Taylor Swift is the musical sales juggernaut of our time and the streak continues with her first single "Shake It Off." In the song's first week it managed to take the highest debut ever on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart as well as tying the record for highest debut on the Pop Songs chart.
Swift came in at no. 9 on this week's Adult Pop Songs chart. That may not seem that high but songs typically need more than a week to become the star spin on radio rosters. "Shake It Off" is actually the first song in the 18-year history of the chart to debut in the Top 10. The previous record was held by Alannis Morisette's "Thank U," which placed at no. 13 during 1998, so it's been a while since there's been a change in the record books. Over on the pure Pop Songs chart, her no. 12 debut equalled the 1993 debut of Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover."
"This historic launch represents impeccable set-up and teamwork with precise execution," said Republic Records vice president Charlie Walk. "Most importantly, it further emphasizes the power of Taylor and her world-class music."
Okay maybe but it also helps that the song was programmed hourly by Clear Channel stations thanks to a deal with Republic. Radio plays aren't necessarily an indication of the strength of a song due to the programming power of conglomerates such as Clear Channel, so we're more curious to see the total downloads brought in by the track (official results are due in less than an hour from press time).
One interesting note: Country radio wasn't left unaffected by "Shake It Off," although Swift clearly stated that she had broken from her country roots. The track was at no. 58 for Country Airplay last week.
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