As noted recently, 2019 Eurovision champ Duncan Laurence has done the nearly-impossible – two weeks ago, he broke the 25 year drought of ESC songs on America’s oldest, and most-revered chart, the Billboard Hot 100!
“Arcade” debuted on the Hot 100 AT number 100 two weeks ago…and then fell off the chart after just one week. This week, he rebounds, re-debuting at #94, six notches above his first debut! No matter what happens in the future, though, Laurence’s 2019 Eurovision champ was the little song that could, becoming the first ESC-connected song to chart in the USA since 1996’s “Ooh Aah (Just A Little Bit)” by Gina G, which was the UK’s ESC entry in 1996, and the first WINNER to crack the chart since “Save Your Kisses For Me” by Brotherhood of Man, way back in 1976.
NOW…the question is whether it can eventually equal one of those two earlier hits – Gina G hit #8 on the Hot 100, while Brotherhood Of Man hit #27 on the Hot 100 and went all the way to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, where “Arcade” is presently having the most success in the U.S. – it’s at #13 this week, as well as #18 on the Adult Airplay chart, both of these being it’s current peak position on each chart.
Having been a chart watcher for nearly 50 years of my life, I am betting that “Arcade” will ultimately do better on the AC chart than the Hot 100, but only time will tell…another update next week!