Ed Sheeran scores his sixth leader on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay radio chart as “Bad Habits” rises to No. 1 on the tally dated Aug. 21.
With the coronation, Sheeran one-ups Rob Thomas for the most career weeks spent at No. 1 over the chart’s 25-year history.
(Adult Pop Airplay reflects total weekly plays, as tabulated by MRC Data, among its reporting panel of over 80 adult top 40 stations.)
Here’s a look at the acts to total the most time atop Adult Pop Airplay:
101 weeks, Maroon 5
54, matchbox twenty
47, Santana
41, Ed Sheeran
40, Rob Thomas
38, P!nk
35, Adele
35, Nickelback
Sheeran also ties Shawn Mendes for the most Adult Pop Airplay No. 1s among solo males. Among all acts, they slot in after Maroon 5 (15), P!nk (10), Katy Perry and Taylor Swift (eight each).
Sheeran previously topped Adult Pop Airplay with “Thinking Out Loud,” for six weeks beginning in February 2015, followed by “Photograph” (six, September 2015); “Shape of You” (12, March 2017); “Perfect” (nine, January 2018); and “I Don’t Care,” with Justin Bieber (seven, August 2019).
Concurrently, “Bad Habits” hits a new No. 3 high on the Billboard Hot 100, with 70.1 million all-format radio airplay impressions (up 7%), 16.2 million U.S. streams and 15,500 downloads sold in the week ending Aug. 12.
The song is set to appear on Sheeran’s newly announced album =, due Oct. 29 on Atlantic Records.
Elton enters after 20 years: Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” claims the Adult Pop Airplay summit after Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” led for seven weeks.
Meanwhile, Elton John and Lipa’s “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” debuts at No. 39. The song, in which John sings part of his 1990 hit “Sacrifice” and Lipa updates his 1972 classic “Rocket Man,” is John’s first entry on the chart since “I Want Love,” which hit No. 28 in November 2001.
Lipa is climbing Adult Pop Airplay with two songs, as “Cold Heart” joins “Love Again,” which bullets at No. 24.
