More than two years post-presidency, Barack Obama has remained a major cultural influencer. Case in point? The impact of his newly released 2019 summer playlist.
Last month, the 44th president took to social media to unveil the 44 songs he and Michelle Obama have had in rotation throughout the season. The list was a mix of old-school classics and contemporary hits that included a wide variety of genres like rap, R&B, rock 'n' roll, reggaeton, and jazz.
On Wednesday, Billboard pointed out that most of the Obama-approved songs experienced an uptick in the week after the playlist was posted. Forty of the tracks saw a boost in streaming, while all 44 surged in sales. The outlet cited Nielsen Music data in the week ending Aug. 29.Â
Per Billboard:
While many of the sales totals for the given tracks were low (the majority hovering around 1,000 downloads sold or less), all 44 had substantial week-to-week percentage gains, comparing the week before Obama's post (week ending Aug. 23) and the week after (week ending Aug. 30).
The four songs that experienced a decline in streams were "Mood 4 Eva" (BeyoncĂ©, JAY-Z, Childish Gambino, and Oumou SangarĂ©) "Señorita" (Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello), "Brown Eyed Girl" (Van Morrison), "Booâd Up" (Ella Mai), and "Old Town Road" (Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus).Â
The records that saw the biggest streaming surge were Terence Trent DâArby's "Whoâs Loving You" with a 2,732 percent increase; Esperanza Spaldingâs "Espera" with a a 2,057 percent increase; and Charles Mingus' "II B.S." with a 730 percent increase.
You can check out the figures, as well as listen to the playlist, below.
1. Drake featuring Rihanna, âToo Goodâ
1.1 million U.S. streams (up 23%)
2. The Spinners, âIâll Be Aroundâ
765,000 U.S. streams (up 23%)
3. BeyoncĂ©, JAY-Z & Childish Gambino featuring Oumou SangarĂ©, âMood 4 Evaâ
1.2 million U.S. streams (down 3%)
4. Maggie Rogers, âBurningâ
440,000 U.S. streams (up 32%)
5. The Avener & Phoebe Killdeer, âFade Out Lines (The Avener Rework)â
210,000 U.S. streams (up 95%)
6. Lizzo, âJuiceâ
6.4 million U.S. streams (up 25%)
7. Steely Dan, âReelinâ In The Yearsâ
956,000 U.S. streams (up 5%)
8. Terence Trent DâArby, âWhoâs Loving Youâ
77,000 U.S. streams (up 2,732%)
9. Stevie Wonder, âDonât You Worry âBout A Thingâ
250,000 U.S. streams (up 52%)
10. GoldLink featuring Ari PenSmith, âJoke Tingâ
305,000 U.S. streams (up 64%)
11. Sharon Van Etten, âSeventeenâ
185,000 U.S. streams (up 76%)
12. Lauryn Hill, âDoo-Wop (That Thing)â
1.4 million U.S. streams (up 11%)
13. Raphael Saadiq, â100 Yard Dashâ
94,000 U.S. streams (up 387%)
14. Frank Sinatra, âIâve Got You Under My Skinâ
563,000 U.S. streams (up 19%)
15. Daniel Caesar featuring H.E.R., âBest Partâ
4.5 million U.S. streams (up 7%)
16. BJ the Chicago Kid featuring Anderson .Paak, âFeel The Vibeâ
200,000 U.S. streams (up 66%)
17. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello, âSeñoritaâ
33.2 million U.S. streams (down 4%)
18. Dobie Gray, âDrift Awayâ
583,000 U.S. streams (up 12%)
19. Sounds of Blackness, âHold On (Change is Cominâ)â
184,000 U.S. streams (up 54%)
20. Van Morrison, âBrown Eyed Girlâ
3.5 million U.S. streams (down 5%)
21. Donny Hathaway, âI Love You More Than Youâll Ever Knowâ
115,000 U.S. streams (up 129%)
22. SZA, âGo Ginaâ
442,000 U.S. streams (up 31%)Â Â
23. 2 Chainz featuring Ty Dolla $ign, Trey Songz & JhenĂ© Aiko, âItâs A Vibeâ
2.3 million U.S. streams (up 4%)
24. Mac Miller featuring Anderson .Paak, âDang!â
1 million U.S. streams (up 13%)
25. Ella Fitzgerald, âHow High the Moonâ
70,000 U.S. streams (up 431%)
26. Erick Sermon featuring Marvin Gaye, âMusicâ
293,000 U.S. streams (up 23%)
27. The Black Keys, âGoâ
497,000 U.S. streams (up 9%)
28. Koffee, âToastâ
1.8 million U.S. streams (up 8%)
29. Ella Mai, âBooâd Upâ
4.3 million U.S. streams (down 1%)
30. DJ Khaled featuring BeyoncĂ© & JAY-Z, âShiningâ
434,000 U.S. streams (up 2%)
31. RosalĂa & J Balvin featuring El Guincho, âCon Alturaâ
4.8 million U.S. streams (up 8%)
32. Charles Mingus, âII B.S.â
52,000 U.S. streams (up 730%)
33. Jill Scott, âItâs Loveâ
121,000 U.S. streams (up 76%)
34. The Rolling Stones, âHappyâ
134,000 U.S. streams (up 59%)
35. John Legend, âAlrightâ
79,000 U.S. streams (up 188%)
36. Esperanza Spalding, âEsperaâ
39,000 U.S. streams (up 2,057%)
37. Toots & The Maytals, â54-46 Was My Numberâ
178,000 U.S. streams (up 33%)
38. The Youngbloods, âGet Togetherâ
342,000 U.S. streams (up 13%)
39. Anthony Hamilton, âFloatâ
62,000 U.S. streams (up 223%)
40. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, âOld Town Roadâ
42.2 million U.S. streams (down 12%)
41. Robin Thicke, âCan U Believeâ
58,000 U.S. streams (up 324%)
42. Rema, âIron Manâ
90,000 U.S. streams (up 182%)
43. Q-Tip featuring DâAngelo, âBelieveâ
48,000 U.S. streams (up 656%)
44. A Tribe Called Quest, âCan I Kick It?â
596,000 U.S. streams (up 12%)