Olivia Rodrigo Broke Her Own Chart Records

She seems pretty sad for a girl so on the charts. Olivia Rodrigo has topped herself with her third album. With You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, Rodrigo has become the first artist in Billboard history to have her first three albums and their lead singles top the charts, as well as the only artist to have every song from their first three albums hit the Top 40. Rodrigo eclipses [checks notes] Olivia Rodrigo, who previously held the record for having her first two albums and singles top their respective charts and for having every song on those albums in the Top 40. Who knows what Rodrigo will do to reclaim that honor for Rodrigo?

Rodrigo’s accomplishment comes from, yes, generational talent but also from how Billboard has changed over the years. When the charts only recorded sales and self-reported radio play, artists of past decades had to wait for the charts to catch up with consumers. No single debuted at No. 1 until 1995, when songs by both Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey did so. Debuting at No. 1 is a sign of a healthy fanbase and all the goodwill an artist builds up with their past work — what chart analyst Chris Molanphy calls the “AC/DC rule.” With Billboard now taking streaming data into consideration, No. 1 debuts are more common. And now that Billboard is less precious about what is or is not a “single,” multiple songs from the same album can chart in the “Hot 100.” Since her first album in 2021, Rodrigo has benefitted from these changes. And the fact that her records are all bangers and no skips helps.