Chris Daughtry and his band Score first No. 1 in 15 years, first at Active Rock for latest single “Artificial”
Daughtry have scored their first No. 1 single at Active Rock this week. Their Big Machine Records debut, “Artificial,” marks the band’s first career entry into the format, as well as their first No. 1 single in 15 years, topping both Billboard and Mediabase.
“Artificial” ushers in a fresh sonic era for Daughtry, driven by frontman and American Idol season 5 alum Chris Daughtry’s singular vocal prowess. In the accompanying music video, Daughtry faces down a?cyborg clone against a backdrop of crumbling cities and raining fire. Their most ambitious project to date, the cinematic visual spins a cautionary tale about the dangers of a planet overrun by artificial intelligence.
Daughtry reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for the first time as “Artificial” rises 2-1 on the Feb. 17-dated chart.
“Artificial” follows 17 years of appearances on Mainstream Rock Airplay for Daughtry, which, according to Billboard, first made the survey with “It’s Not Over,” which peaked at No. 5 in March 2007. The band has garnered eight entries in all.
Prior to “Artificial,” Daughtry’s highest ranking song on Mainstream Rock Airplay had been “Heavy Is the Crown,” which peaked at No. 4 in 2021.
While it’s Daughtry’s first Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1, the band earned many No. 1s over the years on other Billboard’s airplay charts. That includes four No 1s on Adult Pop Airplay between 2007 and 2009 (“It’s Not Over,” “Home,” “Feels Like Tonight” and “No Surprise”) and one reign apiece on Pop Airplay (“It’s Not Over”) and Adult Contemporary (“Home”).
Chris Daughtry competed on American Idol season 5 in 2006 and finished the competition in 4th place.
Daughtry’s “Artificial” rises on the airplay charts
Additionally, “Artificial” rises 14-13 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2.7 million audience impressions, up 13%, according to Luminate. It reaches its peak so far, No. 12, on the Jan. 13 chart.
The most recent multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs list (Feb. 10) found “Artificial” at No. 12. In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 346,000 official U.S. streams Jan. 26-Feb. 1.
“Artificial” is Daughtry’s current single. the band’s last album, Dearly Beloved, debuted at No. 4 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart dated Oct. 2, 2021, and has earned 88,000 equivalent album units to date.
Catch Daughtry on the road this spring as they tour alongside Breaking Benjamin at select US stops. For tickets and more information, visit daughtryofficial.com.
