The Backstreet Boys Score A New No. 1 Bestseller In America With A Duet

Friday is the busiest day of the week in the music industry. It marks the beginning of the tracking week for the charts, so artists typically release new albums and songs as Thursday night turns to Friday morning to maximize the time available to rack up streams and sales that impact the Billboard rankings.

While streaming now dominates the business, a quick look at the iTunes charts each Friday still provides insight into which new tunes and full-lengths Americans are most excited about. As the most popular digital sales platform – and one that shows what’s happening in real time – iTunes typically caters to die-hard superfans, and its data can sometimes predict which titles will become hits within days. This Friday, a collaboration is leading the way, featuring two groups that no one expected to work together, but who have pulled off a major win.

Backstreet Boys & Rascal Flatts

The Backstreet Boys sit at No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart at the time of writing. The boy band joins Rascal Flatts as the two outfits soar to the highest spot, scoring the bestselling track in America on the platform. The pair reworked the Rascal Flatts classic “What Hurts the Most,” and the new take has become an immediate bestseller, thanks to sizable fan bases from both acts.

Life Is a Highway: Refueled Duets

“What Hurts the Most” is the latest promotional single from Life Is a Highway: Refueled Duets, the upcoming album from Rascal Flatts. Expected on June 6, the collection sees the band re-recording some of its biggest hits as collaborations with other stars. The full-length also marks a comeback for Rascal Flatts and serves as a celebration of 25 years in music.

Life Is a Highway: Refueled Duets includes collaborations with a number of artists across genre lines. Country names like Jason Aldean, Carly Pearce, and Blake Shelton are featured, but the band didn’t stick to just the one style. Pop figures like the Backstreet Boys and Kelly Clarkson, whose “I’m Moving On” was released earlier this year, are also included. The 10-song album features one original track, “I Dare You,” which features the Jonas Brothers.

Rascal Flatts on the Billboard Charts

Released in late January, “I Dare You” became a top 10 hit on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart when it debuted at No. 8. The Clarkson duet “I’m Moving On” also reached the same tally, peaking at No. 15 — and it looks like the Backstreet Boys may be headed for a country win as well.

“What Hurts the Most”

Rascal Flatts released a cover of “What Hurts the Most,” a song originally released by Mark Willis, in 2006. The tune first became a huge win on Billboard’s country rankings, before crossing over and establishing itself as a relatively uncommon pop sensation at the time as well. It climbed to No. 1 on the style-specific rosters, and gave Rascal Flatts its biggest win on the Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 6. Dance group Cascada also scored a big chart smash with the cut several years later, as it seems that the song can be reworked into any style and the public will fall in love with it all over again.