Social Distortion had held the distinction since 2011.
For the first time in nearly a decade and a half, The Strokes have a top 10 song on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart.
“Bad Decisions,” the lead single from the New York rockers’ latest album The New Abnormal, jumps 13-10 on the Alternative Airplay tally dated July 4.
The song becomes the band’s third total top 10 and first since “Juicebox,” which peaked at No. 9 on the chart dated Dec. 17, 2005. The group’s first entry, “Last Nite,” hit No. 5 in February 2002.
With 14 years, six months and one week between top 10s (“Juicebox” spent its last week in the top 10 on the chart dated Dec. 24, 2005), The Strokes break a long-standing record for the longest span between top 10s in the Alternative Airplay chart’s nearly 32-year history.
The previous record holder? Social Distortion. The No. 4-peaking “I Was Wrong” last ranked in the chart’s top 10 on the survey dated Dec. 7, 1996, and it wasn’t until 14 years, three months and two weeks later that the band returned to the top 10 with “Machine Gun Blues” (March 26, 2011).
Between “Juicebox” and “Bad Decisions,” The Strokes reached Alternative Airplay with five entries, hitting a No. 12 high with “Under Cover of Darkness” in April 2011.
“Bad Decisions” previously topped Billboard‘s Adult Alternative Songs airplay list for four weeks in May. As it reaches the Alternative Airplay top 10, it bullets at its No. 13 best on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock Airplay chart, up 10% to 2.9 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
The New Abnormal, The Strokes’ first full-length album since 2013’s Comedown Machine, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts dated April 25.
