Stevie Wonder is one of the most revered musicians still alive. The singer, songwriter, and piano player is still working to this day, and this week, he shows how active he remains with a very special new hit single.
The Grammy champion scores his first placement on a Billboard chart he’s never reached before this week. Even six decades into his career, Wonder is not only producing new music that people like, but he’s reaching new audiences and trying his hand at different styles.
Wonder earns his debut appearance on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart this frame. Billboard compiles the radio ranking to show which tunes are racking up the largest number of audience impressions across all stations focusing on a style of rock known as adult alternative–essentially alternative music that caters to a slightly older crowd.
Alongside Gary Clark Jr., Wonder’s new single “What About the Children” opens at No. 31 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Wonder has collected many, many hits throughout his years as a chart-topper, but this week marks his first trip to this specific tally.
“What About the Children” earns the top debut on this week’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart. The two beat out new releases from the likes of Hozier (“Too Sweet,” No. 35), Maya Hawke (“Missing Out,” No. 37), and Michael Franti & Spearhead (“Hands Up to the Sky,” No. 38).
While “What About the Children” is on the rise on at least one of Billboard’s radio charts, the album it’s featured on sadly underperformed on a number of other lists. It’s the first major release from Clark Jr. to fail to crack the top 10 on the Billboard 200, the all-encompassing ranking of the most-consumed full-lengths in the U.S. His past three projects have all reached the highest tier on the tally.
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