Alt-J Earns First No. 1 on a Billboard Airplay Chart With ‘U&ME’

For the first time, Alt-J is No. 1 on a Billboard song chart. “U&ME,” the lead single from the trio’s latest album The Dream, jumps 3-1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay tally dated March 5.

The English band, which formed in 2007, previously rose as high as No. 2 on an airplay ranking, with “Left Hand Free” on Alternative Airplay in November 2014.

Alt-J first reached a Billboard radio chart in 2012 with “Fitzpleasure,” which peaked at No. 27 in January 2013. The act first appeared on Adult Alternative Airplay with the aforementioned “Free” (No. 3, December 2014).

Alt-J is the third act to earn a first Adult Alternative Airplay No. 1 in 2022, and the second in a row, following COIN, whose “Chapstick” led for one week (Feb. 26). Band of Horses ruled for the first time with “Crutch” for two weeks (Jan. 8 and 15).

Concurrently, “U&ME” bullets at its No. 32 high on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 946,000 audience impressions, up 3%, in the Feb. 21-27 tracking week, according to MRC Data. The song climbed to No. 24 on Alternative Airplay in November.

The Dream, Alt-J’s fourth studio album and first since 2017’s Relaxer, debuted at No. 12 on the Top Alternative Albums chart dated Feb. 26 and has earned 23,000 equivalent album units to date.