Tenacious D’s Britney Spears Cover Tops Rock Digital Song Sales Chart

Tenacious D’s version of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” is No. 1 on a Billboard chart.

The rendition, recorded for Tenacious D member Jack Black’s new movie Kung Fu Panda 4, starts at No. 1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales survey dated March 23.

The act’s “…Baby One More Time” reigns with 4,000 downloads sold in the U.S. March 8-14, its first week of release, according to Luminate.

Tenacious D notches its first No. 1 on Rock Digital Song Sales, which began in 2010. In fact, it becomes the duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass’ first No. 1 on any Billboard songs chart, with the pair’s previous commands logged on album surveys – including two leaders on Top Rock & Alternative Albums in 2006’s The Pick of Destiny and 2012’s Rize of the Fenix.

“…Baby One More Time” is also the tandem’s first top 10 on the all-format Digital Song Sales chart, debuting at No. 9, exceeding the No. 36-peaking “The Pick of Destiny” in 2006.

On the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, “…Baby One More Time” enters at No. 26. In addition to its sales, it earned 2.5 million official U.S. streams and 84,000 radio audience impressions.

Tenacious D charts its second entry on the ranking, after another cover, of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games,” hit No. 27 last year.

Spears’ original earned its own bump in consumption from the cover, rising 11% to 1.7 million streams March 8-14. The classic became Spears’ breakout hit (and Max Martin’s, as a writer and producer), ruling the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks beginning in January 1999.

Tenacious D’s version is heard in the credits of Kung Fu Panda 4, which premiered March 8 and stars Black as main character panda Po.

Kevin Rutherford

Billboard