My Chemical Romance Roars Back Onto Billboard Charts With ‘The Foundations of Decay’
Despite a Thursday night release just hours before the end of the latest charts’ streaming and sales tracking week, My Chemical Romance‘s first new song in eight years, “The Foundations of Decay,” roars onto multiple Billboard rankings dated May 21.
“Decay” debuts at No. 17 on the multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart with 497,000 official U.S. streams and 1,900 downloads sold in the week ending May 12 – all from its arrival that day at 6 p.m. ET – according to Luminate.
Additionally, the song earned 1.1 million radio audience impressions from its release through Sunday, good for “Decay” to bow at No. 31 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, whose latest tracking week ran May 9-15. It’s the Gerard Way-fronted band’s first appearance on the list since “Bulletproof Heart” hit No. 42 in June 2011; before that, “Sing” soared to No. 4 that February.
“Decay” also debuts at No. 31 on the plays-based Alternative Airplay survey. The rockers boast 12 career appearances on the chart, paced by one No. 1, the seven-week ruler “Welcome to the Black Parade,” in 2006. “Parade” also marched to No. 9 on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 in 2007.
The download count for “Decay” sparks its entrances at Nos. 5, 12 and 16 on Hard Rock Digital Song Sales, Alternative Digital Song Sales and Rock Digital Song Sales, respectively. The track also enters the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart at No. 48, the band’s best rank since “Teenagers” (No. 39, 2007).
Further chart action for “Decay” is expected on the May 28 Billboard tallies, following the song’s first full tracking week.
“Decay” is the first offering from My Chemical Romance since 2014’s “Fake Your Death,” released as part of the act’s 2014 hits package May Death Never Stop You. The group disbanded in 2013 but reunited in 2019, with its COVID-19-delayed reunion tour kicking off this week in the United Kingdom before it’s set to reach the U.S. in August.