Chart Scene: New Year’s Strong Showing Among Top Performers On APX

The first Artist Power Index of 2023 shows upward movement by all but five of the 50 ranked performers, including 16 artists who did not appear on the final chart of 2022. Eight of them make their debuts, while eight more return to the chart after falling out of the Top 50 at least once during the most recent 13-week time period.

Among the new entries, the highest ranking belongs to Future who is 13th on the chart based on his headlining performance Dec. 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The concert, named “The Ball Drops in Brooklyn,” celebrated the final days of 2022 with a slate of artists including 21 Savage, King Combs and Chinese Kitty along with surprise appearances by Brooklyn natives Lola Brooke and Lil’ Kim.

The Atlanta rapper previously headlined a show at the Brooklyn arena on May 19, 2017 during his “Nobody Safe” tour that played North American arenas and amphitheaters during a two-month run that year. Performing for 13,963 fans, he grossed $1.2 million at the 2017 concert. It remains his highest headlining gross on record in Pollstar’s Boxoffice archives.

Future will follow the New Year’s event in Brooklyn with the launch of his new “One Big Party” tour that is set to kick off at Houston’s Toyota Center on Jan. 7. It’s the first of six arena events scheduled this month, all featuring a host of support acts including Trippie Redd, Polo G and Kodak Black, among others.

Stevie Wonder also makes his debut on the Artist Power Index with the No. 32 ranking based on his performance at the 24th annual “House Full of Toys” benefit concert at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Dec. 17. The R&B legend and 25-time Grammy winner was joined by Trombone Shorty, Jody Watley and Gregory Porter among others for the yearly show presented by his We Are You Foundation. Included in the box office archives is the benefit’s December 2021 performance at the same L.A. venue that drew a sellout crowd of 6,762 and grossed $547,703.

Eight artists among the final 10 on the Artist Power Index earn their chart position on the strength of Streaming, Airplay and Social activity during the past week – since they had no concerts in the past 30 days and, thus, no Live rank (indicated on the chart by DNP – “Did Not Play”). Taylor Swift is ranked highest among them at No. 41 followed by Justin Bieber (No. 42), The Weeknd (No. 43), Drake (No. 44), Rihanna (No. 45), Ed Sheeran (No. 47), Beyoncé (No. 49) and Sam Smith (No. 50). None of them are currently on tour, yet all scored high marks in both the Streaming and Airplay metrics, landing among the 12 highest in both categories. Those strong showings fuel their chart presence in the Top 50 even without a Live score that holds the most weight in chart eligibility.

The Weeknd last appeared at No. 1 on the chart in the final two issues of 2022, but falls 42 positions without a Live rank, since his most recent concert was on Nov. 27 and outside the 30-day window for chart inclusion. He ranks highest, though, in both Streaming and Airplay which keeps him in the mix. As a result, Bad Bunny, who topped APX five times in 2022, returns to No. 1 since his most recent concerts, Dec. 9-10, are eligible to be counted.