Of 15 debuts on the May 11-dated Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, the most noticeable, at least in terms of a lengthy backstory, may not be Tommy Richman’s seemingly out-of-nowhere breakout hit “Million Dollar Baby” (No. 74) or Kendrick Lamar’s rap battle entry “Euphoria” (No. 98). The most surprising title on the tally overall may very well be “Wheels on the Bus,” the folk song-turned canonical children’s classic.
“Wheels on the Bus” was written by Verna Hill and first published in 1937. So while it is, in a sense, the oldest song to appear on the global charts since their launch in 2020, it’s CoComelon’s 2019 recording that hits the Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 184.
CoComelon’s Nursery Rhymes YouTube channel boasts 175 million followers, and the official “Wheels on the Bus” clip has amassed 6.1 billion views worldwide on the platform to date.
“Wheels on the Bus” rolls onto the chart with 27.4 million streams outside the U.S. in the week ending May 2, according to Luminate. That number is up 13% from the week before, another in a string of weekly gains. The track has increased it’s non-U.S. streams by 79% over the last six weeks (dating back to the week ending March 28). Domestically, the song has risen, though not as sharply, by 32% from 2 million to 2.6 million in the same span.
Internationally, the track is further spotlighted on Billboard’s India Songs chart, where it debuts at No. 18. It’s the only English-language title on the 25-position ranking.
“Wheels on the Bus” is the first nursery rhyme to appear on either of Billboard’s global charts, and has joined a select group of such songs to reach rankings over the years, covering numerous genres. Notably, Pinkfong’s similarly animated (and similarly catchy) “Baby Shark” hangs on for a 184th week on Global Excl. U.S. – encompassing all but seven since the chart launched – and a 182nd frame on the Billboard Global 200.
