VARIOUS CITIES - JUNE 28: In this screengrab, Beyoncé is seen during the 2020 BET Awards. The 20th ... [+]
Beyoncé surprised her legion of fans two weeks ago by surprise-releasing her new single “Black Parade,” which came without warning and which, at the moment, doesn’t appear to be attached to any full-length project. The title debuts on the Hot 100 this week at No. 37, thanks mostly to very healthy sales, and is all those purchases that help the woman behind the new hit move up on an all-time ranking.
“Black Parade” opens at No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart, which ranks the bestselling (looking only at actual purchases) individual tunes in the U.S. every week. The cut starts off as high as a single can climb with just under 18,000 copies (though the real figure was rounded up to that even number), which is enough to make it the singer’s ninth champion on the sales-only tally.
With nine No. 1s on the Digital Song Sales chart to her credit, Beyoncé has broken out of a tie with Lady Gaga and advanced once more on the list of the musicians who have controlled that ranking the most. Gaga tied with Queen Bey just a month or so ago with “Rain on Me,” her collaboration with Ariana Grande that also topped the Hot 100. Now, just weeks later, they are no longer on the same level as one another.
Beyoncé stands alone in fourth place on the list of the women who have landed the most No. 1 smashes on the Digital Song Sales chart, and she still has a long way to go before moving up once more.
Leading the way among all females is Taylor Swift, who has charted 19 No. 1s on the Digital Song Sales list. Behind her comes Rihanna, with 14, and then Katy Perry, who has snagged 11 major wins.
Looking at all artists and not just solo females, Beyoncé is actually tied for sixth place with Bruno Mars, as they have both collected nine chart-toppers. Swift continues to rule with her 19 champions, and Rihanna is steady in second place, and nobody is currently making a serious play to top either one of those powerhouses.
