Sleep Token has been growing in popularity in America for years, but this latest era certifies the group as not just a breakout act in the world of hard rock, but new hard rock superheroes – ones who manage some incredible feats on the Billboard charts. This week, the mysterious outfit makes history on one tally, trading one No. 1 for another on a genre-specific list and, in doing so, joining a very short gathering of names that have managed such a feat.
Sleep Token Swaps One No. 1 for Another
On the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, Sleep Token pulls off something that very few acts ever have. The group replaces itself at No. 1 on the tally, swapping out one smash for the next without missing a beat.
“Caramel” debuts in first place this frame, immediately taking over as the most-consumed hard rock song in the United States. As it arrives, “Emergence” slips just one spot to No. 2 after ruling the list previously.
That kind of handoff — where one track from the same band takes over the top spot from another — is an extremely rare achievement on this particular Billboard ranking, which only launched about half a decade years ago.
Only Three Acts Have Replaced Themselves at No. 1
According to Billboard, Sleep Token is just the third act to replace itself at No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart. The first name to pull it off was Bring Me the Horizon, back when the ranking was still new. In late 2020, that band’s smash “Parasite Eve” climbed to the top, bumping the group’s own earlier hit “Teardrops” from the summit.
Then came Linkin Park, which not only managed to switch out one No. 1 for another — it did so multiple times. The band returned with new music as part of a comeback album titled From Zero, and it made history on the chart almost immediately.
The collection’s lead single, “The Emptiness Machine,” quickly hit No. 1, only to be replaced by follow-up “Heavy Is the Crown.” Just one frame later, “The Emptiness Machine” returned to the top, swapping again with “Heavy Is the Crown.” That run gave Linkin Park multiple self-replacements atop the tally, which no other name has managed.
“Caramel” Earns a Massive Debut
Sleep Token’s latest release, “Caramel” explodes as it arrives on the charts. The song opens at No. 1 on five Billboard rankings this week. In total, the track appears on 15 different tallies in the U.S. upon its arrival. It succeeds when looking only at sales, or streams, and especially on mixed consumption rosters as well.