Taylor Swift joins Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Adele and Janet Jackson as her single “The Fate of Ophelia” debuts inside the top 10 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart, a rare sight. US singer Taylor Swift performs during her concert as part of The Eras Tour at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Robin van Lonkhuijsen / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo by ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
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“The Fate of Ophelia,” the lead single from Taylor Swift’s brand new blockbuster The Life of a Showgirl, arrives as the biggest song in America. The tune debuts atop the Hot 100, earning the singer another chart-topping hit, and surprising no one in the process.
“The Fate of Ophelia” didn’t sell a single copy, as it wasn’t made available separately from the album, but it still launches at No. 1 thanks largely to tens of millions of streams on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Radio attention also played a large role in sending the tune straight to the top, and its quick adoption across a variety of airplay formats is clear, as “The Fate of Ophelia” makes history by launching inside the top 10 on the hugely competitive Radio Songs chart.
Where Does Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Debut?
Swift starts “The Fate of Ophelia” at No. 7 on the Radio Songs chart. The tally is one of three that feed into the Hot 100, alongside the Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs rankings. The Radio Songs list tracks the tunes that earn the greatest total number of audience impressions throughout the United States, regardless of language, genre, or how they’re performing elsewhere. Billboard reports that as it arrives, “The Fate of Ophelia” becomes just the fifth song in history to debut inside the top 10 on the roster.
Adele’s “Easy on Me” Still Holds the Radio Record
The record for the highest debut on the Radio Songs chart belongs to Adele’s “Easy on Me.” That cut, which introduced her most recent album 30, kicked off its time at No. 4 back in 2021.
Lady Gaga and Rihanna Share a Bit of History
A pair of pop smashes are tied for the second-most impressive beginning on the Radio Songs ranking. Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” both opened at No. 6 more than a decade apart. The title track from Gaga’s album Born This Way managed the showing in 2011, while Rihanna’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever single reached the same position just a few years back.
Who Was the First Musician to Debut Inside the Radio Top 10?
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 17: Singer Janet Jackson attends her residency debut “Metamorphosis” after party at On The Record Speakeasy and Club at Park MGM on May 17, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Park MGM)
Getty Images for Park MGM
The first musician to score a top 10 debut on the Radio Songs chart was Janet Jackson. She achieved the milestone in 2001 when her dance-pop classic “All for You” started at No. 9.
How Many Radio Songs Chart Hits Does Taylor Swift Have?
Throughout her career, Swift has collected a total of 52 hits on the Radio Songs chart. 22 of those cuts have broken into the top 10, and eight have gone all the way to No. 1. Swift has ruled the ranking with:
- “Cruel Summer”
- “Blank Space”
- “Anti-Hero”
- “Bad Blood” with Kendrick Lamar
- “Shake It Off”
- “I Knew You Were Trouble”
- “Wildest Dreams”
- “You Belong With Me”
Several other popular tunes, including “Delicate,” “I Don’t Want to Live Forever” with Zayn, and “Love Story,” missed out on the summit by just one space.
Taylor Swift Breaks Her Tie With Beyoncé and Justin Bieber
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 11: (L-R) Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Taylor Swift attend the “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” Concert Movie World Premiere at AMC The Grove 14 on October 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS)
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As Swift collects her twenty-second top 10 smash on the Radio Songs chart, she advances among the artists with the greatest number of top-tier entries. Before “The Fate of Ophelia” arrived, Swift was tied with both Justin Bieber and Beyoncé, but now she pulls ahead, claiming the fourth-most top 10s in history. Rihanna still leads with 30, while Drake and Mariah Carey are matched for second place, with 24 each.
Taylor Swift’s Pop Radio Domination with The Life of a Showgirl
This week, just one track from The Life of a Showgirl appears on the Radio Songs chart, which isn’t surprising, given how competitive space on that list is. Tunes from the album perform much better across Billboard’s three pop-focused airplay tallies, where Swift scores multiple successes. Two cuts open on the Adult Contemporary chart, four begin their time on the Pop Airplay tally, and half of all the songs featured on The Life of a Showgirl — six in total — enter the Adult Pop Airplay ranking for the first time.