Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’ Could Become Her Biggest Chart Hit

Whereas the highest 10 of this week’s Scorching 100 chart consists of new entries from Beyoncé and Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign — together with Noah Kahan amassing his first prime 10 hit — one years-old smash continues to be going sturdy amidst the shakeups: “Merciless Summer season” dips two spots to No. 6 this week in its forty first week on the chart.

The viral resurgence of the synth-pop gem from Swift’s Lover, which was not launched as a single in the course of the 2019 album run, started in 2023 to coincide with the launch of her Eras Tour, finally introduced the music to the highest of the Scorching 100 final October, and has continued by way of the beginning of 2024 with no sign of ending.

Because the music spends one other week within the higher reaches of the Scorching 100, its unlikely run has prompted one other unbelievable query: Might “Merciless Summer season” develop into the largest chart hit of Swift’s profession?

At this second, “Summer season” has climbed to No. 3 on the listing of Swift’s greatest Billboard Scorching 100 hits, behind her 2014 smash “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero,” the longest-running No. 1 of her profession. See right here the highest 10 of Swift’s greatest Billboard Scorching 100 hits, which is predicated on weekly efficiency on the Scorching 100 (by way of Feb. 24, 2024), with additional evaluation under — and click on right here for the total prime 50:

Songs are ranked based mostly on an inverse level system, with weeks at No. 1 incomes the best worth and weeks at decrease spots incomes the least. Attributable to modifications in chart methodology over time, eras are weighted in a different way to account for chart turnover charges throughout numerous intervals.

A part of the explanation why “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero” nonetheless outrank “Summer season” is longevity: “Anti-Hero” spent 53 weeks on the Scorching 100 and “Shake It Off” hung round for 50 weeks, whereas, as of now, “Summer season” hasn’t cracked Swift’s prime 5 longest-running Scorching 100 hits. Listed below are Swift’s prime 10 songs by weeks on the Scorching 100:

In the meantime, “Summer season” has logged 4 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Scorching 100 — the identical variety of weeks at “Shake It Off.” “Anti-Hero” grew to become Swift’s longest-running No. 1 hit final 12 months when it notched eight weeks atop the chart, whereas “Clean Area” had Swift’s second-longest run within the prime spot, with seven weeks.

So how has “Summer season” develop into Swift’s third-biggest chart hit, if different songs have spent extra weeks at No. 1 or extra time on the chart itself? By remaining a prime 10 stalwart for months on finish.

This week marks “Summer season’s” thirtieth week within the prime 10 of the Scorching 100 — essentially the most of any Swift music. “Anti-Hero” ranks second in frames spent within the prime 10, at 28 weeks. “Summer season” first reached the highest 10 method again on the Scorching 100 chart dated July 15, 2023, and have become her longest-running prime 10 hit earlier this month.

It’s inconceivable to say whether or not or not “Summer season” will preserve climbing up her private listing and develop into Swift’s greatest (or second-biggest) chart hit, or exactly the variety of weeks and/or chart placements it should take to get there. And whereas the music dips two spots within the prime 10 of the Scorching 100, “Summer season” nonetheless stays within the prime 5 of Grownup Pop Airplay, prime 10 of Pop Airplay and prime 20 of Streaming Songs, in addition to No. 1 at Grownup Modern for a fourth week.

“Summer season” continues to be going sturdy because it climbs Swift’s all-time listing of hits, including one other layer to the unlikely chart success of a music that was by no means alleged to be a chart hit. Who is aware of? Perhaps “Summer season” earns the highest spot simply as precise summer season approaches.