It may not have been “Harlem Shake,†but the popularity of Miley Cyrus’s latest music video has helped her reach No. 1 on Billboard’s singles chart. Ms. Cyrus’s song “Wrecking Ball†made headlines last week for racking up 19.3 million views in its first 24 hours on the video service Vevo, which most people view through YouTube.
Thanks to a change in Billboard’s chart methodology this year to incorporate YouTube views in the United States, “Wrecking Ball†jumped to No. 1 from No. 22. The song was played 36.5 million times on streaming services last week â€" 92 percent of them on YouTube â€" and it sold 477,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, bumping Katy Perry’s “Roar†to No. 2 after a two-week run at the top.
With the music industry squarely in its all-important fall season, when record companies put out their highest-priority releases, the albums chart this week is filled with new titles. At the top, Keith Urban’s “Fuse†(Capitol Nashville) and the Weeknd’s “Kiss Land†(XO/Republic) were separated by fewer than 3,000 sales. “Fuse†sold 98,000 copies to reach No. 1, and “Kiss Land†95,000. (SoundScan’s publicly reported numbers are rounded.)
Down the chart, the rapper 2 Chainz’s latest, “B.O.A.T.S. II #metime†(Def Jam), opens at No. 3 with 63,000 sales, and the singer Janelle Monáe bows at No. 5 with 47,000 sales of “The Electric Lady†(Bad Boy). In fourth place is Luke Bryan’s “Crash My Party†(Capitol Nashville), which sold 53,000 copies in its fifth week out.
