Gorillaz Return to Alternative Airplay Top 10 With ‘Cracker Island’

For the first time since 2006, Gorillaz have a top 10 song on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart.

“Cracker Island,” the Thundercat-featuring lead single from the Damon Albarn-led band’s upcoming album of the same name, jumps from No. 12 to No. 8 on the ranking dated Oct. 8.

The song is Gorillaz’s first top 10 in 16 years, since “Dare” (featuring Shaun Ryder), which peaked at No. 8 in March 2006.

The group boasts two other top 10s: “Clint Eastwood,” which reached No. 3 in 2001, and the eight-week No. 1 “Feel Good Inc.” in 2005.

In between “Dare” and “Island,” Gorillaz reached Alternative Airplay four times, paced by the No. 24-peaking “Stylo,” featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack, in 2010.

Concurrently, “Island” lifts 18-17 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2 million audience impressions, up 9%, according to Luminate. In addition to its alternative radio support, the song hit No. 22 on Adult Alternative Airplay in August; it currently sits at No. 37.

“Island” ranks at No. 43 on the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally after reaching a No. 20 high upon its debut in July. Along with its radio airplay, the song earned 1 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week ending Sept. 29.

Another song from Cracker Island, the Tame Impala– and Bootie Brown-featuring “New Gold,” has been released and places at No. 29 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs on the strength of 2 million streams.

Cracker Island is due Feb. 23, 2023. Other featured artists on the album include Bad Bunny, Beck, Stevie Nicks and Adeleye Omotayo.