Godsmack Ties Van Halen for Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart All-Time Record

Godsmack lands its 13th No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, reigning with “Truth” on the June 1-dated survey.

The song becomes Godsmack’s first ruler since “Surrender,” which led for five weeks beginning in November 2022. The band first reigned with “Awake” in February 2001. It first reached the chart with “Whatever,” a No. 7-peaking tune in March 1999.

With 13 No. 1s, Godsmack ties Van Halen for the sixth-most in Mainstream Rock Airplay’s 43-year history.

Most No. 1s, Mainstream Rock Airplay:
19, Shinedown
17, Three Days Grace
14, Five Finger Death Punch
14, Foo Fighters
14, Metallica
13, Godsmack
13, Van Halen
12, Disturbed

“Truth” is the second song from Godsmack’s 2023 album Lighting Up the Sky to top Mainstream Rock Airplay, following “Surrender.” In between, “Soul On Fire” reached No. 2 last year.

Concurrently, “Truth” lifts 10-9 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay survey with 3.3 million audience impressions, up 7%, May 17-23, according to Luminate.

On the most recent multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated May 25, reflecting data May 10-16), “Truth” placed at a No. 15 high. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 296,000 official U.S. streams in that span.

Lighting Up the Sky is purported to be Godsmack’s final studio LP. It debuted at No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums survey in March 2023 and has earned 97,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated June 1 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, May 29, a day later than usual due to the Memorial Day holiday May 27.

Kevin Rutherford

Billboard