Sony Music Publishing returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 Songs and Top Radio Airplay charts in the first quarter, regaining ground it lost to Warner Chappell Music at the end of last year.
The publisher regained the top spot on Top Radio Airplay — which it had held for 14 consecutive quarters until the fourth quarter of 2024 — with 27.61% of the market and clinched No. 1 on Hot 100 Songs with 28.31%, thanks to its share of a whopping 73 songs on both charts, including the No. 1s on each: “Die With a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars on the former and “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA on the latter. Lamar also ranked as the quarter’s top Hot 100 Songs writer.
Warner Chappell dropped to No. 2 (22.45%) on Top Radio Airplay and to No. 3 on Hot 100 Songs (20.52%) with stakes in 61 and 62 songs, respectively. The No. 1 Top Radio Airplay songwriter, Amy Allen, co-wrote eight of those tracks, including the Sabrina Carpenter hits “Espresso” and “Taste,” as well as the Rosé and Bruno Mars smash, “APT.”
Universal Music Publishing Group rose one position to No. 2 on Hot 100 Songs due to a dramatic quarter-to-quarter market-share surge from 19.92% to 25.04%. Its strong showing was fueled by Lamar, who wrote or co-wrote eight songs on that chart.
Kobalt and BMG remained steady at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on both rankings despite Hot 100 Songs market-share declines. Kobalt dropped from 10.89% to 8.23% quarter to quarter, and BMG fell from 4.67% to 3.64%. Each has a piece of “Die With a Smile,” which helped maintain their positions as the top indie publishers in the rankings.
For the last three months of 2024, Pulse finished ninth on Top Radio Airplay and fell short of the Hot 100 Songs top 10. It has made significant gains since then, ranking at No. 6 on the former and at No. 8 on the latter, thanks to the continued success of Koe Wetzel’s “High Road,” which finished the first quarter at No. 13 on Top Radio Airplay and No. 32 on Hot 100 Songs. Pulse also benefited from shares of five other Top Radio Airplay hits in the first quarter and six more for Hot 100 Songs.
Recognition Music, previously known as Hipgnosis Songs Group, rose one position on Hot 100 Songs to No. 7 but fell one spot on Top Radio Airplay. Its shares of songs included “Espresso” and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” both holdover hits from 2024.
First-timers on the rankings are Whooping Crane Music and Mothership Music, which took the ninth and 10th spots, respectively, on Hot 100 Songs. The former had a share in the No. 14 song, Lamar’s “Squabble Up.” The latter is the home of Latin alt-rock band The Marías, who, after years of building a fan base, have begun to break into the mainstream. This year, their song “No One Noticed” went viral and hit No. 34 on the Hot 100 in the first quarter. The act also appears on Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s “Ojos Tristes.”
Additional reporting by Ed Christman.
