Oliver Anthony’s ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ Tops the Charts – Rolling Stone

Last week, Oliver Anthony’s hit single “Rich Men North of Richmond” didn’t receive much airplay on the radio or support from a major record label. However, it made up for it with impressive digital sales. Thanks to the endorsement of conservative influencers like Matt Walsh, Dan Bongino, and Laura Ingraham, who saw it as a working-class anthem, the song reached the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It amassed over 147,000 downloads, which is about 14 times more than the second-ranked song and more than three times the combined sales of the rest of the Top 10. In comparison, the other songs on Luminate’s Top 200 Song Consumption chart averaged around 1,100 sales, excluding “Rich Men.”

Digital downloads are no longer the dominant format for music consumption in today’s industry. Streaming has taken over as the preferred method, primarily due to its convenience and affordability. Back in 2015, downloads accounted for 34% of the recorded music industry’s revenue in the U.S., amounting to around $1.2 billion. However, downloads have steadily declined since then, making up only 3% of the industry’s revenue in 2022. Streaming now represents 84% of the business. Despite this trend, Anthony’s success demonstrates that downloads still hold significance in determining chart rankings.

However, attributing Anthony’s achievement solely to sales would be inaccurate. The song also performed well in terms of streams, ranking fourth on the chart with 17.4 million streams, just slightly behind Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.” It has dominated Apple Music’s U.S. and Global Charts and consistently remained in the top three on Spotify’s U.S. chart. Luminate reports an additional 13.1 million streams for the song from Friday to Monday, competing closely with Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” at 13 million streams.

Nevertheless, the remarkable factor that contributed to Anthony’s ranking on the chart is undoubtedly the sales. Although sales have declined in recent days compared to the previous week, they still remain strong at around 77,000 copies sold. This consistent sales performance positions Anthony as a potential contender for a second week at the top of the chart.

Sales carry more weight in chart rankings than individual streams. Streaming services provide easy access to music for consumers, either at a low cost or for free with ad-supported options. In contrast, purchasing a digital download signifies a deliberate choice to own a specific piece of music. Fanbases have recognized this discrepancy and have developed strategies to push their desired songs up the charts, often influencing the outcome.

Anthony is not the only artist whose chart position has benefited from a surge in sales. Jason Aldean’s controversial track “Try That in a Small Town” claimed the number one spot last month with approximately 175,000 sales, bolstered by the support of American conservatives. This phenomenon is not limited to political motives, as pop fans have also employed similar tactics to boost their favorite artists’ rankings on the charts.

Fans of BTS, for instance, propelled Jung Kook’s “Seven” featuring Latto to the top, obstructing Aldean’s path to number one for a week with approximately 138,000 digital downloads. In April, BTS member Jimin’s “Like Crazy” debuted at number one with 241,000 downloads. Additionally, fans of Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj, known as the Barbz, helped their collaboration “Princess Diana” reach number four with over 75,000 sales.

This strategy prioritizes an artist’s brand or other non-musical factors over the actual quality of the songs. Aldean and Jung Kook’s competition for the Hot 100 number one spot in July did not reflect the most listened-to song of the week. Instead, it served as validation for their respective fan bases, proving that their desired artist could achieve a top spot, even if it was only on a technicality.

Artists have historically sought methods to secure higher chart placements. In recent years, bundling albums with merchandise or concert tickets became a common practice to boost first-week sales. For certain genres, this was the only viable strategy to achieve a number one position in the streaming era. Although the bundling rule faced controversy and was eliminated in 2020, Billboard revised it to address the issue and reintroduced it earlier this year.

Zach Friedman, president of indie label 10k Projects, acknowledges the competitive nature of the music industry: “We all want to win, and everyone tries to play the game in some way. Look at Travis Scott, a direct-to-consumer artist whose fans bought his products. He has a strong community and a devoted fandom. While one artist may have more popularity than another, if their fans rally for them, it’s truly awesome.”