The Wanted’s ‘Glad You Came’ takes a giant leap from 23 to 5 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, the highest peak ever for a UK boy band thanks to Glee performing it on their show. I first wrote about The Wanted in the blog post Boy Bands Return with a Vengeance as the UK Welcomes The Wanted in August 2010. Back then, I was convinced that master producer Steve Mac would succeed in putting yet another boy band on the map. I also wrote about ‘Glad You Came’ upon its release last July.
Fate never wanted Westlife and Boyzone to get US success
On the back of the likes of Westlife’s and Boyzone’s enormous success, fate never wanted them to become a Stateside story. Marrying The Wanted with Glee’s highly effective chart machine, ‘Glad You Came’ was featured in last week’s mid-season finale, headlined by the show’s Grant Gustin (as part of the show’s choir troupe the Warblers).
The Wanted sold 188,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan, enough for the track to climb to No.3 on the Digital Songs chart. Glee’s cover also debuts on the chart, albeit lower (No.90 with 37,000 downloads sold).
The Wanted – Glad You Came
‘Glad You Came’ gets a 11% increase in radio listeners
In terms of airplay, ‘Glad You Came’ reached 45 million listeners (up 11%), reaching No.22 on the Radio Songs chart. It also broke into the top ten of the Pop Songs airplay chart, the mainstream top 40 being its base.
Written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ed Drewett, ‘Glad You Came’ succeeded ‘Gold Forever,’ becoming the group’s second No.1 hit in the UK and first chart-topper in native Ireland. It will be included on the US edition of the group’s eponymous debut. In Europe, it is included on the sophomore album “Battleground.”
‘Warzone’ latest UK single hit
The Wanted’s last single to chart in the UK was ‘Warzone,’ which peaked just outside the top twenty in the UK (No.21). The group is reported to have recorded the duet ‘Jealousy’ with Rihanna, yet it was scrapped and will not be released. Rumors say that it will be re-recorded with another vocalist.
Back to the Billboard Hot 100, ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)’ returned to the top spot, trailed by Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ and fun.’s ‘We Are Young.’ Last week’s chart-topper ‘Part of Me’ (by Katy Perry) falls to No.4.
