Miley Cyrus‘ ’Flowers’ Makes Fastest Trip to No. 1 on Pop Airplay Chart Since 2016

17 February, 2023

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” bounds to No. 1 on Billboard’s mainstream top 40-based Pop Airplay chart (dated Feb. 25).

The song, released on Smiley Miley/Columbia Records, becomes Cyrus’ third Pop Airplay leader, after “Party in the U.S.A.” reigned for a week in November 2009 and “Wrecking Ball” ruled for two weeks in November-December 2013. She boasts six top 10s among 15 total entries on the radio ranking.

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Notably, “Flowers” tops Pop Airplay, flying from No. 5 to No. 1 (up 15% in plays on 153 reporters Feb. 10-16, according to Luminate), in just its fifth week on the chart, dating to its debut, at No. 16, on the Jan. 28 list. It claims the quickest coronation since Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” also needed just five frames to hit No. 1 in 2016.

Here’s a recap of the songs to lead Pop Airplay the fastest, with four having ruled in just their fourth week each on the chart.

Four weeks to No. 1 on Pop Airplay:

  • “I Will Always Love You,” Whitney Houston, hit No. 1 on the chart dated Dec. 12, 1992
  • “Dreamlover,” Mariah Carey, Sept. 4, 1993
  • “I’ll Be There for You,” The Rembrandts, June 17, 1995
  • “Over and Over,” Nelly feat. Tim McGraw, Nov. 6, 2004

Five weeks to No. 1 on Pop Airplay:

  • “That’s the Way Love Goes,” Janet Jackson, hit No. 1 on the chart dated May 29, 1993
  • “All That She Wants,” Ace of Base, Oct. 30, 1993
  • “I Swear,” All-4-One, May 28, 1994
  • “I’ll Make Love to You,” Boyz II Men, Sept. 10, 1994
  • “One Sweet Day,” Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, Dec. 9, 1995
  • “Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar, July 4, 2015
  • “Hello,” Adele, Dec. 5, 2015
  • “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” Justin Timberlake, June 18, 2016
  • “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, Feb. 25, 2023

As of the latest all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Feb. 18), “Flowers” is Miley Cyrus‘ newly crowned longest-leading No. 1, surpassing the three-week command of “Wrecking Ball” in 2013.

All charts dated Feb. 25 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, Feb. 22 (a day later than usual due to the Presidents Day holiday in the U.S. Monday, Feb. 20).

Gary Trust

Billboard