Coldplay Ties U2 and other Chart Results

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2020-01-13)

Coldplay’s new song “Orphans” has hit the top of the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart (AKA the Triple A Chart). That means they are tied again with U2 for the most #1 on this chart in the chart’s 24-year history. Both U2 and Coldplay have had 13 songs reach the top of the chart over the time that the chart has been operating. U2’s most recent song to reach number 1 is “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” which stayed at #1 for seven weeks. In third place behind U2 and Coldplay? Dave Matthews if you count his solo material and work with the Dave Matthews Band.

This chart is based on airplay from radio, as detected from adult alternative format stations. The chart is measured by Nielsen Music.

U2’s full list of songs that have reached this chart? “Staring at the Sun,” “Beautiful Day,” “In A Little While,” “Stuck in A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” “Electrical Storm,” “Vertigo,” “All Because of You,” “Sometimes You Can’t Make it On Your Own,” “Window in the Skies,” “Get On Your Boots,” “Invisible,” “The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone),” and “You’re the Best Thing About Me.”

U2 has also placed in a few Decade ending charts over at Billboard.

Up first? Billboard’s Top Artists 2010s chart. The top artists on this chart are not being announced yet, and the top five will be announced at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards in April. However, U2 are far enough down on the list that we know where they are in this chart.

U2 place at #77 between David Guetta (#76) and Ellie Goulding (#78). For comparison, Coldplay comes in at #43 on this list, and The Rolling Stones come in at #81. The list definitely skews towards younger, more recent artists.

Before we get too upset, remember most of these charts are based on strongly on sales, and U2 only released one album in a traditional manner, and the second album, Songs of Innocence was widely released for free, which does not count in many of these rankings.

The ranking for this chart ranks artists based on activity on the Billboard Hot 100 songs, the Billboard 200 albums chart, social media data, accolades such as Billboard Music Awards and nominations and touring revenue from Billboard Boxscore from December 5, 2009 to September 28, 2019. U2’s most recent tour, The Joshua Tree Tour 2019, is not included in this tally.

No U2 song made it into the Hot 100 Songs of the 2010s, or in the Billboard 200 of the 2010s. But U2 wins the top spot in the Top Touring Artists of the 2010s category, which is based on reported tour revenues.

Where does that place U2 overall after all these years when it comes to the USA charts? Billboard has a chart titled “Greatest of All Time Artists” which again is based on sales, and chart placement in the USA. U2 comes in at #66 on the overall list of all time, falling between Marvin Gaye (#65) and Linda Ronstadt (#67) on this chart. The top five is made up of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Mariah Carey, and Madonna. U2 has never been a strong act in the Hot 100 Singles chart, with only two songs reaching the #1 position in the USA, “With or Without You,” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” The other U2 songs which have made it into the top 10 include “Desire” (#3), “Mysterious Ways” (#9) and “One” and “Discotheque” (#10.) The Beatles, for comparison, who fall at #1 in this chart, have held the top position in the singles charts 20 times over the years.

U2 have also appeared on the LyricFind USA chart that is listed at Billboard. The chart dated January 4, 2020 lists “New Year’s Day” at the #9 position for the most searched lyrics of that week. The song routinely appears each year in January, and had peaked on January 6, 2018 at the 5th most searched for lyrics of that week.

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