Bruno Mars Lands Fifth Hot 100 No. 1 With 'When I Was Your Man'

The singer has tallied his first five No. 1s faster than any male artist since Elvis Presley. The ascent also results in just the second No. 1 ever for a song featuring only piano and vocals

Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” advances 2-1 on the Billboard Hot 100, granting the pop singer/songwriter his fifth leading title. It also marks just the second No. 1 in the chart’s more than five-decade history for a song featuring piano and vocals exclusively.

With five No. 1s, Mars ranks behind only Michael Jackson (13); Stevie Wonder (10); Elton John, Paul McCartney, Usher (nine each); George Michael (eight); Phil Collins, Elvis Presley (seven each; Presley’s career predates the Hot 100’s Aug. 4, 1958, launch) for the most toppers among male soloists. Diddy, Ludacris, Prince and Lionel Richie also boast five No. 1s apiece.

Incredibly, Mars has racked his first five Hot 100 No. 1s faster than any male since Elvis Presley. Mars’ span since first arriving on the chart the week of Feb. 13, 2010, is just three years, two months and one week. Only the late Presley reached five leaders more quickly, over just two years, seven months and three weeks, from the chart’s inception through March 25, 1961.

As if company with the King isn’t enough, Mars also notches just the second No. 1 in the Hot 100’s archives featuring only piano and vocals. Adele first scored such a hit with “Someone Like You,” which reigned for five weeks in late 2011. That ballad showcases Adele on vocals and Dan Wilson on piano. Mars sings and plays piano on “Man,” which is the first ballad since “Someone” to command the Hot 100.

“Man” moves to No. 1 on the Hot 100 with top Digital Gainer honors, jumping to the top of the Nielsen SoundScan-powered Digital Songs survey (4-1). It soars by 45% to 340,000 downloads sold to become his sixth No. 1 on Digital Songs (and passes 2 million sold to date). The song was sale priced in both the iTunes and Amazon MP3 stores last week for $0.69, down from the standard $1.29 price of most current hits.

“Man” posts a third week atop the Nielsen BDS-based Radio Songs airplay chart (149 million in all-format audience, up 5%) and climbs 5-3 on Streaming Songs with a 7% increase to 4.9 million streams, according to BDS. (As previously reported, “Man” marks Mars’ sixth No. 1 on the mainstream top 40-based Pop Songs airplay chart, the highest total among solo males.)

“Man” dethrones Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop,” featuring Wanz, after six nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100. The track holds at No. 2 on Streaming Songs (8.7 million, down 12%) and falls 2-4 on Digital Songs (211,000, down 25%) and 3-4 on Radio Songs (100 million, down 8%). It rules Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a 13th week.

“Man” overthrows “Shop” atop the Hot 100 with a 23% gain in overall points, while the latter song slides by 17%.

[Edited 4/10/13 10:26am]

Good for him! I happen to really like his music and think he's great I hope his next single is Treasure, that song is too good and with spring weather finally showing itself, I can see myself bumping that song a lot more in the car

I love love love this song!

this song is a bit to syrupy for me - but ok.

I really like 'locked out of heaven' though.

All his success is well deserved. Way to go Bruno!

Good for him! I happen to really like his music and think he's great I hope his next single is Treasure, that song is too good and with spring weather finally showing itself, I can see myself bumping that song a lot more in the car

ITA

I Seriously can't wait for the day some male surpases MJ for number 1 hits. Cause then maybe it would show that records don't matter cause they can always be broken.

Either way not a fan of Bruno but this isn't too bad and i am sure he will have alot more number one hits.

Just heard this today. Wow... what a really good song. Congrats Bruno!

Nice song! Congrads!

US Charts: Bruno Mars Rivals His Idol, Elvis Presley

As a child, Bruno Mars impersonated Elvis Presley and even performed numerous tributes to the King of Rock & Roll. Now, it appears that his career has come full circle as the singer has achieved an impressive feat on the US charts that placed him in the same league as his childhood idol.

Mars’ latest Unorthodox Jukebox single, “When I Was Your Man”, has topped the Billboard Hot 100 and earned him his fifth #1 title on the lineup. That accomplishment means that he as has gathered his first 5 chart leaders in just 3 years, 2 months and 1 week. The only male act that reached that plateau faster was Presley in 1961 after over just 2 years, 7 months and 3 weeks.

Additionally, “When I Was Your Man” follows Adele’s “Someone Like You” as the second Hot 100 #1 song to feature only a piano and vocals. If that wasn’t enough, Mars is now tied in sixth place among male artists with the most chart-toppers. He shares the ranking with Diddy, Ludacris, Prince and Lionel Richie.

Read more: http://thelavalizard.com/...runo-mars/

[Edited 4/10/13 16:48pm]

Good It's good to see talented recording acts getting to the top of the hot 100 again I'm sure he'll have more in the future too.

Interesting article, OP. I didn't realize it was so hard for solo male acts to get multiple #1s! and I had NO idea Diddy and Ludacris both had 5 #1s

I preferred this song when it was called "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word".

Awesome, he totally deserves it! Love me some Bruno

@mong I think it sounds similar as well, I think the same piano chords are played in the beginning. I'm going to try to see if I can play both of them and compare them, haven't seen the notes to either of those songs, but I'm pretty sure they are built in a similar way. The melody is different though espcially if you listen to it on another instrument.

Very similar melody. Bruno's a hack.

Bruno: http://www.youtube.com/wa...kzHIouo8Q4

Elton: http://www.youtube.com/wa...2e4NlnLr28

There's a smiliraity and Bruno's video is not denying the old school flavour of his song. But they are still two different songs.

lol Elton John...whatever I like it... it's all good.

Timmy84 said:

lol Elton John...whatever I like it... it's all good.

Thank you! Who freakin cares if the song is similar to someone else's song, WIWYM is a GOOD song, PERIOD! And its one of the best songs playing on the radio right now. And that's all that matters!

[Edited 4/11/13 8:01am]

NaughtyKitty said:

Timmy84 said:

lol Elton John...whatever I like it... it's all good.

Thank you! Who freakin cares if the song is similar to someone else's song, WIWYM is a GOOD song, PERIOD! And its one of the best songs playing on the radio right now. And that's all that matters!

[Edited 4/11/13 8:01am]

Yeah. I don't even mark for Bruno like that but c'mon.

Can't get this song outta my head

I can't say I'm a huge fan of Bruno yet. I'm seeing him live for the first time this summer and then I shall judge lol