Hey guys! Well it looks like the countdown now is pushed back until 9am central time. Is it permanent? I don't know. I hope not, because it might start delaying my countdown posts. We'll have to see.
Before we get to this week's fresh 30, let's say goodbye to the songs leaving the countdown:
- NF - FEAR [#30] {1w} PK: 30
- Kygo/Khalid/Gryffin - Save My Love [#25] {2w} PK: 25
- Kehlani - Folded [#22; 2nd time] {20w} PK: 20
- Nick Jonas - Gut Punch [#13] {5w} PK: 13
- sombr - 12 to 12 [#3] {18w} PK: 3
Last week's #1 song: Bruno Mars - I Just Might [2 weeks at #1]
30. BLACKPINK - GO [Debut] {1w} PK: 30
29. Pitbull/Lil Jon - Damn I Love Miami [-6] {3w} PK: 23
28. PinkPantheress/Zara Larsson - Stateside [-4] {5w} PK: 24
27. Bruno Mars - Risk It All [Debut] {1w} PK: 27
26. Olivia Dean - A Couple Minutes [=] {3w} PK: 26
25. Bebe Rexha/Faithless - New Religion [Debut] {1w} PK: 25
24. Bad Bunny - DtMF [+3] {3w} PK: 24
23. Charli XCX - Dying for You [Debut] {1w} PK: 23
22. Harry Styles - American Girls [Debut] {1w} PK: 22
21. Taylor Swift - Elizabeth Taylor [+8] {2w} PK: 21
20. Alex Warren - FEVER DREAM [+8] {2w} PK: 20
19. Hilary Duff - Roommates [+2] {4w} PK: 19
18. Zara Larsson - Midnight Sun [+2] {6w} PK: 28
17. SIENNA SPIRO - Die On This Hill [+2] {16w} PK: 16 (1TW)
16. Tame Impala - Dracula [-2] {9w} PK: 14
15. Ella Langley - Choosin' Texas [+2] {5w} PK: 15
14. Sabrina Carpenter - When Did You Get Hot? [-6] {6w} PK: 7
13. Myles Smith/Niall Horan - Drive Safe [+3] {4w} PK: 13
12. Madison Beer - bittersweet [+3] {22w} PK: 11
11. Noah Kahan - The Great Divide [+7] {6w} PK: 11
10. Freya Skye - silent treatment [=] {8w} PK: 10
9. Harry Styles - Aperture [-2] {7w} PK: 7
8. Benson Boone - Mr Electric Blue [+1] {14w} PK: 6
7. Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia [-3] {23w} [9 weeks at #1]
6. David Guetta/Teddy Swims/Tones And I - Gone Gone Gone [=] {22w} PK: 5
5. Olivia Dean - So Easy (To Fall In Love) [+7] {8w} PK: 5
4. sombr - Homewrecker [+7] {5w} PK: 3
3. RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! [+2] {20w} PK: 2
2. Taylor Swift - Opalite [=] {22w} [4 weeks at #1]
1. Bruno Mars - I Just Might [=] {9w} [3 weeks at #1]
Debuts:
BLACKPINK return to the countdown since JUMP last year with GO. JUMP was great, but GO is so much better. The dubstep production is super cool and the girls sound great as always. Hopefully this ends up doing well.
Bruno Mars brings his second song on the countdown Risk It All. Ugh, why does this have to be the next single? This is just a boring generic acoustic ballad. There were so many better choices for the next single like Cha Cha Cha and Something Serious.
Bebe Rexha teams up with EDM group Faithless with New Religion to finally get her first song on the countdown since Heart Wants What It Wants in 2023. I'm really glad this ended up debuting. The EDM production is super cool and Bebe sounds great as always.
Ugh, I was really hoping this next song wouldn't debut. Charli XCX returns to the countdown with Dying for You. The production is super boring and way too overproduced and Charli doesn't sound that great. But at least it's better than party 4 u, I guess.
We have a double dose of Harry Styles on the countdown. He brings his second song on the countdown American Girls. This song is fine, but not as great as Aperture. The production is a bit slow but at least it starts to pick up as the song goes on, and Harry does sound good here.
Countdown Extra: Bella Kay - iloveitiloveitiloveit
Biggest Jump Of The Week: Tie between Taylor Swift - Elizabeth Taylor and Alex Warren - FEVER DREAM [+8]
Biggest...DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: Tie between Sabrina Carpenter - When Did You Get Hot? and Pitbull/Lil Jon - Damn I Love Miami [-6]
Last year's #1 song: Gracie Abrams - That's So True (1/1 week at #1)
Favorite song last year: Imogen Heap - Headlock
Least favorite song last year: Kendrick Lamar/SZA - luther
Most missed song: The Chainsmokers - Riptide (2022)
Recommendation for Hits 1: Mike Posner - I Went Back To Ibiza
5 Oldest Songs
- Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia {23w}
- Tie between Madison Beer - bittersweet, David Guetta/Teddy Swims/Tones And I - Gone Gone Gone, and Taylor Swift - Opalite {22w}
- RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! {20w}
- SIENNA SPIRO - Die On This Hill {16w}
- Benson Boone - Mr Electric Blue {14w}
Hitbound
flowerovlove - Casual Lady [4]
Jack Harlow - Lonesome [Debut]
Mckayla Twiggs - What a Girl Wants [4]
SIENNA SPIRO - The Visitor [Debut]
Bella Kay - iloveitiloveitiloveit [5]
Knox - Go For Broke [5]
GIRLSET - Tweak [Debut]
The Pussycat Dolls - Club Song [Debut]
Maeve - Touch and Go [2]
Twenty One Pilots - Drag Path [4]
KEVNN C. - You Won't Catch Me Crying [Debut]
Paul Russell - High Maintenance [5; 2nd time]
Holly Humberstone - Cruel World [Debut]
Laufey - How I Get [3]
Tiffany Stringer - Bullet [5]
RAYE - Nightingale Lane. [3]
Also Available On Survey
Jason Derulo - Sexy For Me [4]
Corbyn Besson/TZUYU - Blink [4]
Jack Harlow surprise released his first album in 3 years called Monica, and we have the first single from it called Lonesome. I mean, this is alright. It's a lot better than Lovin On Me anyways. Jack sounds alright here, but the R&B production is a bit too slow. At least this song doesn't make me instantly want to vomit.
Uggggggggghhhhhhhh. We really did not need more SIENNA SPIRO. She's back with hew new song The Visitor. And oh my, this might be her worst song yet. This is way too boring. The production is non-existent and Sienna sounds terrible. At least Die On This Hill evolves somewhat. This song does not evolve at all and is just a boring piano ballad. Let's just hope this doesn't become a hit.
GIRLSET are here with their new song Tweak. This song is pretty fun, but it's a bit on the forgettable song and isn't nearly as great as Little Miss.
Wow. It's been a long time since The Pussycat Dolls have been on Hits 1. They were last seen when I Hate This Part was on the countdown all the way back in 2009. They're finally back 17 years later with Club Song. This is yet another banger from them. The dance pop production is super fun and the girls sound great as always. Will this finally be The Pussycat Dolls' first hit in 17 years?
I'm sorry, but who the hell is this? We have some random nobody named KEVNN C with You Won't Catch Me Crying. Who even is this guy? This is literally his only song. This song is fine I guess. The production is pretty upbeat, but this sounds like a very forgettable TikTok loop.
Holly Humberstone replaces herself with the title track from her upcoming album Cruel World. This song is pretty nice. The production is upbeat and Holly sounds great. But this is a bit on the forgettable side and isn't nearly as great as To Love Somebody. But who knows, maybe it will end up growing on me like To Love Somebody did.
Exits:
- Holly Humberstone - To Love Somebody [5]
- Dominic Fike - Babydoll [2]
To Love Somebody deserved better. But at least Babydoll is in the abyss. Hopefully it debuts.
2026 total dropouts: 45
Estimated total for 2026: 156 (-7)
Abyss
Kygo/Khalid/Gryffin - Save My Love [1] [New]
Dominic Fike - Babydoll [1] [New]
Taylor Swift - Wi$h Li$t [2]
Corbyn Besson/TZUYU - Blink [2]
Jason Derulo - Sexy For Me [3]
Doja Cat - Gorgeous [4]
Ice Spice - Big Guy [4]
Megan Moroney - Wish I Didn't [5]
Zara Larsson - Lush Life [7]
MAX/Andy Grammer - The Thing I Love [11]
KPop Demon Hunters Cast - How It's Done [20]
No longer in the abyss:
- Louis Tomlinson - Imposter [3]
RIP to Imposter.
You won't catch me blurbing:
We lost FEAR, Save My Love, Folded for a second time, Gut Punch, and 12 to 12. Wow, 12 to 12 left from #3. That ties the record by Please Please Please and Satellite. 12 to 12 barely got any airplay its entire countdown run. It deserved better. Gut Punch was forgettable as hell and should have never debuted in the first place. FEAR and Save My Love deserved better. Save My Love seems to be in the abyss. I'm not sure if FEAR is in the abyss since it hasn't received a spin in 19 hours. With Folded leaving without ever reaching the top half of the countdown, I now have to do an obituary 3 weeks in a row.
Kehlani - Folded made its countdown debut on August 2, 2025 and reentered January 17, 2026. It lived a debatably-good 5 month life for some reason. Never aspiring for greatness, Folded became a shining example of “be happy with what you have”. It never ascended higher than the #20 spot on the countdown. Though it was never loved enough to see the countdown's top half, it never once complained. This lends credence to the idea that a positive attitude has a definite impact on longevity. The Hits-1 voters never over-the-top appreciated it, and quite frankly neither did I, but a very modest number of people apparently consistently loved it for what it was. Isn't that all any of us aspire for? Its lasting presence on the countdown did not go unnoticed, as a certain Hits-1 countdown recapper dedicated some of his precious Blurb space each week to discuss amazement at how it lasted so long. I won't go so far as to say Folded will be missed. In fact, it certainly won't be. But we now find ourselves in a world in which there's one fewer thing that doesn’t make any sense and can't be explained by human logic, and well, that quite frankly ruins some of the magic of being alive. Good-bye Folded. It's been real.
RIP to Damn I Love Miami and When Did You Get Hot when they were just starting to grow on me.
Nice to see FEVER DREAM getting a big jump. Not too thrilled about Elizabeth Taylor getting one though.
How is bittersweet still here? It has lasted longer on the countdown than Flowers and Blinding Lights.
For the first time since October 11, 2025, The Fate of Ophelia is no longer in the top 5. It spent way too long in the top 5.
Nice to see Homewrecker in the top 5. Not so sure about So Easy (To Fall In Love) being there though.
Nice to see I Just Might staying at #1 for a third week. I thought Aperture would be the next #1, but maybe it will be Homewrecker.
That's all for now, see you all next week!
Last week's poll of the week results:
Best Top 5 Song This Week 5 Years Ago?
- Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license: 44.44 % (4 votes)
- Dua Lipa/DaBaby - Levitating: 33.33 % (3 votes)
- All Time Low/Demi Lovato/blackbear - Monsters: 11.11 % (1 vote)
- Machine Gun Kelly/blackbear - my ex’s best friend: 11.11 % (1 vote)
Poll of the week:
