A man wearing a shirt and hat playing a keyboard
Bruno Mars' song "Just the Way You Are" spent a total of 20 weeks at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Adult Contemporary is a chart published by Billboard ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 2011, eight different songs topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine, based on weekly airplay data from radio stations compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.

On the first chart of the year, the number one spot was held by Mariah Carey with "Oh Santa!", the song's third consecutive week at number one.[1] It remained at the top of the chart for one further week before being replaced by the band Train's song "Hey, Soul Sister". Train's song had spent 19 weeks at number one during the previous year, and its return to the top spot took its total of 22 weeks at number one, the second-highest figure at the time for the AC listing behind only Uncle Kracker's version of "Drift Away", which spent 28 weeks in the top spot in 2003 and 2004.[2]

Two artists held the top spot between them from early February to early November, with the exception of a single week. Bruno Mars topped the chart for 20 non-consecutive weeks with "Just the Way You Are" and Adele spent 19 consecutive weeks at number one with "Rolling in the Deep". Both songs also topped Billboard's all-genres chart, the Hot 100, as did Katy Perry's "Firework", the only song to interrupt Mars and Adele's nine-month domination of the AC number one position.[3][4][5] All three songs topped the AC chart several months after peaking on the Hot 100, reflecting a trend for songs to cross over to the slower-moving adult contemporary radio format after their pop success had peaked.[6] "Just the Way You Are"'s 20-week run at number one set a new record for the longest spell atop the AC chart by an artist's debut single, breaking a record previously jointly held by Colbie Caillat and Daniel Powter.[7] Adele returned to the top spot for a single week in the issue of Billboard dated December 3 with "Someone like You", making her the only artist to have two AC number ones in 2011, and tying Mars for the highest number of weeks spent at number one by an act during the year. Having begun with a Christmas-themed song by Mariah Carey at number one, 2011 ended with a cover version of another in the top spot, as Michael Bublé's recording of Carey's 1994 song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" topped the chart for the last four weeks of the year. The song was part of a long-running trend of Christmas-themed songs topping the AC chart at the end of the year, reflecting the fact that adult contemporary radio stations usually switch to playing exclusively festive songs in December.[8][9]

Chart history

A young woman singing into a microphone
Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" topped the chart for 19 weeks.
A blonde woman wearing a black dress performing
Mariah Carey topped the chart with her Christmas song "Oh Santa!" for the first two weeks of January 2011.
A dark-haired woman performing on stage
Katy Perry topped the chart for one week with "Firework".
Key
† Indicates best-performing AC song of 2011[10]
Issue date Title Artist(s) Ref.
January 1 "Oh Santa!" Mariah Carey [1]
January 8 [11]
January 15 "Hey, Soul Sister" Train [12]
January 22 [13]
January 29 [14]
February 5 "Just the Way You Are" † Bruno Mars [15]
February 12 [16]
February 19 [17]
February 26 [18]
March 5 [19]
March 12 [20]
March 19 [21]
March 26 [22]
April 2 [23]
April 9 [24]
April 16 [25]
April 23 [26]
April 30 [27]
May 7 [28]
May 14 [29]
May 21 [30]
May 28 "Firework" Katy Perry [31]
June 4 "Just the Way You Are" † Bruno Mars [32]
June 11 [33]
June 18 [34]
June 25 [35]
July 2 "Rolling in the Deep" Adele [36]
July 9 [37]
July 16 [38]
July 23 [39]
July 30 [40]
August 6 [41]
August 13 [42]
August 20 [43]
August 27 [44]
September 3 [45]
September 10 [46]
September 17 [47]
September 24 [48]
October 1 [49]
October 8 [50]
October 15 [51]
October 22 [52]
October 29 [53]
November 5 [54]
November 12 "If I Die Young" The Band Perry [55]
November 19 [56]
November 26 [57]
December 3 "Someone like You" Adele [58]
December 10 "All I Want for Christmas Is You" Michael Bublé [59]
December 17 [60]
December 24 [61]
December 31 [62]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Adult Contemporary – Week of January 1, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 1, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  2. ^ "Ed Sheeran First Act With Two Songs to Top Adult Contemporary Chart For at Least 20 Weeks Each". Billboard. July 3, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  3. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (January 24, 2019). "Bruno Mars' Debut Single 'Just The Way You Are' Has Been Certified Diamond". Forbes. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "Adele scores first US Number One single with 'Rolling In The Deep'". NME. May 12, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  5. ^ Wete, Brad (December 16, 2010). "Katy Perry's 'Firework' No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 for second straight week". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  6. ^ Molanphy, Chris (June 29, 2013). "The Slow Hit Movement: Year-Old Songs On The Pop Charts". NPR. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  7. ^ Westervelt, Bryce (June 15, 2011). "Bruno Mars sets Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart record". AXS TV. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  8. ^ Trust, Gary (December 24, 2018). "Katy Perry's 'Cozy Little Christmas' Hits No. 1 on Adult Contemporary Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  9. ^ Judkis, Maura (December 21, 2015). "Jingle bell rock: Lots of radio stations go all-Christmas in December. Here's why". Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  10. ^ "Billboard Adult Contemporary Year End, 2011". Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  11. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of January 8, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 8, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  12. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of January 15, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 15, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  13. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of January 22, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 22, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  14. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of January 29, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. January 29, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  15. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of February 5, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. February 5, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  16. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of February 12, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. February 12, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  17. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of February 19, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. February 19, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  18. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of February 26, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. February 26, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  19. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of March 5, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. March 5, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  20. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of March 12, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. March 12, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  21. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of March 19, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. March 19, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  22. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of March 26, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. March 26, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  23. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of April 2, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. April 2, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  24. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of April 9, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. April 9, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  25. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of April 16, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. April 16, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  26. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of April 23, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. April 23, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  27. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of April 30, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. April 30, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  28. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of May 7, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. May 7, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  29. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of May 14, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. May 14, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  30. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of May 21, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. May 21, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  31. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of May 28, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. May 28, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  32. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of June 4, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 4, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  33. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of June 11, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 11, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  34. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of June 18, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 18, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  35. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of June 25, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 25, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  36. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of July 2, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. July 2, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  37. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of July 9, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. July 9, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  38. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of July 16, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  39. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of July 23, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  40. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of July 30, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. July 30, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  41. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of August 6, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. August 6, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  42. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of August 13, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. August 13, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  43. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of August 20, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. August 20, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  44. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of August 27, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. August 27, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  45. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of September 3, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. September 3, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  46. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of September 10, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. September 10, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  47. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of September 17, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. September 17, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  48. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of September 24, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. September 24, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  49. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of October 1, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 1, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  50. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of October 8, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 8, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  51. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of October 15, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 15, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  52. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of October 22, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 22, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  53. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of October 29, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 29, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  54. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of November 5, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 5, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  55. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of November 12, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 12, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  56. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of November 19, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 19, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  57. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of November 26, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 26, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  58. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of December 3, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 3, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  59. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of December 10, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 10, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  60. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of December 17, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 17, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  61. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of December 24, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 24, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
  62. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Week of December 31, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 31, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
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