In a significant milestone, Blur’s latest single, “The Narcissist,” has soared to No. 8 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart dated July 8. This achievement marks the band’s first appearance in the top 10 of a Billboard airplay chart since 1997. The song serves as the lead single from their highly anticipated album, The Ballad of Darren, fronted by the talented Damon Albarn.
Videos by American Songwriter
After more than 24 years since their last top-10 appearance on an airplay tally, Blur has returned to the spotlight. The last time they graced the top 10 was on the July 19, 1997, edition of Alternative Airplay, with their hit “Song 2” ranking at No. 9.
In the time span between “Song 2” and their recent success with “The Narcissist,” Blur managed to secure a spot on Alternative Airplay, peaking at No. 22 in April 2003 with “Crazy Beat.”
“The Narcissist” now stands as Blur’s fourth song to reach the top 10 of a Billboard airplay survey. Alongside “The Narcissist” on Adult Alternative Airplay and “Song 2” on Alternative Airplay, the band boasts the No. 4-peaking “Girls & Boys” in July 1994 (Alternative Airplay) and the No. 5 hit “There’s No Other Way” in November 1991 (also Alternative Airplay).
Simultaneously, “The Narcissist” makes progress on multiple airplay charts. It climbs from 32 to 30 on the Alternative Airplay chart and rises from 42 to 39 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, which encompasses all rock formats and is based on audience impressions. According to Luminate, the song garnered 883,000 audience impressions, marking a 9% increase during the tracking week of June 23-29.
Notably, this track holds the distinction of being Blur’s inaugural entry on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, which was established in 1996.
Formed in London in 1988, Blur is an esteemed English rock band comprising of vocalist Damon Albarn, drummer Dave Rowntree, guitarist Graham Coxon, and bassist Alex James. Notably, their eighth album titled The Magic Whip released in 2015 marked their return after a hiatus of twelve years, and it became their sixth consecutive studio album to claim the top position on the UK charts. Following the conclusion of their “Magic Whip” tour, Blur took a break before announcing their highly anticipated ninth album, The Ballad of Darren, scheduled for release in July 2023.
(Photo Credit: Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
