Historic Comeback: Sublime Reaches First Alternative Airplay No. 1 in Nearly 30 Years!

Sublime has achieved a significant milestone, securing its first No. 1 position on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart in nearly 30 years with their latest track, “Ensenada.” This new song, featuring Jakob Nowell, the son of the late frontman Bradley Nowell, marks the band’s second chart-topper. Their previous No. 1 hit was “What I Got” in 1996, which ascended to the top five months after Bradley Nowell’s passing in May of that year.
The gap between Sublime’s No. 1 hits, a remarkable 28 years and 10 months, stands as the lengthiest in the 37-year history of the Alternative Airplay chart. This duration surpasses the previous record held by Sum 41, who waited 22 years, six months, and three weeks between their 2001 hit “Fat Lip” and their 2024 success “Landmines.” In the interim period between “What I Got” and “Ensenada,” Sublime saw four of their tracks enter the Alternative Airplay chart, including two reaching a No. 3 peak: “Santeria” and “Wrong Way,” both in 1997. Additionally, the band Sublime With Rome, which included the surviving original Sublime members and frontman Rome Ramirez, also had four songs chart between 2011 and 2019.
“Ensenada” has also simultaneously claimed the No. 1 spot on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, marking Sublime’s inaugural leader since the chart’s inception in 2009. The track demonstrated a significant surge, increasing its audience impressions by 51% to 4.1 million in the week ending Sept. 11, according to Luminate data. Furthermore, “Ensenada” made its debut on Mainstream Rock Airplay at No. 38 on the Aug. 23 tally, becoming Sublime’s first entry on that chart in almost 29 years, and is currently positioned at No. 40 on the latest survey.
This chart-topping single serves as a preview for Sublime’s forthcoming album, for which a release date is yet to be announced. This highly anticipated record will be the band’s first LP since their self-titled release in 1996, an album that has accumulated 10.9 million equivalent album units to date. All Billboard charts, including these achievements, will officially update on Tuesday, Sept. 16, for the Sept. 20-dated tallies on Billboard.com.
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