Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer': An Unlikely Chart Success

While the top 10 of this week's Billboard Hot 100 chart includes new entries from Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Ty Dolla
ign — along with Noah Kahan collecting his first top 10 hit — one year-old smash is still going strong amidst the shakeups: “Cruel Summer” dips two spots to No. 6 this week in its 41st week on the chart.

The viral resurgence of the synth-pop gem from Swift's Lover, which was not released as a single during the 2019 album run, began in 2023 to coincide with the launch of her Eras Tour. Eventually, the song reached the top of the Hot 100 last October and has continued through the start of 2024 with no end in sight. As the song spends another week in the upper reaches of the Hot 100, its unlikely run has prompted another improbable question: Could “Cruel Summer” become the biggest chart hit of Swift’s career?

Current Standing

At this moment, “Summer” has climbed to No. 3 on the list of Swift's biggest Hot 100 hits, behind her 2014 smash “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero,” the longest-running No. 1 of her career. Here are Swift's top 10 biggest Hot 100 hits based on weekly performance through February 24, 2024:

“Shake It Off” “Anti-Hero” “Cruel Summer” “You Belong With Me” “Blank Space” “Love Story” “I Knew You Were Trouble” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” “Bad Blood” (feat. Kendrick Lamar) “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)” (feat. Zayn)

Swift's biggest Hot 100 hits are ranked based on an inverse point system with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates during various periods.

The Key to Success

Part of the reason why “Shake It Off” and “Anti-Hero” still outrank “Summer” is longevity: “Anti-Hero” spent 53 weeks on the Hot 100 and “Shake It Off” hung around for 50 weeks, while as of now “Summer” hasn’t cracked Swift’s top five longest-running Hot 100 hits. Here are Swift's top 10 songs by weeks on the Hot 100:

Rank Title Weeks on Hot 100 1 “Anti-Hero” 53 2 “Shake It Off” 50 3 “You Belong With Me” 50 4 “Love Story” 49 5 “Teardrops On My Guitar” 48 6 “Cruel Summer” 41 7 “Blank Space” 38 8 “I Knew You Were Trouble” 36 9 “Our Song” 36 10 “Delicate” 35

Meanwhile, “Summer” has logged four nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 — the same number of weeks as “Shake It Off.” “Anti-Hero” became Swift’s longest-running No. 1 hit last year when it notched eight weeks atop the chart, while “Blank Space” had Swift’s second-longest run in the top spot with seven weeks.

Why "Cruel Summer" Is Still Climbing

So, how has “Summer” become Swift’s third-biggest chart hit if other songs have spent more weeks at No. 1 or more time on the chart itself? By remaining a top 10 stalwart for months on end. This week marks “Summer’s” 30th week in the top 10 of the Hot 100 — the most of any Swift song. “Anti-Hero” ranks second in frames spent in the top 10 at 28 weeks. “Summer” first reached the top 10 way back on the Hot 100 chart dated July 15, 2023, and became her longest-running top 10 hit earlier this month.

It's impossible to say whether or not “Summer” will keep climbing up her personal list and become Swift’s biggest or second-biggest chart hit, or precisely the number of weeks and/or chart placements it will take to get there. And while the song dips two spots in the top 10 of the Hot 100, “Summer” still remains in the top five of Adult Pop Airplay, the top 10 of Pop Airplay, and top 20 of Streaming Songs, as well as No. 1 on Adult Contemporary for a fourth week.

“Summer” is still going strong as it climbs Swift’s all-time list of hits, adding another layer to the unlikely chart success of a song that was never supposed to be a chart hit. Who knows? Maybe “Summer” earns the top spot just as actual summer approaches.