“Driver’s license”, released by Geffen / Interscope Records, is the 1,116th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 62-year history. It is the 48th single to debut at the top and the first in 2021.
Here’s a deeper look at Rodrigo’s first trip to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, among other achievements.
Streams, sales and airplay: “Drivers License” attracted 76.1 million streams in the United States and sold 38,000 downloads in the week ending January 14, according to MRC Data. It also won 8.1 million radio airplay audience impressions in the week ending January 17.
The track debuts first on the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts of all genres, marking Rodrigo’s first leader on each list, when entering the Pop Airplay (No. 31) and Adult Pop Airplay (No. 37).
Record streams for a first promoted single: The 76.1 million “driver’s license” streams in the U.S. in the opening week set a new weekly record for a female artist’s first single properly promoted to radio, streaming services and other platforms.
The sum is the best for any song in its first week of release since Cardi B’s “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion, who shot 93 million streams in the U.S. in the week ending August 13, 2020 (and on top Hot 100 dated August 22), the maximum for any track in its first week of availability.
… Although it is Rodrigo’s second hit in the list of 100: Before “Driving License”, Rodrigo registered an entry for the Hot 100: “All I Want” (his metaphorical student license) spent two weeks counting, reaching number 90, where he debuted in January 2020. “Want” it’s from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney Music + Original Series); “Driver’s license” is so far an autonomous single, with Rodrigo’s debut EP scheduled for this year.
Of the 48 singles to debut first on the Hot 100, most were, unsurprisingly, by established artists. Only seven belonged to rising artists with less history on the charts or comparable to the time of their entry than Rodrigo. Lauryn Hill launched with “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998, marking her first solo entry on the Hot 100, after the Fugees made three appearances in 1994-97 with her as a member. Clay Aiken (2003), Fantasia (2004) and Carrie Underwood (2005) debuted in first place with their first Hot 100 solo hits, their respective american idol singles from the coronation “This Is the Night”, “I Believe” and “Inside Your Heaven”. In 2006, Taylor Hicks’s “Do I Make You Proud” debuted at No. 1 after he won that season Idol, although he charted a peak entry # 69 three weeks earlier.
Since then, Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” started at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013, concurrent with a change in methodology that added YouTube data to the chart formula, while Zayn’s first solo entry after he left One Direction, “Pillowtalk”, shot No. 1 in 2016.
Four just before 2004: Rodrigo, born in California, is the most newborn artist to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Born on February 20, 2003 (curiosity: she shares her birthday with Rihanna), Rodrigo takes the title of Jawsh 685, who was born on November 11th. 5, 2002, and led the list dated October 17, 2020, with “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)”, with Jason Derulo and BTS.
At 17 years and 11 months, Rodrigo is the youngest artist to reach the top 100 of Billie Eilish, who was 17, eight months and a week when he led with “Bad Guy” in August 2019.
Four artists born in the 2000s have already ruled the Hot 100, each of them born in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003: Rodrigo, Jawsh 685, Eilish (born on December 18, 2001) and 24k Gold (born on November 13, 2000 ), whose “Mood”, with Iann Dior, falls to 2nd place after eight weeks in 1st place.
Geffen, responsible Interscope: The Geffen label tops the list of the top 100 for the first time since Nelly Furtado’s “Say It Right” topped the list on February 24, 2007. Before that, Furtado and Geffen spent six weeks in first place in 2006 with ” Promiscuous, “featuring Timbaland.
Interscope scores its first Hot 100 No. 1 of 2021, after two in a row, in 2020: Lady Gaga and “Rain on Me” by Ariana Grande (last June 6) and “Rockstar” by DaBaby (with Roddy Ricch), which began a seven-week reign in the next frame (June 13).
Car songs: Perhaps surprisingly, given the role of the wheels as a motif in the hit song that dates back to the early days of rock, Rodrigo puts any version of the word “drive” at the top of the list of the top 100 for the first time. Three other songs with “drive” in their titles reached the top 10 (two by artists nominated by means of transportation): The Cars ‘”Drive” (No. 3, 1984), Incubus’ “Drive” (No. 9, 2001) and Train’s “Drive By” (No. 10). A previous Hot 100 hit includes “driver’s” in its title: “Driver’s Seat” by Sniff ‘n’ the Tears (No. 15, 1979).
“License” appeared in a previous Hot 100 song title (though spelled in British English): Billy Ocean’s “License to Chill” (No. 32, 1989). (A year earlier, Ocean topped the Billboard Hot 100 with her own driving success: “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car.”)
Visit Billboard.com late in the morning to see a full summary of the 10 most recent Hot 100.
Again, for all news on the charts, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on Twitter and Instagram and all the charts (dated January 23), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will be updated on Billboard.com tomorrow ( January 20).