The Black Eyed Peas knock themselves from #1 with “I Gotta Feeling”

I Gotta Feeling Black Eyed Peas

Writer(s): William Adams, Stacy Ferguson, Jamie Gomez, Pierre Guetta, Allan Lindo, Frédéric Riesterer (see lyrics here) Released: June 16, 2009 First Charted: May 31, 2009 Peak: 114 US, 16 RR, 16 BA, 110 DG, 16 AC, 4 A40, 12 UK, 116 CN, 17 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 1.64 UK, 31.0 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.7 radio, 670.04 video, 1112.58 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: From April to July of 2009, the Black Eyed Peas spent an amazing twelve weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Boom Boom Pow.” The song finally slipped to #2 the week of July 11, 2009 – succumbing to the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling.” The Peas became the ninth act in the history of the chart to accomplish the feat. JW They also became only the fourth group in history to hold down the top two spots in one week. Even more impressive is that “Feeling” outdid its predecessor. It spent a whopping 14 weeks in the pole position, making it one of the biggest #1 pop songs in U.S. chart history. On the Hot 100, only Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day” with Boyz II Men had spent more weeks at the peak (16). Prior to the Hot 100, Francis Craig’s “Near You” lodged 17 weeks on top and during the 1990s when some big hits never saw official release as singles, the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” racked up 18 and 16 weeks respectively. The combined 26-week run of the two Black Eyed Peas songs also made them the only act in history with as many consecutive weeks at #1. Only Usher spent more weeks on top within one calendar year – 28 weeks in 2004 – but it took four songs over non-consecutive weeks to do it. “I Gotta Feeling” ended up topping the charts in 21 countries. WK It became the first song in the United States to sell more than 7 million digital copies. As of June 2019, it was the most downloaded iTunes song of all time with 9 million. WK It was the most successful song of the 21st century until 2014 when it was passed by Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.” WK The song was written by all four members of the Black Eyed Peas. Member will.i.am said the dance-pop song was “dedicated to all the party people out there in the world.” WK Pop Matters’ Mike Schiller wrote that it “is one of those dance tunes that’s impossible to hate.” WK David T. Farr of The Observer-Dispatch said “it’s one of those songs you grasp onto right away and crank up as the beat goes on.” WK Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Black Eyed Peas SF Songfacts JW Joel Whitburn (2010). Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Record Research, Inc.: Menomonee Falls, WI. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 4/1/2021; last updated 6/24/2023.

Fergie hit #1 with “Big Girls Don’t Cry”

Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal) Fergie

Writer(s): Stacy Ferguson, Toby Gad (see lyrics here) Released: May 22, 2007 First Charted: May 5, 2007 Peak: 11 US, 17 BA, 18 RR, 16 AC, 17 A40, 2 UK, 13 CN, 19 AU, 24 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 5.0 US, 0.6 UK, 6.39 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.8 radio, 596.7 video, 496.67 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Fergie was with the band Wild Orchid for ten years before joining the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas in 2002. The group took off with her as a member – the albums Elephunk (2003) and Monkey Business (2005) moved 8 and 10 million copies worldwide respectively. In 2006, Fergie decided to release her first solo album – The Dutchess. With 9 million in sales worldwide, it matched her group efforts and the album’s five top-five singles gave her even more chart success as a solo act than what the Peas had previously achieved. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” was the fourth single from the album and the third to top the Billboard Hot 100. It made her the first female artist since Christina Aguilera in 2000 to have three #1 songs from an album. BB Instead of relying on the hip hop and urban elements of the previous singles, this one was an acoustic-based ballad featuring credits from about thirty instrumentalists, including eighteen violinists and players on viola, celli, bass, drums, and keyboards. WK The song is about breaking up with someone, but reminiscing about what that person was like. Fergie told AOL the song, which she wrote before she joined the Black Eyed Peas, was about independence. SF About.com’s Bill Lamb noted that it represented artistic growth for Fergie and UKMix.org’s Alex MacGregor praised the song as timeless. WK “Big Girls” also reached #1 in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway. WK and was Fergie's first No. 1 on the U.S. Mainstream Top 40, Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40 charts. BB It was iTunes most-downloaded song in 2007. SF Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Fergie BB Billboard (9/08). “All-Time Hot 100” SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Last updated 8/6/2023.