The GRAMMY Awards are often described as Music’s Biggest Night. While the awards ceremony typically lives up to the moniker with star-studded performances and gramophone trophies for hundreds of artists across many genres each year, iTunes charts also show how music sales are impacted, providing the year’s first prominent sales increase following the post-Christmas bump fueled by gift card redemptions. Many of the songs featured during the 56th GRAMMY Awards broadcast on January 26 received significant jumps on the iTunes song chart throughout and following the show, and numerous songs heard in its music-centric commercials felt the benefit of exposure as well. The statistics below reflect positions on the US iTunes chart of about 1500 songs, tracked from the beginning of the broadcast in the Eastern time zone at 8:00pm to the end of the Western time zone broadcast at 2:40am Eastern.
Among songs already on the chart at the beginning of the Eastern broadcast, Metallica’s 1989 single “One” received the night’s biggest jump, flying from #758 to #125 by the end of the Western show following their performance of the song with pianist Lang Lang. With Daft Punk’s wins for Album of the Year (Random Access Memories) and Record of the Year (“Get Lucky”), as well as their standout medley with Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, and Nile Rodgers, the winning single jumped from #67 to #10, whereas Pharrell-assisted single “Lose Yourself To Dance” was the night’s second-biggest mover, up from #826 at 8:00pm to #183 at 2:40am. Daft Punk tracks “Harder Better Faster Stronger” (#702) and “Around The World” (#946) both entered the iTunes chart’s top 1000 following their features in the medley. Though Katy Perry’s GRAMMY-nominated song “Roar” failed to score either of its nominations, it held fairly steady throughout the night, dropping only one spot from #18 to #19, while “Dark Horse,” which was performed early in the broadcast along with Juicy J, held its chart-topping position throughout the entire evening. Prism album track “This Is How We Do” saw the third-biggest increase, moving from #935 to #458 after being featured in a new CoverGirl commercial.
As is typical with the GRAMMYs, several songs premiered on GRAMMY Sunday and appropriately saw large sales. Hunter Hayes debuted new single “Invisible” for his GRAMMYs performance; though the track was already up to #271 when the broadcast began, having been released for purchase shortly beforehand, it surged up to #9 by 2:40am. Taylor Swift’s first live performance of Red album track “All Too Well” entered the chart and rose to #28, and a newly-recorded version of Imagine Dragons hit “Radioactive” featuring a rapped verse by Kendrick Lamar reached #63 by the end of the West Coast show. (The original version of the single moved from #35 to #22, while Kendrick Lamar’s “m.A.A.d City,” which features MC Eiht on the good kid, m.A.A.d city recording, jumped from #181 to #71 after its use within the “Radioactive” performance.) Low-profile commercial synchronizations kept Austin Mahone and Pitbull’s new single “Mmm Yeah” (featured in an Aquafina FlavorSplash ad, for which Mahone is the Digital & Brand Strategist), and Zedd’s Matthew Koma and Miriam Bryant collaboration “Find You” (featured in a new campaign for Bud Light Platinum) mostly stagnant: “Mmm Yeah” slid from #2 to #4 on its first day of sales, while “Find You” dropped from #81 to #94.
Many other songs performed during the GRAMMYs received sales boosts as well. P!nk’s The Truth About Love hit single “Try” saw the biggest rise of songs already on the chart at the beginning of the show, rising from #217 to #45, followed by Kacey Musgraves’s “Follow Your Arrow,” which rose from #144 to #20. Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear’s “Cut Me Some Slack” saw the biggest entry after the night had ended, with the Sound City: Real to Reel soundtrack song entering the chart at #136.
Song features in commercials helped boost several previously-released singles on the iTunes chart as well. While John Legend’s performed single “All Of Me” was launched from #38 to #3, his Love In The Future track “Made To Love” entered by 10:00pm and rose to #132 by 2:40am as a result of its feature in an ad for the Chevrolet Impala. A slew of Target commercials advertising their high-profile brand partnerships filled multiple commercial breaks throughout the night, causing sales bumps for The Band Perry’s “DONE.” (#441 – #133), Prince Royce’s “Darte un Beso” (#782 – #474), Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors” (#111 – #70), and Shakira’s Rihanna-featured “Can’t Remember To Forget You” (#115 – #96 following three premiere airings of the spot advertising her upcoming Target deluxe release of her self-titled album on March 25). (Though Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu were heard on “Q.U.E.E.N.” for an ad for Monáe’s The Electric Lady, the track failed to chart within the top 1500.)
Along with the aforementioned “Q.U.E.E.N.,” only a few songs failed to reach the top 1500 on iTunes throughout the night. Firstly, Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” appeared at #597 at the end of the Eastern broadcast at 11:40pm, but had fallen back off the chart a few hours later despite a heavily-buzzed-about feature within Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert’s “Same Love.” Other songs heard but not charted included Chic’s “Le Freak,” heard within the Daft Punk medley; Lang Lang’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1” used during the annual In Memoriam segment; and Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” used in a Sony advertisement. Three tracks performed on the show had not made the chart by 2:40am, but appeared by Monday afternoon: Queens of the Stone Age’s “My God Is The Sun” (#1023), Stevie Wonder’s “Another Star” (#1372), and Black Sabbath’s “God Is Dead?” (#1387).
A full list of songs heard throughout the GRAMMYs and how their sales were affected is available below, featuring US iTunes sales statistics pulled from LivePopBars. All times displayed in the header correspond to the Eastern time zone. Songs with a zero in a cell indicate that the song was not found within the chart at the time the data was pulled. Some discrepancies may be present in the lower range of the chart due to data loading issues in the chart’s lower reaches.
| 8:00pm | 9:00pm | 10:00pm | 11:00pm | 11:40pm | 1:00am | 2:00am | 2:40am | 8:00pm → 2:40am | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aloe Blacc - "Love Is The Answer" | 413 | 423 | 427 | 440 | 450 | 442 | 442 | 440 | -27 |
| Austin Mahone featuring Pitbull - "Mmm Yeah" | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -2 |
| Beyoncé featuring JAY Z - "Drunk In Love" | 26 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 10 |
| Black Sabbath - "God Is Dead?" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Shelton featuring Pistol Annies & Friends - "Boys Round Here" | 143 | 141 | 142 | 134 | 126 | 121 | 123 | 120 | 23 |
| Bruno Mars - "Locked Out Of Heaven" | 80 | 80 | 78 | 66 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 42 | 38 |
| Bruno Mars - "Treasure" | 123 | 126 | 127 | 117 | 115 | 113 | 113 | 112 | 11 |
| Bruno Mars - "When I Was Your Man" | 97 | 98 | 98 | 71 | 68 | 64 | 67 | 59 | 38 |
| Carole King - "Beautiful" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chic - "Le Freak" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chicago - "Beginnings" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1127 | 1228 | 1100 | 0 |
| Chicago - "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" | 0 | 0 | 434 | 323 | 317 | 278 | 291 | 278 | 0 |
| Chicago - "Saturday In The Park" | 0 | 0 | 477 | 354 | 343 | 307 | 329 | 302 | 0 |
| Daft Punk - "Around The World" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1184 | 1297 | 946 | 0 |
| Daft Punk - "Harder Better Faster Stronger" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 823 | 918 | 702 | 0 |
| Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers - "Get Lucky" | 67 | 58 | 38 | 34 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 57 |
| Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams - "Lose Yourself To Dance" | 826 | 785 | 732 | 620 | 439 | 320 | 367 | 284 | 542 |
| Darius Rucker - "Wagon Wheel" | 107 | 108 | 112 | 118 | 120 | 124 | 121 | 128 | -21 |
| Ed Sheeran - "The A Team" | 205 | 165 | 154 | 149 | 148 | 145 | 144 | 145 | 60 |
| Ellie Goulding - "Explosions" | 177 | 182 | 184 | 156 | 154 | 158 | 157 | 155 | 22 |
| Gary Clark Jr. - "Ain't Messin 'Round" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 492 | 466 | 402 | 462 | 385 | 0 |
| Hunter Hayes - "Invisible" | 271 | 60 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 262 |
| Imagine Dragons - "Radioactive" | 35 | 35 | 37 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 13 |
| Imagine Dragons featuring Kendrick Lamar - "Radioactive" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 239 | 114 | 162 | 63 | 0 |
| J Cole featuring Miguel - "Power Trip" | 464 | 460 | 464 | 269 | 265 | 266 | 262 | 258 | 206 |
| James Blake - "Retrograde" | 714 | 453 | 406 | 377 | 350 | 327 | 334 | 306 | 408 |
| Janelle Monae featuring Erykah Badu - "Q.U.E.E.N." | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Aldean - "Night Train" | 154 | 158 | 160 | 153 | 144 | 147 | 143 | 147 | 7 |
| JAY Z featuring Beyoncé - "Part II (On The Run)" | 724 | 713 | 707 | 505 | 484 | 477 | 478 | 450 | 274 |
| JAY Z featuring Justin Timberlake - "Holy Grail" | 121 | 123 | 116 | 83 | 79 | 74 | 77 | 73 | 48 |
| John Legend - "All Of Me" | 38 | 38 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 35 |
| John Legend - "Made To Love" | 0 | 0 | 1486 | 144 | 142 | 133 | 142 | 132 | 0 |
| Justin Timberlake - "Mirrors" | 111 | 113 | 100 | 80 | 73 | 70 | 72 | 70 | 41 |
| Justin Timberlake featuring JAY Z - "Suit & Tie" | 208 | 203 | 145 | 133 | 132 | 129 | 129 | 129 | 79 |
| Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow" | 144 | 139 | 140 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 20 | 124 |
| Kacey Musgraves - "Merry Go 'Round" | 259 | 234 | 223 | 146 | 107 | 96 | 101 | 90 | 169 |
| Katy Perry - "Roar" | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | -1 |
| Katy Perry - "This Is How We Do" | 935 | 900 | 496 | 468 | 467 | 456 | 458 | 458 | 477 |
| Katy Perry featuring Juicy J - "Dark Horse" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Keith Urban - "Cop Car" | 134 | 134 | 71 | 58 | 56 | 53 | 56 | 52 | 82 |
| Kendrick Lamar - "Swimming Pools (Drank)" | 196 | 189 | 189 | 158 | 149 | 144 | 146 | 142 | 54 |
| Kendrick Lamar featuring Mary J. Blige - "Now Or Never" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1077 | 1125 | 925 | 0 |
| Kendrick Lamar featuring MC Eiht - "m.A.A.d City" | 181 | 177 | 177 | 94 | 86 | 76 | 81 | 71 | 110 |
| Lana Del Rey - "Once Upon A Dream" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lana Del Rey - "Ride" | 1477 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1157 | 1170 | 1093 | 384 |
| Lang Lang - "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorde - "Royals" | 15 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 10 |
| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can't Hold Us" | 59 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 41 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 19 |
| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert - "Same Love" | 101 | 97 | 92 | 90 | 54 | 41 | 43 | 36 | 65 |
| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz - "Thrift Shop" | 141 | 124 | 122 | 119 | 112 | 103 | 106 | 100 | 41 |
| Madonna - "Open Your Heart" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 597 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merle Haggard - "Okie From Muskogee" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1331 | 1349 | 1175 | 0 |
| Metallica - "One" | 758 | 755 | 749 | 706 | 158 | 136 | 140 | 125 | 633 |
| Michael Jackson - "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muse - "Panic Station" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1489 | 0 | 1370 | 0 |
| Mötley Crue - "Home Sweet Home" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 243 | 241 | 246 | 244 | 230 | 0 |
| Nazareth - "Love Hurts" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1032 | 0 | 1041 | 1032 | 914 | 0 |
| Nine Inch Nails - "Copy Of A" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1479 | 0 |
| P!nk - "Try" | 217 | 216 | 211 | 60 | 52 | 49 | 52 | 45 | 172 |
| P!nk featuring Nate Ruess - "Just Give Me A Reason" | 71 | 62 | 47 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 54 |
| Paul McCartney - "New" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 977 | 1046 | 878 | 0 |
| Paul McCartney - "Queenie Eye" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 485 | 354 | 330 | 339 | 283 | 0 |
| Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, & Pat Smear - "Cut Me Some Slack" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 150 | 140 | 151 | 136 | 0 |
| Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera - "Feel This Moment" | 212 | 215 | 216 | 228 | 237 | 236 | 236 | 241 | -29 |
| Prince Royce - "Darte un Beso" | 782 | 780 | 776 | 807 | 517 | 505 | 508 | 474 | 308 |
| Queens of the Stone Age - "My God Is The Sun" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko - "Stay" | 131 | 122 | 104 | 99 | 95 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 40 |
| Ringo Starr - "Photograph" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 330 | 290 | 289 | 288 | 262 | 0 |
| Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell - "Blurred Lines" | 34 | 32 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 10 |
| Sara Bareilles - "Brave" | 25 | 26 | 28 | 23 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| Shakira featuring Rihanna - "Can't Remember To Forget You" | 115 | 106 | 106 | 107 | 104 | 97 | 98 | 96 | 19 |
| Stevie Wonder - "Another Star" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Swift - "All Too Well" | 0 | 0 | 1108 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 0 |
| Taylor Swift - "I Knew You Were Trouble." | 178 | 178 | 164 | 145 | 130 | 125 | 128 | 119 | 59 |
| The Band Perry - "DONE." | 441 | 449 | 463 | 142 | 137 | 141 | 137 | 133 | 308 |
| The Everly Brothers - "When Will I Be Loved" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 876 | 983 | 771 | 0 |
| The Highwaymen - "Highwayman" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 888 | 762 | 792 | 674 | 0 |
| The Rolling Stones - "Doom And Gloom" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 976 | 1084 | 920 | 0 |
| Tim McGraw - "Southern Girl" | 299 | 297 | 297 | 277 | 222 | 224 | 224 | 219 | 80 |
| Willie Nelson - "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1166 | 1175 | 1044 | 0 |
| Wiz Khalifa featuring The Weeknd - "Remember You" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 464 | 432 | 422 | 424 | 377 | 0 |
| Zedd featuring Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryant - "Find You" | 81 | 82 | 84 | 91 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 94 | -13 |
Well written and informative, thanks for this Kurt!