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Weird Al’s “The Hamilton Polka” Becomes The First Polka song To Debut Make It To Billboard’s Digital Song Sales List

“Weird Al” Yankovic’s latest polka song, “The Hamilton Polka,” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Comedy Digital Track Sales chart and No. 23 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart (dated March 17). The medley sold 17,000 downloads in the tracking week ending March 8, according to Nielsen Music.

The song, which squeezes Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning Hamilton into a five-minute polka, also logged 1.2 million U.S. streams.

The track is Yankovic’s fourth entry on the Digital Song Sales chart and his first in 10 years. He notched his first two in 2006, with “White & Nerdy” and “Canadian Idiot” peaking at Nos. 5 and 36, respectively. His third, “Whatever You Like,” reached No. 56 in 2008. (The songs parody originals by Chamillionaire, Green Day and T.I., respectively.)

Yankovic also lands his second leader on Comedy Digital Track Sales, following “Word Crimes” (his grammar-police send-up of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”) in 2014. He last debuted on the list in June 2017 with “Captain Underpants Theme Song,” which climbed to No. 3. He now boasts 15 top 10s on the tally.

To answer Yankovic’s Twitter question: Yes, “The Hamilton Polka” is the first polka entry in the 14-year history of Digital Song Sales. Polka music, a Bohemian dance genre popularized in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, rarely makes a splash on Billboard‘s charts. In fact, Yankovic is almost surely the only artist to land any polka songs on our charts in decades.

Bobby Vinton, who earned four No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960s, is a notable polka performer. The singer, now 82, has released dozens of covers and original polka songs and even landed one, “Beer Barrel Polka,” on the Hot 100 in 1975, peaking at No. 33. The track also reached No. 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart. As for a rare stylistic combo, his polka single “Disco Polka” reached No. 47 on Adult Contemporary in 1979.

In addition to “The Hamilton Polka,” Yankovic has charted two additional polka songs on Comedy Digital Track Sales. “Polka Face,” a tweak on Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” from Alpocalypse, reached No. 6 in 2011 and “Now That’s What I Call Polka!,” from Mandatory Fun, reached No. 4 in 2014.

 

 

 

 

by Xander Zellner

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