Articles by Kevin Rutherford

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The Pretty Reckless Repeats No. 1 Streak on Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart With ‘For I Am Death’

Skip to main content The Pretty Reckless Lewis Cater Trending on Billboard To open its career on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, The Pretty Reckless rattled off four No. 1s in a row. Nearly a decade later, the Taylor Momsen-led band has done it again. The Pretty Reckless See latest videos, charts and news “For I Am Death,” The Pretty Reckless’ first new music since its 2021 album Death by Rock and Roll, climbs to No. 1 on the ranking dated Nov. 8. It’s the band’s eighth leader and fourth straight, a streak that dates to 2020, when “Death by Rock and Roll” led for three weeks, followed by reigns for “And So It Went” and “Only Love Can Save Me Now” in 2021. Riley Green & Ella Langley Notch Second Top 10 Together on Country Airplay Chart Zohran Mamdani Describes His NYC Mayoral Campaign in 3 Songs: 'Shout-Out to Taylor Swift' Common Recalls Fat Joe Saving His Life During Feud With Mack 10 & Ice Cube: 'You Settled That' In 2013, The Pretty Reckless made its maiden appearance on the tally with “Heaven Knows,” a song that ended up reigning for four weeks beginning in March 2014. That kicked off a streak of four consecutive No. 1s, with “Heaven Knows” followed by “Messed Up World” (2014), “Follow Me Down” (2015) and “Take Me Down” (2016). In fact, 80% of the band’s charted titles have reached No. 1, while 90% have been in the top two. Easy math there, as The Pretty Reckless has charted 10 entries on Mainstream Rock Airplay; its non-No. 1s are the No. 2-peaking “Oh My God” and the band’s only song to peak outside the top two, “Back to the River,” a No. 12 hit, both in 2017. With eight No. 1s, The Pretty Reckless solely boasts the most by a woman-fronted group (or, for that matter, women soloists) in the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart’s 44-year history. Previously, the band was tied with Halestorm, which notched its seventh in 2024. (Of note: Linkin Park, currently co-led by Emily Armstrong, has 13 No. 1s, but only three since she joined.) Concurrently, “For I Am Death” ranks at No. 7 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 3.2 million in audience in the week ending Oct. 30, up 12%, according to Luminate. That’s a new weekly high in impressions for the song, although its chart-position best so far remains No. 5, achieved on the Nov. 1 tally. It’s The Pretty Reckless’ top-performing song on the survey, surpassing a pair of No. 6 peaks via “Death by Rock and Roll” and “Only Love Can Save Me Now.” On the most recently published, multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated Nov. 1, reflecting data Oct. 17-23), “For I Am Death” debuted at No. 23. In addition to its radio airplay, the tune drew 240,000 official U.S. streams. Although The Pretty Reckless hasn’t yet announced a proper follow-up to 2021’s Death by Rock and Roll, Oct. 31 brings the release of a new holiday EP, Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas, with Momsen reprising her vocal on “Where Are You Christmas?” from the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, in which she portrayed Cindy Lou Who. The Mariah Carey co-write has become a perennial holiday hit for Faith Hill since 2000. All Billboard charts dated Nov. 8 will update Tuesday, Nov. 4, on Billboard.com. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about? Get in the know on Visit Billboard Pro for music business news Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP optional screen reader Manage Account Billboard Hot 100™ Billboard 200™ Hits Of The World™ Songs Of The Summer Year-End Charts Decade-End Charts R&B/Hip-Hop Business News Record Labels View All Pro Songwriters & Producers Artist Index Royalty Calculator Market Watch Industry Events Calendar Billboard Español Cultura y Entretenimiento Crossword Puzzle GET ACCESS TODAY