PASADENA, CA – JULY 30 : Mike Rowe of the television show ‘Dirty Jobs’ speaks during the Cable … [+]
For more than a decade now, Mike Rowe has been known by millions of Americans as a TV host and something of an advocate for the working class. Now, the Emmy-nominated producer, actor and star of programs like Dirty Jobs, The Ultimate Fighter and How the Universe Works (among many others) can add Billboard chart-topper to his resume.
Rowe lands his first hit on a number of Billboard charts this week with the song “Santa’s Got A Dirty Job,” which is credited to the duo Rich & Rowe. The pair features Rowe as well as BIg & Rich star John Rich, who has now found success as part of two duos and on his own.
Perhaps most impressively, “Santa’s Got A Dirty Job” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart, outselling every other track in America this week. The first single from the new pair sold just under 13,000 copies, according to MRC Data, which is a fairly low sum for the top tune in the country, but apparently it’s a fairly quiet frame. The tune blasts in atop the tally, beating successful titles from the likes of Elton John & Dua Lipa (“Cold Heart,” No. 2), Adele (“Easy on Me,” No. 4) and Mariah Carey (“All I Want for Christmas Is You,” No. 8).
“Santa’s Got A Dirty Job” has been classified as a country track by Billboard, so it also lands on two genre-specific charts this week. The track easily tops the Country Digital Song Sales list, which isn’t surprising, given the fact that it’s also the bestselling cut of any kind in the country.
The same Rich & Rowe hit also makes it to the all-encompassing Hot Country Songs chart, which takes into account all manner of consumption, including sales, streams and radio play. “Santa’s Got A Dirty Job” lands at No. 35, impressively earning the loftiest debut of the frame.
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“Santa’s Got A Dirty Job” marks the first hit of any kind for Mike Rowe, but John Rich has enjoyed a successful career that has lasted decades. As one-half of Big & Rich, the musician has placed 20 tunes on the Hot Country Songs chart and seven on the Country Digital Song Sales list. He also scored wins on a number of Billboard rankings as a soloist and early in his time as a working artist as one of the members of Lonestar.
