Hot 100 First-Timers: Tame Impala Bites Into the Chart With ‘Dracula’

After more than a decade headlining festivals, raking in five Grammy nods and dominating Billboard’s rock and alternative charts, Tame Impala finally achieves a long-awaited milestone — scoring its first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

Kevin Parker’s psych-pop project debuts on the chart this week with its new single, “Dracula.” The song enters at No. 55 on the Oct. 11-dated tally, thanks to 6.5 million official U.S. streams, 1.7 million radio audience impressions and 1,000 sold in its first week of release (Sept 26-Oct. 2), according to Luminate. It’s the third single from Tame Impala’s fifth studio album, Deadbeat, due Oct. 17.

The album’s first two singles, “End of Summer” and “Loser,” each came close to debuting on the Hot 100, both reaching the top 10 of the Bubbling Under Hot 100 ranking. Still, “End of Summer” peaked at No. 7 on Hot Dance/Pop Songs and No. 12 on Hot Alternative Songs, while “Loser” reached No. 14 on Hot Alternative Songs. “Dracula” has emerged as Deadbeat’s clear breakout, though, becoming the set’s first radio hit. The song opens at No. 23 on Rock & Alternative Airplay and No. 31 on Alternative Airplay, while also debuting at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, on the multimetric Hot Alternative Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts.

While “Dracula” marks Tame Impala’s first Hot 100 entry, Kevin Parker himself has appeared on the chart before as both a producer and songwriter. He previously charted five songs on the ranking in his career as a producer or co-producer: Lady Gaga’s “Perfect Illusion” (No. 15 peak in 2016), Travis Scott’s “Skeletons” (No. 47, 2018; it samples Tame Impala’s “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”), The Weeknd’s “Repeat After Me (Interlude)” (No. 69, 2020) and Dua Lipa’s “Houdini” (No. 11, 2023), “Training Season” (No. 27, 2024) and “Illusion” (No. 43, 2024).

Parker is also credited as a songwriter on all six of those tracks and has songwriting credits on three other Hot 100-charted hits: Kanye West’s “Violent Crimes” (No. 27, 2018), Kid Cudi’s “Dive” (No. 80, 2020; it samples Tame Impala’s “Love/Paranoia”) and Don Toliver’s “Bandit” (No. 38, 2024; it samples Tame Impala’s “One More Hour”).

"Dracula" is debuting this week at No. 68 on the Canadian Hot 100, where Tame Impala has had one previous chart entry: as a featured artist on Gorillaz's 2022 song "New Gold." — Billboard Canada

Even without a prior Hot 100 hit, Tame Impala has long been a force across Billboard’s charts. Three of the act’s albums have reached the Billboard 200: Lonerism (No. 34, 2012), Currents (No. 4, 2015) and The Slow Rush (No. 3, 2020). The latter two also hit No. 1 on both the Alternative Albums and Vinyl Albums charts.

To date, Tame Impala has charted 28 songs on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, including 10 top 10s. Radio-wise, the act has scored six entries on Adult Alternative Airplay (including the No. 1s “Lost In Yesterday” and “Is It True,” both in 2020) and nine on Alternative Airplay (including the No. 1 “Neverender,” with Justice, in March). “Neverender” also became Tame Impala’s first crossover to Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay earlier this year, reaching Nos. 23 and 33, respectively.

Now with “Dracula,” Tame Impala is still unlocking new milestones. And with Deadbeat on the way, it’s just getting started.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.