
18 365 Zedd & Katy Perry Capitol/Interscope POS / TITLE / ARTIST / LABEL
19 ON MY WAY Alan Walker, Sabrina Carpenter & Farruko MER Musikk/RCA 1 MARSHMELLO: FORTNITE EXTENDED SET Marshmello Joytime Collective
20 PIECE OF YOUR HEART Meduza Feat. GOODBOYS Virgin/Astralwerks/Capitol 2 THE FAME Lady Gaga Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope/IGA
21 GIANT Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man Columbia 3 SICK BOY The Chainsmokers Disruptor/Columbia
22 RIDE IT. DJ Regard Ministry Of Sound/Epic 4 COLLAGE (EP) The Chainsmokers Disruptor/Columbia
23 HOPE The Chainsmokers Featuring Winona Oak Disruptor/Columbia 5 MEMORIES...DO NOT OPEN The Chainsmokers Disruptor/Columbia
24 SO CLOSE NOTD & Felix Jaehn Feat. Georgia Ku & Captain Cuts ToWonder/Island/Republic 6 A MOMENT APART ODESZA Foreign Family Collective/Counter
25 I FOUND YOU benny blanco & Calvin Harris Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope 7 DIFFERENT WORLD Alan Walker MER Musikk/RCA
26 ONE KISS Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa Columbia 8 WHAT IS LOVE? Clean Bandit Big Beat/Atlantic/AG
27 PROMISES Calvin Harris & Sam Smith Capitol/Columbia 9 FUNK WAV BOUNCES VOL. 1 Calvin Harris Columbia
28 CARRY ON Kygo & Rita Ora RCA 10 WORLD WAR JOY (EP) The Chainsmokers Disruptor/Columbia
29 LILY Alan Walker, K-391 & Emelie Hollow MER Musikk/RCA 11 TIM Avicii Avicii AB/Geffen/IGA
30 HEAVEN Avicii Avicii AB/Geffen/Interscope 12 MAJOR LAZER ESSENTIALS Major Lazer Mad Decent
31 WTF HUGEL Featuring Amber Van Day Big Beat/Atlantic 13 DEMON DAYS Gorillaz Parlophone/Warner
32 DARKSIDE Alan Walker Feat. Au/Ra & Tomine Harket MER Musikk/RCA 14 TRUE Avicii PRMD/Island
33 WASTE IT ON ME Steve Aoki Featuring BTS Ultra 15 BLUE Jonas Blue Positiva/Astralwerks
34 JACKIE CHAN Tiesto & Dzeko Feat. Preme & Post Malone Musical Freedom/PM:AM/Casablanca/Republic 16 IN RETURN ODESZA Foreign Family Collective/Counter
35 BAILA CONMIGO Dayvi & Victor Cardenas Feat. Kelly Ruiz Titular/Sony Music Latin 17 NOTHING BUT THE BEAT David Guetta What A Music/Parlophone/Atlantic/AG
36 RESCUE ME Marshmello Feat. A Day To Remember Joytime Collective 18 ASCEND Illenium Astralwerks
37 CRAB RAVE Noisestorm Monstercat 19 CARTE BLANCHE DJ Snake DJ Snake/Geffen/IGA
38 HAPPY NOW Kygo Featuring Sandro Cavazza Kygo AS/Ultra 20 AWAKE Illenium Kasaya/Seeking Blue
39 SAY MY NAME David Guetta, Bebe Rexha & J Balvin What A Music/Parlophone/Atlantic 21 URBAN FLORA Alina Baraz & Galimatias Ultra/Mom + Pop
40 RITUAL Tiesto, Jonas Blue & Rita Ora Musical Freedom/AM:PM/Casablanca/Republic 22 RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES Daft Punk Daft Life/Columbia
41 QUE CALOR Major Lazer & J Balvin Feat. El Alfa Mad Decent 23 KIDS IN LOVE Kygo Kygo AS/Ultra
42 ALONE Marshmello Monstercat 24 ENCORE DJ Snake DJ Snake/Interscope/IGA
43 MILE HIGH James Blake Feat. Metro Boomin & Travis Scott Polydor/Republic 25 ASSUME FORM James Blake Polydor/Republic
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 153
A DECADE
OF SUCCESS
The live-music business celebrates
a number of historic milestones as
the 2010s come to an end
B Y DAV E B R O O K S
TOP 40 TOURS
The Rolling Stones in 1998-99.
Billboard ’s year-end touring charts are based COUNTRY ERIC CHURCH $65,045,296 718,025 48
on Billboard Boxscore data for performances
between Nov. 1, 2018, and Oct. 31, 2019.
LATIN LUIS MIGUEL $30,929,886 304,322 38
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 155
2019
TOP 25 BOXSCORES
ARTIST NAME
GROSS TOTAL ATTENDEES
LOCATION PROMOTER(S)
TICKET PRICE NO. OF SHOWS
DATE(S)
P!NK $16,665,313
145,230 MARSHALL ARTS
7 WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON $158.57/$125.99/$107.83/
2
JUNE 29-30 $82.46/$57.09
BTS
says Gary Gersh, who heads AEG’s global touring $14,195,198 98,574 LIVE NATION
12 METLIFE STADIUM, EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. $250/$55 2
division. “Instead of investing in a bunch of tours MAY 18-19
and seeing which one works out, we’re increasingly BTS $13,928,011 107,328 LIVE NATION
focused on putting resources behind artists with 13 STADE DE FRANCE, SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE $204.12/$68.04 2
JUNE 7-8
long-term careers.” BTS $13,681,565 114,583 LIVE NATION
Case in point: Eight of the entries on this year’s 14 WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON $202.03/$56.82 2
JUNE 1-2
Top 40 Tours chart were also on the road in 2018,
THE ROLLING STONES AEG PRESENTS/
with three — P!nk, The Rolling Stones and Sheeran $13,494,183 58,846
CONCERTS WEST
15 MILE HIGH STADIUM, DENVER $499.50/$375.50/$99.50/$29.50 1
(the only artist to post a No. 1 tour two years in a AUG. 10
row) — also in the top 10 for 2018. BTS $13,483,307 88,156 LIVE NATION
Those same three tours, along with Guns N’ 16 SOLDIER FIELD, CHICAGO $250/$55 2
MAY 11-12
Roses’ outing, were all among the top 10 highest- DRAKE $13,451,300 98,148 LIVE NATION
grossing of all time. (P!nk spent three weeks at 17 O2 ARENA, LONDON $195.35/$58.61 7
APRIL 1-2, 4-5, 8-9, 11
No. 10 before the Stones bumped her to No. 11.)
TAKE THAT $13,423,910 118,427 SJM CONCERTS
That’s a first for this decade: Only Bruno Mars’ 18 O2 ARENA, LONDON $129.27/$71.82 8
24K Magic world tour, a top 10 entry in 2018, made MAY 2-5, 7-10
the all-time list, while Coldplay’s top 10 run in 2017 THE ROLLING STONES $13,113,319 56,974
AEG PRESENTS/
19 ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIF. CONCERTS WEST
was the sole all-time entrant for that year. $499.50/$399.50/$99.50/$29.50 1
AUG. 22
The tours that ended their three-year cycle in ED SHEERAN DHP FAMILY,
$12,971,665 139,984
2019 with record-breaking grosses “represent one 20 CHANTRY PARK, IPSWICH, ENGLAND KILIMANJARO LIVE
$104.22/$91.95 4
AUG. 23-26
of the strongest touring cycles in history,” says Wall
GEORGE STRAIT MESSINA TOURING
Street analyst David Joyce, whose firm Evercore $12,660,700 80,108
21 NRG STADIUM, HOUSTON GROUP/AEG PRESENTS
$400/$30 1
tracks a number of entertainment stocks, including MARCH 17
cycle wind down and the first new cycle heat up, BRUNO MARS $12,394,580 113,751 LIVE NATION
and while there will be some year-over-year volatil- 24 ALOHA STADIUM, HONOLULU $125/$49.50 3
NOV. 8, 10-11
PAUL
McCARTNEY FRESHEN UP
20/03/19 NATIONAL STADIUM | SANTIAGO 06/06/19 KOHL CENTER | MADISON
23/03/19 POLO GROUND | BUENOS AIRES 08/06/19 LAMBEAU FIELD | GREEN BAY
26/03/19 ALLIANZ PARQUE | SAO PAULO 11/06/19 TAXSLAYER CENTER | MOLINE
27/03/19 ALLIANZ PARQUE | SAO PAULO 14/06/19 GLOBE LIFE PARK | ARLINGTON
22/06/19 PETCO PARK | SAN DIEGO
30/03/19 ESTADIO COUTO PEREIRA | CURITIBA
26/06/19 TALKING STICK RESORT ARENA | PHOENIX
23/05/19 SMOOTHIE KING ARENA | NEW ORLEANS
28/06/19 T-MOBILE ARENA | LAS VEGAS
27/05/19 PNC ARENA | RALEIGH 29/06/19 T-MOBILE ARENA | LAS VEGAS
30/05/19 BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA | GREENVILLE 06/07/19 BC PLACE | VANCOUVER
01/06/19 |
RUPP ARENA LEXINGTON 10/07/19 SAP CENTER | SAN JOSE
03/06/19 ALLEN COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL COLISEUM | FORT WAYNE 13/07/19 DODGER STADIUM | LOS ANGELES
Unit 6 Utopia Village, 7 Chalcot Road, London NW1 8LH 8730 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 470, West Hollywood, CA 90069
T + 44 (0)20 7586 3831 T + (1) 213 337 5100
marshall-arts.com
2019
Jennifer Lopez
transitioned from
TOP 10 PROMOTERS
her 2016-18 Las
Vegas residency
to 2019’s It’s My
Party Tour, earning PROMOTER(S) GROSS TOTAL ATTENDEES NO. OF SHOWS
$54.7 million on 1 LIVE NATION $3,359,719,042 38,637,334 5,673
her biggest outing
yet. 2 AEG PRESENTS $2,237,835,190 27,426,095 13,845
TOP 10 STADIUMS
VENUE CAPACITY GROSS TOTAL ATTENDEES NO. OF SHOWS
LOCATION
METLIFE STADIUM
1 82,500 $89,139,229 781,276 30
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
WEMBLEY STADIUM
2 90,000 $71,067,334 587,666 9
LONDON
TOKYO DOME
3 55,700 $36,554,163 283,551 6
TOKYO
SOLDIER FIELD
4 61,500 $35,224,871 186,384 4
CHICAGO
ROSE BOWL
5 104,695 $29,808,780 170,014 3
ity, in the long term a steady launch of tours every PASADENA, CALIF.
number of shows Live Nation reported was down STAPLES CENTER 20,000 $71,082,872 763,573 66
6 LOS ANGELES
from 6,251 in 2018 to 5,673 in 2019, a drop of about
9%. Meanwhile, the number of shows that AEG AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER 20,020 $69,499,288 635,554 61
7 DALLAS
LIONEL HAHN/SHUTTERSTOCK
Unit 6 Utopia Village, 7 Chalcot Road, London NW1 8LH 8730 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 470, West Hollywood, CA 90069
T + 44 (0)20 7586 3831 T + (1) 213 337 5100
marshall-arts.com
2019
the world, as is the city’s 55,000-capacity Foro Sol WELLS FARGO CENTER
15 21,000 $56,858,107 702,404 64
PHILADELPHIA
stadium. But revenue for both has dipped by about
20% in the last year, a result of lower overall tour GOLDEN 1 CENTER
16 SACRAMENTO, CALIF. 17,600 $55,846,937 689,487 82
volume in the country compared with last year.
One factor is that violence in Mexico is again PRUDENTIAL CENTER
17 NEWARK, N.J. 18,000 $54,048,879 637,268 59
on the rise, with several high-profile drug-related
shootings making the news in recent months ROD LAVER ARENA
18 16,820 $54,014,546 600,747 53
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
and the homicide rate hitting a record number in
2019. “I think it is hard to draw a direct line to the CAPITAL ONE ARENA
20,000 $50,852,959 588,400 61
19 WASHINGTON, D.C.
security situation in Mexico, but it certainly hasn’t
made more artists eager to tour the country right TACOMA DOME
20 23,000 $45,055,567 597,005 63
TACOMA, WASH.
now,” says Gigi Johnson, founder of the Center for
ACCORHOTELS ARENA
Music Innovation at UCLA. 21 PARIS
20,300 $40,478,315 532,717 51
SSE HYDRO
1 13,000 $72,301,075 1,058,353 137
GLASGOW
MERCEDES-BENZ ARENA
2 15,000 $55,053,852 724,426 93
BERLIN
HALLENSTADION
4 13,000 $53,282,025 566,099 76
ZURICH
BARCLAYCARD ARENA
5 15,000 $47,381,061 767,704 127
HAMBURG, GERMANY
RAC ARENA
9 15,000 $29,473,401 383,466 45
PERTH, AUSTRALIA
SEE MORE YEAR-END CHARTS AT
3ARENA
B I L L B OA R D.C O M /C H A R T S /2 0 1 9/ Y E A R - E N D . 10 14,500 $25,432,481 239,455 25
DUBLIN
Unit 6 Utopia Village, 7 Chalcot Road, London NW1 8LH · T + 44 (0)20 7586 3831 · W marshall-arts.com
The North American leg
of The Rolling Stones’
No Filter Tour is No. 5
on the year’s Top 40
Tours list, after claiming
Nos. 7 and 8 in 2017
and 2018, respectively,
thanks to the tour’s
European shows.
offices. Postmaster: Please send all UAA to CFS. Send non-postal and military facilities
EVENTIM APOLLO 5,000 $27,984,570 480,832 163 changes of address to Billboard, P.O. Box 45, Congers, NY 10920-0045. Current and
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information, call 212-493-4100.
IFTEEN MONTHS DEEP INTO HIS and Kevin Jonas grossed $20.6 million hitting a new high at No. 8 with a
Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, Elton John and sold 195,598 tickets in November. $13.1 million gross. Like Tool, the
TOP TOURS
ARTIST TOTAL GROSS TOTAL NO. OF
All Promotions ATTENDEES SHOWS
Nov. 16-17
15 AEROSMITH $7,387,567 34,396 7
24 TWENTY ONE PILOTS $4,277,779 58,138 5 GEORGE STRAIT $5,794,152 27,168 Messina Touring
TOP PROMOTERS 8
LADY GAGA: JAZZ & PIANO
Park Theater, Las Vegas
$3,636,875
$551/$90
10,572
2
Live Nation,
MGM Resorts
Nov. 3, 9 International
PROMOTER TOTAL GROSS TOTAL NO. OF
All Promotions ATTENDEES SHOWS
COCA-COLA FLOW FEST $3,419,913 69,979 OCESA-CIE
1 9
JOHN: JAVIER BRAGADO/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES. DION: SAMIR HUSSEIN/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES.
3 OCESA-CIE $30,120,169 574,047 52 LADY GAGA: ENIGMA $3,336,172 11,905 Live Nation,
6 SJM CONCERTS $13,757,496 229,925 23 ROD STEWART $3,323,670 24,417 Live Nation
11 SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Nov. 26, 28, 30
$592.56/$72.42 3
7 JAM PRODUCTIONS $9,262,183 109,401 47
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 165
TOUR ING R EC A P / NOVEMBER
2 Dickies Arena $9,076,087 86,878 9 2 The Colosseum at Caesars Palace $5,698,775 28,455 8
Dallas Las Vegas
7 First Direct Arena $4,218,781 79,384 10 7 Durham Performing Arts Center $3,612,192 58,785 26
Leeds, England Durham, N.C.
8 Pechanga Arena San Diego $3,307,483 49,857 5 8 DeVos Performance Hall $3,246,249 43,441 24
Fantasia at the BET Awards in
San Diego Grand Rapids, Mich.
Los Angeles on June 23.
9 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall $3,230,405 26,195 2 9 Orpheum Theatre $3,002,079 39,681 19
Atlantic City, N.J. Minneapolis
10 Toyota Arena $3,181,944 40,798 10 10 Au-Rene Theater, Broward Center $2,116,629 30,231 23
Ontario, Calif. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
D E C E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 • W W W. B I L L B O A R D . C O M 167
My Billboard Moment
As “Weird Al” Yankovic’s manager for nearly 40 [9,525-capacity] Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Los Angeles’
years, Levey helped the comedian-musician score his [5,870-capacity] Greek Theatre, New York’s [6,015-capacity] Yankovic has sold 10.3 million
first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2014 with Mandatory Fun Radio City Music Hall. He was already the best-selling albums in the United States
— the first comedy album to top the chart since 1963. Levey comedy recording artist in history, but having a No. 1 album (since Nielsen Music began
recalls the historic feat, which he celebrated by writing a seemed to instantly propel him even higher, as if some monitoring retail sales in 1991).
“manager’s perspective” op-ed for Billboard. incandescent halo had permanently attached itself to him and
his career. Mandatory Fun was going to be his last album, so
A chart-topping album felt out of reach for Al, who was to reach the top with it was, for him, the ultimate mic drop. He has 11 Billboard Hot 100 titles,
always nipping at the heels of a best-seller. He thought I was both honored and exhausted when Billboard asked led by “White & Nerdy”
Mandatory Fun was among the best [albums] he had me to write about what had just happened. It was sheer (2006, No. 9 peak) and “Eat It”
ever released and had quiet, high hopes for it. We were wonderment to watch Al completely harness the internet. (1984, No. 12).
backstage at a TV taping when the official news came Over 30 years, he has balanced his pure adolescent
in. His wife, Suzanne, and daughter, Nina, were there to irreverence with being a grown-up and a family man. He He has amassed over
surprise him. It was very emotional for him. Up until then, we still can’t quite believe he gets to do this for a living. I 827 million views and 1.72 million
had a respectable, long-standing concert business playing guess you can count me second. followers on YouTube.
2,000-seat theaters. Then we were selling out Colorado’s —AS TOLD TO NICK WILLIAMS
P E R S O N O F T H E Y E A R GA L A
PHOTO: ZACK WHITFORD
JAN 24 2020
LOS ANGELES
CONVENTION CENTER