Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” debuts on two of Billboard’s rock charts for the first time as Halloween causes a surge in streams and sales of the early-career smash. NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 30: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Singer Billie Eilish visits the SiriusXM studios on September 30, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
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Halloween songs have become big business on the Billboard charts, and what tracks Americans deem thematically relevant enough to attach to the holiday expands every year. For a long time, there were just a handful of classics, such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters,” and “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell — which also, tellingly, features Jackson’s involvement – but 2025 sees multiple tunes enter the fray and either debut on Billboard tallies or return in glorious form thanks to October 31.
Billie Eilish is one of several stars who benefit, as her smash hit “Bad Guy” appears on multiple rankings for the first time, years after its release.
“Bad Guy” Debuts on Multiple Billboard Charts
“Bad Guy” arrives on a pair of Billboard rosters this week. The global blockbuster opens at No. 15 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart and simultaneously enters the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally at No. 22.
Eilish is now up to a total of 35 appearances on the Hot Alternative Songs ranking. “Bad Guy” helps her improve her number on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs list by just one more success.
“Bad Guy” Helped Make Billie Eilish a Star
Eilish released “Bad Guy” in the spring of 2019. By that point, she had already established herself as one of the most exciting new artists in the music industry, but “Bad Guy” took her to new heights. The track — which could be considered her breakout, even though she had already reached the Hot 100 with several other tunes — climbed to No. 1 on the competitive list and still stands as her only champion so far.
The track served as one of seven singles from Eilish’s debut full-length When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, alongside tunes like “You Should See Me in a Crown,” “Bury a Friend,” and “All the Good Girls Go to Hell.” “Bad Guy” would win Eilish and her brother Finneas both Record and Song of the Year, while When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was honored with Album of the Year during the same ceremony.
“Birds of a Feather” Sits Just Beneath the No. 1 Spot
“Bad Guy” is one of three hits from Eilish that appear on both the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts at the moment. “Birds of a Feather” is steady in the runner-up space. That’s an amazing position for a tune that has now spent 77 weeks – and more than a year – at No. 1 on those rosters.
“Wildflower,” which recently scored Eilish yet another nomination in both the Record and Song of the Year categories at the 2026 Grammy Awards, is also a non-mover, as it holds in fifth place on that pair of rankings.
Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower” Disappears from the Hot 100
As “Bad Guy” debuts, “Wildflower” experiences something of a decline. The last single from Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, her most recent album, can still be found on nine different tallies. But this time around, it vacates the Hot 100. Billboard’s recently updated recurrent rules force the cut from the main songs list in America, though it departs after holding on for a historically-lengthy period of time, and “Wildflower” ranks as one of the 10 longest-charting successes ever.
Billie Eilish’s Debut Album Surges on the Billboard Charts
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: Billie Eilish performs onstage during “Hit Me Hard And Soft” Album Release Listening Party at Barclays Center on May 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ABA)
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The sudden popularity of “Bad Guy” seems to be helping When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? on the charts in America. The full-length climbs on all three rosters where it can currently be located. The title pushes two spaces to No. 15 on the Top Alternative Albums roster and five spots on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums list, where it comes in at No. 24. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? also improves double-digit rungs on the Billboard 200, nearing the upper half of the 200-spot roster once more.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/11/15/billie-eilishs-star-making-smash-debuts-on-multiple-billboard-charts/
