Foo Fighters Extend Rock & Alternative Airplay Record, Rule Mainstream Rock Airplay

Foo Fighters’ “Rescued” lands its first week atop Billboard’s airplay charts, rising to No. 1 on both the Mainstream Rock Airplay and Rock & Alternative Airplay tallies dated May 20.

On Rock & Alternative Airplay, it’s Foo Fighters’ chart-leading 10th leader, lifting to the top with 9.9 million audience impressions, a boost of 10%, in the May 5-11 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The next-closest acts in the ranking’s 14-year history are Cage the Elephant, Green Day and twenty one pilots with six rulers apiece.

Most No. 1s, Rock & Alternative Airplay:
10, Foo Fighters
6, Cage the Elephant
6, Green Day
6, twenty one pilots
5, The Black Keys
5, Imagine Dragons
4, Linkin Park
4, Red Hot Chili Peppers
3, Weezer

Foo Fighters first led Rock & Alternative Airplay, which reflects airplay on the three main current-based rock radio formats – alternative, adult alternative and mainstream rock – in November 2009 with “Wheels.” Before “Rescued,” the Dave Grohl-led band had last reigned with “Making a Fire,” beginning in August 2021.

As for Mainstream Rock Airplay, 12 No. 1s place Foo Fighters in a tie for the fifth-most in the list’s 42-year history, matching Godsmack. Shinedown leads all acts with 18.

Most No. 1s, Mainstream Rock Airplay:
18, Shinedown
17, Three Days Grace
14, Five Finger Death Punch
13, Van Halen
12, Foo Fighters
12, Godsmack
11, Disturbed
11, Metallica
10, Tom Petty (solo and with the Heartbreakers)
10, Volbeat

Foo Fighters first topped Mainstream Rock Airplay with “Best of You” in July 2005. Prior to “Rescued,” they had last led with the aforementioned “Making a Fire” in September 2021.

Concurrently, “Rescued” jumps 4-2 on Alternative Airplay and 16-10 on Adult Alternative Airplay, becoming the group’s 14th top 10 on the latter list.

On the most recently published, May 13-dated multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, “Rescued” ranked at No. 3. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 905,000 official U.S. streams and 1,000 downloads.

“Rescued” is the lead single from But Here We Are, Foo Fighters’ 11th studio LP and first since the March 2022 death of drummer Taylor Hawkins. It’s due June 2.

All May 20-dated Billboard charts will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, May 16.