Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball' returns to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 thanks to viral video, One Direction and A Great Big World arrive near top of chart [VIDEOS]
The Billboard Hot 100 got a major shake-up this week. After nine weeks on top, Lorde's debut hit "Royals" was finally knocked from the top spot. So, whose new single was enough to dethrone the "queen bee?" Was it Eminem and Rihanna's "The Monster," Pitbull and Ke$ha's "Timber?"
Nope! The answer lies in Miley Cyrus. Yes, her second Bangerz single "Wrecking Ball" is back at No. 1 over two months after initially peaking at the top of the charts. And, according to Billboard, Cyrus has one person to thank: comedian Stephen Kardynal. The YouTuber's Chatroulette version of "Wrecking Ball" helped to boost the song's streaming numbers, and thus, bring the song back to No. 1.
Of course, that's not all that goes into the Hot 100 formula. "Wrecking Ball" also sold 99,000 digital copies over the last seven days.
The return of "Wrecking Ball" to No. 1 holds Eminem and Rihanna's latest hot single "The Monster" at the No. 2 spot for the fourth week in a row. However, the track keeps gaining radio airplay and looms near the top of streaming songs and digital songs, meaning it could very possibly hit the top spot next week.
That leaves "Royals" all the way at No. 3 after nine weeks at No. 1.
Meanwhile, "Timber," the party-friendly collaboration between Pitbull and Ke$ha rose four whole spots, sitting at No. 4. "Timber" was the track with the most digital sales this week, racking up 237,000 copies. Additionally, the song gained in Internet streams and radio play, setting it up for even further future success.
Nos. 5 through 7 remain familiar fare. OneRepublic's "Counting Stars" slips one spot to No. 5, Avicii and "Wake Me Up!" falls to No. 6 and Imagine Dragons' "Demons" slid to No. 7, all thanks to the rise of "Timber."
After debuting at No. 6 a month ago, One Direction's second Midnight Memories single "Story Of My Life" reemerged in the top 10 at No. 8, following the top-selling release of the group's third studio album.
Katy Perry's former No. 1 "Roar" fell to No. 9 on the Hot 100, falling just as quickly as "Unconditionally" rises on the charts.
Finally, the top 10 is rounded out by a debut for the second week in a row. After the release of their emotional music video and a stunning American Music Awards performance, A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera's heartbreaking ballad "Say Something" arrived at No. 10.