November 12, 2007 22:21

Timbaland single becomes biggest Top 40 hit in 20 years

‘Apologize’ nudges past ‘Promiscuous’ for Number One spot

Radio tracking firm Mediaware has determined that on 10 November, Timbaland/OneRepublic’s current single ‘Apologize’ became the biggest Top 40 hit song since the company began counting spins in 1987.

The song bested Nelly Furtado’s hit ‘Promiscuous’ of two summers ago. At its 2006 peak, the Furtado single was spun 10,306 times in a single seven-day period, a record which Timbaland topped by 25 spins last week.

These numbers are based on a survey of the playlists of 129 radio stations currently in Mediabase’s panel of Top 40 broadcasters.

Up-and-coming bands can perhaps take comfort in the fact that they’re just 10,332 plays away from taking that top spot for themselves.

The rest of the top Top 50 hits since 1987:

1) Timbaland/OneRepublic: ‘Apologize’
2) Nelly Furtado: ‘Promiscuous’
3) Beyonce: ‘Irreplaceable’
4) Justin Timberlake: ‘Sexyback’
5) Fergie: ‘Big Girls Don't Cry’
6) Avril Lavigne: ‘Complicated’
7) Nelly Furtado: ‘Say It Right’
8) Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean: ‘Hips Don't Lie’
9) Nickelback: ‘How You Remind Me’
10) Justin Timberlake: ‘What Goes Around Comes Around’

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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