Will U2 ever again reach #1 on the BB Hot 100?

[STING2]

Originally posted by phanan


We must have two different sources. According to the Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (my music bible ) it only hit #9 in sales. It did hit #1 on the Modern Rock Chart, though.

Joel Whitburn latest edition must have a mistake. I remember going into the Newstand back in mid February 1997 to look at the latest Billboard Magazine to see how Discotheque did on the chart. I had told everyone the previous week to buy the single the week of release as I had a feeling it would chart very high. I was stunned to see the results. I can't remember which artist kept U2 from the top slot, but I do know that it hit #2 on the sales chart.

If anyone has access to old Billboard Magazines from a Library, they will be able to confirm this. Notice that back then, Sales counted for 50%, while airplay counted for the other 50%.

#2 Sales + #22 Airplay, is obviously going to produce a HOT 100 chart position of around #10. On the other hand, #9 sales + #22 Airplay, would probably produce a HOT 100 position of around #15. Of course, its not exact, just a rough estimation for a time when sales and airplay were counted equally.

[phanan]

Originally posted by STING2


Joel Whitburn latest edition must have a mistake. I remember going into the Newstand back in mid February 1997 to look at the latest Billboard Magazine to see how Discotheque did on the chart. I had told everyone the previous week to buy the single the week of release as I had a feeling it would chart very high. I was stunned to see the results. I can't remember which artist kept U2 from the top slot, but I do know that it hit #2 on the sales chart.

If anyone has access to old Billboard Magazines from a Library, they will be able to confirm this. Notice that back then, Sales counted for 50%, while airplay counted for the other 50%.

#2 Sales + #22 Airplay, is obviously going to produce a HOT 100 chart position of around #10. On the other hand, #9 sales + #22 Airplay, would probably produce a HOT 100 position of around #15. Of course, its not exact, just a rough estimation for a time when sales and airplay were counted equally.

Well, unless there's a typo, it wouldn't be a mistake, that's for sure.

[STING2]

Originally posted by phanan


Well, unless there's a typo, it wouldn't be a mistake, that's for sure.

Just to add, Joel Whitburns books do have typo's in them and they are based on the chart information that is posted in billboard magazine, which is what I was looking at.

But, the only to confirm the whether it hit #2 or #9 on the sales chart is for someone to go back and look at that particular issue of Billboard Magazine from February/March 1997.