Cage the Elephant’s ‘Rainbow’ Becomes the Band’s 12th Alternative Airplay No. 1

Cage the Elephant continues to climb the ranks of the acts with the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, claiming its 12th ruler on the Sept. 14-dated list with “Rainbow.”

The song jumps 3-1, becoming the rockers’ third leader in a row, following “Neon Pill” earlier this year and “Skin and Bones” in 2021.

The band has strung together three consecutive No. 1s for a third time. First came the run of “Back Against the Wall,” “In One Ear” and “Shake Me Down” in 2010-11, followed by “Cigarette Daydreams,” “Mess Around” and “Trouble” in 2015-16.

With 12 No. 1s, Cage the Elephant slots into a tie with Foo Fighters and Linkin Park for the third-most leaders in the Alternative Airplay chart’s 36-year history.

Most No. 1s, Alternative Airplay:
15, Red Hot Chili Peppers
13, Green Day
12, Cage the Elephant
12, Foo Fighters
12, Linkin Park
10, Twenty One Pilots
8, U2
8, Weezer
7, The Black Keys
7, Imagine Dragons

“Rainbow” concurrently tops Adult Alternative Airplay for a second straight week. On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, it rises 6-4 with 3.3 million audience impressions in the week ending Sept. 5, according to Luminate.

“Rainbow” is the second single from Neon Pill, Cage the Elephant’s sixth studio album, following the title track. The set bowed at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart dated June 1, making the band’s sixth top 10, and has earned 62,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated Sept. 14 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 10.