After 22 years of appearances on the Billboard charts, Yellowcard has its first No. 1 song, ending a record wait to top the Alternative Airplay chart.
“Better Days,” the lead single from the Florida band’s upcoming album of the same name, leaps 5-1 to crown the Alternative Airplay survey dated Aug. 30.
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Yellowcard first reached Alternative Airplay in 2003 with “Way Away,” which peaked at No. 25. That kicked off a roughly three-year period of chart appearances for the band that was paced by the No. 4 high of “Lights and Sounds” in 2006, followed by a nearly 19-year respite before “Better Days” debuted in June.
“Better Days” reaches No. 1 a tick under 22 years after “Way Away” debuted on Alternative Airplay on the tally dated Sept. 6, 2003. The nearly 22-year gap between a first entry and first ruler is the longest in the chart’s 37-year history, surpassing the 17 years and nine months it took for Fall Out Boy between its arrival (with the No. 3 classic “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” in 2005) and its first No. 1, “Love From the Other Side,” in 2023.
Longest Wait Between First Appearance and First No. 1, Alternative Airplay:
- 21 years, 11 months, three weeks: Yellowcard, “Better Days” (2003-25)
- 17 years, nine months: Fall Out Boy, “Love From the Other Side” (2005-23)
- 17 years, two weeks: Stone Temple Pilots, “Between the Lines” (1993-2010)
- 16 years, 10 months, two weeks: Alice in Chains, “Check My Brain” (1992-2009)
- 15 years, six months, two weeks: Paramore, “This Is Why” (2007-23)
Yellowcard becomes the 10th act to hit No. 1 on Alternative Airplay for the first time in 2025. That’s the most in a single year since 1997, when 11 acts snagged their inaugural leaders.
Concurrently, “Better Days” lifts 16-14 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart via 2.5 million audience impressions earned in the week ending Aug. 21, up 11%, according to Luminate.
Better Days, Yellowcard’s 11th studio album and first on the Better Noise label, is due Oct. 10, with production from Travis Barker. Its predecessor, 2016’s Yellowcard, hit No. 5 on the Top Alternative Albums chart and has earned 43,000 equivalent album units.
All Billboard charts dated Aug. 30 will update Tuesday, Aug. 26, on Billboard.com.
