UMG'S REMARKABLE
RUN AT #1

Justin Bieber’s Justice (RBMG/Def Jam) will regain the top slot on Friday’s HITS Top 50, marking the 18th consecutive week that UMG has had the #1 album.

The tally: Morgan Wallen (10 weeks), Taylor Swift (3),Bieber (2), Shawn Mendes (1), Playboi Carti (1), Rod Wave (1).

The last non-UMG title to hit #1 was Bad Bunny’s El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo (Rimas) in early December.

With Friday’s release of Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version), the distro is all but guaranteed to make it 19 weeks. Will UMG hit 20 weeks on top? That may come down to Fearless’ second week—or the first in a pair of releases from UMG Nashville’s Eric Church. Watch this space.