Robert Trujillo & Metallica Mates Make Band History on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart with “Too Far Gone?”

It’s a special first for Robert Trujillo and his band mates.

For the first time, Metallica has notched three No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart from a single album.

MetallicaToo Far Gone?” rises to the top of the November 4-dated ranking, marking the third leader on the list from 72 Seasons, Metallica’s 11th studio album, released in April. “Lux Æterna” led for 11 weeks beginning last December and the title track spent two weeks on top in July.

“Too Far Gone?” is Metallica’s 13th Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 overall, slotting the band into a three-way tie with Foo Fighters and Van Halen for the fourth-most rulers in the chart’s 42-year history. Shinedown leads all acts with 18 No. 1s.

Most No. 1s, Mainstream Rock Airplay
18, Shinedown
17, Three Days Grace
14, Five Finger Death Punch
13, Foo Fighters
13, Metallica
13, Van Halen
12, Disturbed
12, Godsmack
10, Tom Petty (solo and with the Heartbreakers)
10, Volbeat

Prior to 72 Seasons, Metallica had scored two Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1s apiece from three albums: 1996’s Load (“Until It Sleeps” and “Hero of the Day”), 2008’s Death Magnetic (“The Day That Never Comes” and “Cyanide”) and 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (“Hardwired” and “Atlas, Rise!”)

Concurrently, “Too Far Gone?” places at No. 7 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay survey, after reaching at No. 6, with 3.1 million audience impressions October 20-26, according to Luminate.

On the most recently published multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (October 28), “Too Far Gone?” ranked at No. 12. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 201,000 official U.S. streams October 13-19.

72 Seasons bowed at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart dated April 29 and has earned 324,000 equivalent album units to date.

Trujillo & His Metallica Bandmates Notch Ninth No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs Chart

Robert Trujillo is feeling the Rise

The 52-year-old Mexican American musician and his Metallica bandmates have notched their ninth No. 1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart, as “Atlas, Rise!,” the third single from Hardwired… To Self-Destruct, rises 2-1 on the list dated February 18.

Robert Trujillo

The song is Metallica’s second No. 1 from the album, following “Hardwired” (October 8, 2016). The band also scored two chart-toppers apiece from two prior LPs: The group’s last studio set, 2008’s Death Magnetic (“The Day That Never Comes,” “Cyanide“), and 1996’s Load (“Until It Sleeps,” “Hero of the Day“).

With its ninth overall Mainstream Rock Songs No. 1, Metallica is in a tie for fifth place among all acts for the most leaders since the chart launched in 1981. The new No. 1 ties the quartet with Aerosmith, while Van Halen leads with 13 toppers.

Most No. 1s on Mainstream Rock Songs

13, Van Halen (between 1982 and 1998)
12, Three Days Grace (2004-15)
10, Tom Petty/The Heartbreakers (1981-94)
10, Shinedown (2005-16)
9, Aerosmith (1989-2001)
9, Metallica (1996-2017)
8, Linkin Park (2003-14)
8, Nickelback (2001-14)

Notably, Metallica’s span of No. 1s extends to a chart-record 20 years, eight months and 12 days, narrowly passing the span of Red Hot Chili Peppers (three days shy of 20 years, eight months, between 1995 and 2016).

All three singles from Hardwired have made the Mainstream Rock Songs chart. In between leaders “Hardwired” and “Atlas,” “Moth Into Flame” reached No. 5 in November; between Nov. 19 and Jan. 14, all three songs charted simultaneously. The set opened as Metallica’s sixth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (Dec. 10).

“Atlas” concurrently reaches a new peak (14-12) on the genre-encompassing Rock Airplay chart (5.2 million audience impressions, up 7 percent, according to Nielsen Music). The rank is Metallica’s best on the survey, which began in 2009; “Hardwired” previously led with a No. 13 peak.