Taylor Swift”s complete switch to pop is being met with resounding success: Her new single, “Shake It Off,” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 today.
The song, which was bolstered by immediate radio play, sales, and streaming, following its release on Aug. 18, is Swift”s second Hot 100 chart topper, following 2012″s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The single sold 544,000 downloads this past week, the greatest weekly tally so far in 2014, according to Billboard.
For trivia buffs, “Shake,” the first single from Swift”s fifth studio album, “1989,” out Oct. 27, is only the 22nd of the 1,038 songs that have topped the Billboard Hot 100 to bow at No. 1. The last, coincidentally, was Baauer”s “Harlem Shake” in March 2013. Billboard created a fun list of the most successful chart songs with “Shake” in the title here.
“Shake”s” good news is bad news for Nicki Minaj, whose “Anaconda” soars 39-2, kept out of the top spot by Swift. Both artists performed their latest hits on MTV”s Video Music Awards Sunday night. Nonetheless, the No. 2 spot is Minaj”s highest Hot 100 perch. She previously peaked at No. 3 with “Super Bass” and her feature on Britney Spears” “Till The World Ends.”
All this activity pushes Meghan Trainor”s “All About That Bass” down 2-3, despite a gain in chart points. Sam Smith”s “Stay With Me” similarly drops one place to No. 4.
As Swift”s ”Shake” is coronated in the top spot, Magic!”s “Rude,” tumbles from the throne after six weeks at No. 1 to No. 5.
On the bottom half of the Top 10, Iggy Azalea”s “Black Widow,” featuring Rita Ora rises 8-6, Ariana Grande”s “Break Free,” featuring Zedd, falls 4-7, Sia”s “Chandelier” inches 9-8, as does Jessie J, Grande and Minaj”s “Bang Bang,” which moves 10-9. Nico & Vinz”s “Am I Wrong” slips 6-10.