Etheridge repeats at No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week on the Rising Livestream Artists ranking.
The Bandsintown x Billboard Livestream charts are only five weeks old but have already experienced a high turnover rate. Both the Top Livestream Artists (artists with 250,001 or more trackers on Bandsintown.com) and the Buzzing Livestream Artists (artists with 10,000 or fewer trackers) have featured a different chart-topper each week since the July 11 launch.
But the Rising Livestream Artists chart (artists with 10,001-250,000 trackers) has been dominated by one act. After debuting at No. 9 on the inaugural chart last month, Melissa Etheridge (204,923 trackers) has spent the last four weeks atop the Rising ranking (through the Aug. 8-dated chart).
Most artists are sharing livestreams infrequently, able to reach their entire global audience with one performance. The three Bandsintown rankings are determined by a blending of event RSVPs and direct-to-platform ‘Watch Live’ clicks, fueling erratic chart runs for acts with an upcoming performance.
Elton John, for instance, debuted atop the Top Livestream Artists chart on the July 18-dated tally, before dipping to No. 2, then to No. 21, and then off the ranking. Even more dramatically, Dave Matthews Band entered the same chart at No. 1 on the Aug. 1-dated list and in one fell swoop, dropped off the chart this week.
Etheridge however, has maintained a consistent flow of activity since March, throughout the COVID-induced quarantine. With different duet partners, fan interaction, and variety of setlists spanning her decades-long career, the blues-rock powerhouse has kept up interest in her multiple livestreams per week.
Over on the Top Livestream Artists this week, Metallica (4.3 million trackers) shoots to the pole position from No. 14. In this week’s top 10, two artists re-enter the 25-position chart (Katy Perry at No. 3; Paul McCartney at No. 9) and another six debut (Imagine Dragons; The Naked and Famous; Aaron Lewis; Darius Rucker; Seether; Testament).
