Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey’s “The Middle” finds itself on top of multiple charts in Nielsen Music’s mid-year 2018 dance/electronic roundup. The smash collaboration was the biggest selling song in the genre in the first half of the year, as well as the most streamed song (in total on-demand streams). (See charts, below.)
The track, which has spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart (through the latest tally dated July 14), sold 621,000 downloads in the tracking period of Dec. 29, 2017 through June 28, 2018. It sold more than twice the tally of the second-largest selling dance/electronic song at the mid-year point: Selena Gomez and Marshmello’s “Wolves,” with 213,000 downloads.
“The Middle” did big business on streaming services as well, collected 312.72 million on-demand streams (audio and video combined) in the first six months of the year, making it the most-streamed dance/electronic tune at the mid-year point. “Wolves” was the second-most streamed dance/electronic track, with 166.51 million clicks.
“The Middle” also rules as the most streamed on-demand audio cut in the dance/electronic genre, with 217.16 million streams.
In terms of the most popular dance/electronic albums of 2018, thus far, The Chainsmokers rule with three out of the top four positions, including No. 1: Memories… Do Not Open. The set earned 161,000 equivalent album units in the first six months of the year.
Equivalent album units are comprised of traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit — through June 28, ahead the previously announced weighting change — equaled one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from one album, or 1,500 on-demand audio streams generated by songs on an album. (For the sake of clarity, equivalent album units do not include listening to music on broadcast radio or digital radio broadcasts.)
Overall equivalent album units for the dance/electronic genre totaled 8.31 million for the first half of the year — down 9.3 percent as compared to the first half of 2017. Traditional album sales in the dance/electronic genre fell 34.8 percent to 1.05 million, while dance/electronic digital song sales dropped 51.9 percent to 7.38 million.
Total dance/electronic on-demand streams (combining audio and video streams) gained 5.8 percent to 13.9 billion. Dance/electronic audio streams alone rose 8.5 percent to 9.78 billion and dance/electronic video streams were up by 0.1 percent to 4.1 billion
2018’s Mid-Year Top 10 Dance/Electronic Albums (Based on Overall Equivalent Album Units*)
1. The Chainsmokers, Memories… Do Not Open (161,000)
2. Calvin Harris, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (129,000)
3. The Chainsmokers, Collage (EP) (114,000)
4. The Chainsmokers, Sick Boy (EP) (106,000)
5. Lady Gaga, The Fame (101,000)
6. Above & Beyond, Common Ground (91,000)
7. Odesza, A Moment Apart (84,000)
8. Kygo, Kids In Love (76,000)
9. Avicii, True (67,000)
10. Gorillaz, Demon Days (60,000)
2018’s Mid-Year Top 10 Selling Dance/Electronic Albums
1. Above & Beyond, Common Ground (79,000)
2. Gorillaz, Demon Days (21,000)
3. Lady Gaga, The Fame (19,000)
4. Various Artists, Now That’s What I Call a Workout 2018 (17,000)
5. Odesza, A Moment Apart (14,000)
6. The Chainsmokers, Memories… Do Not Open (14,000)
7. Daft Punk, Discovery (14,000)
8. Various Artists, Now That’s What I Call Hits & Remixes 2018 (12,000)
9. Lindsey Stirling, Brave Enough (11,000)
10. Daft Punk, Random Access Memories (10,000)
2018’s Mid-Year Top 10 Selling Digital Dance/Electronic Songs
1. Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle” (621,000)
2. Selena Gomez x Marshmello, “Wolves” (213,000)
3. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line & Watt, “Let Me Go” (165,000)
4. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay, “Something Just Like This” (144,000)
5. Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, “One Kiss” (140,000)
6. Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, The Knocks & Alisa Ueno, “Best Friend” (127,000)
7. Marshmello featuring Khalid, “Silence” (114,000)
8. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey, “Closer” (64,000)
9. Avicii, “Wake Me Up” (62,000)
10. Zedd & Alessia Cara, “Stay” (59,000)
2018’s Mid-Year Top 10 On-Demand Dance/Electronic Song Streams (Audio and Video Combined)
1. Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle” (312,724,000)
2. Selena Gomez x Marshmello, “Wolves” (166,514,000)
3. Marshmello featuring Khalid, “Silence” (148,158,000)
4. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay, “Something Just Like This” (147,360,000)
5. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line & Watt, “Let Me Go” (137,306,000)
6. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey, “Closer” (132,002,000)
7. Alan Walker, “Faded” (121,162,000)
8. Gummibar, “I Am a Gummy Bear” (120,327,000)
9. Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, “One Kiss” (110,733,000)
10. The Chainsmokers featuring Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down” (106,069,000)
2018’s Mid-Year Top 10 On-Demand Dance/Electronic Audio Streams
1. Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle” (217,164,000)
2. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line & Watt, “Let Me Go” (113,755,000)
3. Marshmello featuring Khalid, “Silence” (108,950,000)
4. Selena Gomez x Marshmello, “Wolves” (104,600,000)
5. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay, “Something Just Like This” (101,480,000)
6. Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, “One Kiss” (84,658,000)
7. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey, “Closer” (82,158,000)
8. Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels, “I Miss You” (64,655,000)
9. The Chainsmokers featuring Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down” (56,179,000)
10. Zedd & Alessia Cara, “Stay” (55,946,000)
