Bruno Mars Charts First-Ever Single on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs Chart

He may be more of an R&B/funk singer, but Bruno Marsis making his mark in the rock world…

The 33-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer’s rockin’ collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Chris Stapleton “Blow” debuts at No. 3 on Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart dated July 20. 

Bruno Mars

It’s Mars’ first-ever appearance on the rock chart.

The closing track from Sheeran’s album No.6 Collaborations Project, released on July 12, opens with 7.5 million U.S. streams, 1.5 million in radio reach and 26,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music.

The sales sum also sparks the cut’s No. 1 debut on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart, marking each artist’s first leader. Sheeran is the only member of the trio with a prior history on the tally, having reached a previous No. 3 best with “Lego House” in 2013.

“Blow” also bows at No. 40 on the Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart, a first for Sheeran and Mars.

On the all-format, streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100 (the same formula employed by Hot Rock Songs), “Blow” begins at No. 60.

Robert Trujillo & Metallica’s “Halo on Fire” Charts on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs Chart

Robert Trujillo is still on fire

The 54-year-old Mexican American musician, songwriter and bassist and his Metallica band mates have charted their sixth song from their album Hardwired… to Self-Destruct on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart.

Robert Trujillo

On the December 15-dated ranking, “Halo on Fire” debuts at No. 29.

The first five songs from the album all reached the top five, with two topping the tally. In order of their chart runs: “Hardwired” (No. 1, one week, October 2016), “Moth Into Flame” (No. 5, November 2016),“Atlas, Rise!” (No. 1, two weeks, February 2017), “Now That We’re Dead” (No. 2, July 2017) and “Spit Out the Bone” (No. 4, March 2018).

“Halo on Fire” extends the lifetime of Hardwired on Mainstream Rock Songsto over two years and three months, as lead single “Hardwired” debuted on Sept. 3, 2016.

Hardwired is the first set to produce at least six Mainstream Rock Songs entries in over a decade, since Nickelback‘s All the Right Reasons also yielded six, stretching from the seven-week No. 1 “Photograph” (beginning in October 2005) to “If Everyone Cared” (No. 37 peak, March 2007).

Metallica is no stranger to maximizing album airplay. Hardwired‘s predecessor, 2008’s Death Magnetic, generated five entries on Mainstream Rock Songs, including a pair of No. 1s in “The Day That Never Comes” (for nine weeks) and “Cyanide” (two).

Hardwired debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated December 10, 2016, with 291,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week, according to Nielsen Music.

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.