LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 04: Taylor Swift attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com … [+]
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Taylor Swift dominates the Hot 100 this week as songs from her new album The Tortured Poets Department. For the second time in her career, the singer-songwriter owns the entire top 10 on the ranking of the most-consumed tracks in the country. As she invades the competitive tally in this manner–which only she has managed–Swift makes history in many fantastic fashions…and in one way that’s less glamorous.
“Down Bad” by Swift debuts at No. 2 on the Hot 100. With one more tune that peaks in the runner-up rung on the ranking, the singer ties the all-time record for the most hits that have failed to reach the summit by just one space.
Swift has now seen 10 different tunes stall at No. 2 on the Hot 100, without ever reaching No. 1. Only Drake has also accrued as many of this specific type of hit.
Most artists would be unhappy to have that many No. 2-peaking titles in their discography. Swift and Drake may also not love that they jointly claim this spot in the history books, but they can be comforted knowing that at least several of their runners-up didn’t miss the mark because of competition, but simply due to the fact that they couldn’t beat their own, slightly-more-popular cuts.
“Down Bad” debuts at No. 2 as Swift’s single “Fortnight” launches at No. 1 on the Hot 100. The tune misses out on the throne only due to the fact that she already claims that space alongside Post Malone, who is featured on the lead The Tortured Poets Department smash.
Several of Swift’s No. 2-peakers–especially those that came out earlier in her career–stopped short of ruling for normal reasons. Singles like “You Belong with Me,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “You Need to Calm Down,” among others, simply couldn’t best more successful tracks during their initial run on the charts.
Other tunes, like “Lavender Haze,” “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” and now “Down Bad” have a different excuse. The weeks that those cuts opened and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100, Swift claimed a new No. 1 with other songs that fans chose as their favorites from just-dropped collections.
I am a music journalist based in New York City. My byline has appeared in The Huffington Post, Billboard, Mashable, Noisey, The Hollywood Reporter,
