Pierce the Veil’s Viral ‘So Far So Fake’ Tops Alternative Airplay Chart

Pierce the Veil leads Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart for a second time, lifting a spot to No. 1 on the Nov. 15-dated survey with “So Far So Fake.”

The veteran rockers from San Diego previously led with “Emergency Contact” for a week in August 2023.

“Emergency Contact” and “So Far So Fake” are both on the same album, 2023’s The Jaws of Life. So why the two-plus-year gap between Alternative Airplay reigns? While not initially a promoted single, “So Far So Fake” was serviced to radio this summer after it went viral on shortform video platforms such as TikTok, spurred by a dance challenge set mostly to its instrumental break.

Boosted by that buzz, “So Far So Fake” debuted on the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart in August, eventually rising to No. 8 later that month. It also became the band’s first Billboard Hot 100 entry, reaching No. 64.

In between “Emergency Contact” and “So Far So Fake,” Pierce the Veil made Alternative Airplay once via its No. 27-peaking cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police” in June 2024. The band’s only other charter, “Circles,” hit No. 31 in 2016.

On the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, “So Far So Fake” jumps 6-4 with 3.7 million audience impressions in the week ending Nov. 6, up 14%, according to Luminate. It’s Pierce the Veil’s highest-charted song on the tally, having surpassed “Emergency Contact” (No. 10).

“So Far So Fake” ranked at No. 16 on the most recently published Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally (dated Nov. 8, reflecting data accumulated Oct. 24-30). In addition to its radio airplay, it drew 3.1 million official U.S. streams.

The Jaws of Life debuted at No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart in February 2023 and has earned 371,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated Nov. 15 will update Tuesday, Nov. 11, on Billboard.com.