Sony/ATV continued its reign from July to September, ruling both the Hot 100 Songs and Top Radio Airplay charts for the second quarter in a row. The publisher’s market share on Hot 100 Songs surged over six percentage points, to 26.68% from 20.18% the previous quarter, while its share of Top Radio Airplay songs jumped to 22.10% (from 20.11%).
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” also stayed at No. 1 on Top Radio Airplay, but dropped to No. 3 on Hot 100 Songs, where DaBaby’s “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Ricch, ruled. (Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt and Warner Chappell Music have stakes in both songs. Kobalt reps The Weeknd and Ricch; UMPG reps DaBaby.) Among writers, Ricch fell from first to third on Hot 100 Songs. However, he rose to No. 1 on Top Radio Airplay, where he placed four songs, including “Rockstar,” which is No. 4. The late Jarad Anthony “Juice WRLD” Higgins — signed to BMG — topped Hot 100 Songs as a writer with seven song placements, including his “Come & Go” collaboration with Marshmello at No. 17.
Sony/ATV landed 59 titles on Hot 100 Songs, up from 58, including Cardi B’s “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, at No. 2. This is the publisher’s 12th consecutive quarter at No. 1 on Top Radio Airplay — which it also led 32 out of the last 33 quarters — with 56 songs, up from 53, including Lewis Capaldi’s “Before You Go” (at No. 5).
UMPG ranked second on both charts and again placed the most songs on them: 60 on Hot 100 Songs for an 18.98% share (up from 58, but down from 20.03% last quarter) and 58 songs on Top Radio Airplay for a 19.24% share (up from 55 and 17.85%).
Kobalt ranked No. 3 on both charts, slipping from No. 2 on Top Radio Airplay last quarter with an 18.76% share (down from 19.04%), while increasing its charting songs to 49 in the third quarter (up from 45). Kobalt’s share on Hot 100 Songs declined to 16.14% (from 17.09% last quarter) but the company increased its song placements to 47, up from 40.
Warner Chappell Music repeated its fourth-place ranking on both charts, with 42 songs and a 13.30% market share on Hot 100 Songs (down from 48 songs and 15.09% last quarter) and 45 songs and 13.19% on Top Radio Airplay (down from 52 songs and 14.70%). Warner Chappell did, however, rule the third quarter’s Country Airplay chart for the 15th quarter in a row, despite its market share slipping to 20.62% (down from 21.44% in the second quarter and 25.14% in the first quarter).
BMG came in at No. 5 on both charts, with 34 songs and an 8.45% share on Hot 100 Songs (up from 27 songs and 7.53%), including “WAP,” and 32 songs and 9.17% on Top Radio Airplay (up from 27 and 8.38%), including Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart” (No. 3).
On the Top Radio Airplay chart, Pulse Music Group — acquired by Concord Music Publishing in January — ranked sixth with a 2.83% share and 11 songs, including Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” (No. 2); Round Hill Music ranked seventh with a 2.77% share and 2.77% and eight songs, including Maren Morris’ “The Bones” (No. 15); Big Machine Music ranked eighth with 2.56% and eight songs, also with a share of “Bones”; peermusic ranked ninth with 1.95% and six songs, including Justin Bieber’s “Intentions” (No. 13); and Reservoir ranked 10th with 1.40% and five songs, including “Break My Heart.”
On Hot 100 Songs, Round Hill Music ranked sixth with a 2.86% share and nine songs, including “Bones” (No. 34); Pulse Music Group ranked seventh with 2.21% and nine songs, including “Watermelon Sugar” (No. 5); Big Machine Music ranked eighth with 1.90% and six songs, including Maddie & Tae’s “Die From A Broken Hear” (No. 29); Reservoir ranked ninth with 1.54% and eight songs, including Chris Brown & Young Thug’s “Go Crazy” (No. 12); and peermusic ranked 10th with 1.40% and four songs, including Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande’s “Rain On Me” (No. 27).
This quarter also marks Reservoir’s first appearance of 2020 in both publisher rankings after being absent in the first two quarters of this year — although the publisher was in both rankings for the fourth quarter of 2019.
This article originally appeared in the Nov. 14, 2020, issue of Billboard.