Bono Scores His First Hit In A Quarter-Century On One Chart

The vast majority of Bono’s musical output has been tied to U2, the Irish rock band that made him a global superstar decades ago. The singer-songwriter does occasionally work on projects without his bandmates — sometimes in film and television, sometimes in support of his charitable endeavors, and very rarely in the music space. This week, Bono collects a new hit under his own name in the United States, one that returns him to a Billboard ranking he hasn’t appeared on in a quarter century.

Bono’s New Hip-Hop Hit

Bono joins Lil Wayne on the track “The Days,” which is featured on the rapper’s latest album, Tha Carter VI. “The Days” lands on a handful of Billboard rankings in the U.S. this frame, becoming a top 40 win on multiple lists.

Bono reaches the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally as “The Days” launches at No. 29. It’s unusual to see a rock star like Bono appear on Billboard’s list of the most consumed hip-hop and R&B tracks in America, but amazingly, “The Days” is not even his first placement.

Bono’s First Solo Win in 25 Years

Bono was credited on Kirk Franklin’s “Lean on Me,” alongside fellow musicians Mary J. Blige, Crystal Lewis and The Family, and the highly controversial R. Kelly. That collaboration debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in January 1999 and went on to peak at No. 26 — just a few spots above where the rocker lands this frame. Bono has not appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ranking in more than a quarter century.

Bono’s Rap Smash

“The Days” also appears on the Hot Rap Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts this week. The unlikely team-up isn’t one of the bigger smashes from Tha Carter VI, but Bono’s presence surely helped it reach a wider audience.