Cage the Elephant Tops Billboard Alternative Airplay Charts

Cage the Elephant’s "Beaches in Tennessee" has reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Adult Alternative Airplay charts for the week dated Sept. 19, 2026. The track climbed two positions on the Alternative Airplay chart to secure the band’s 14th leader at the format. This achievement ties the group with Linkin Park and Twenty One Pilots for the second-most No. 1s in the chart’s 38-year history, trailing only the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who hold 15.

The ascent of "Beaches in Tennessee" marks a three-year streak of No. 1 hits for the band on the Alternative Airplay chart. This run includes "Metaverse," which topped the chart in April 2025, and the 2024 singles "Rainbow" and "Neon Pill." According to Billboard, the song also rose one spot to No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay with a 1% increase in plays.

With eight leaders on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, Cage the Elephant now ties for the seventh-most No. 1s in the format's 30-year history. They share this position with artists including Hozier, The Lumineers, John Mayer, and Death Cab for Cutie. Additionally, the single maintained its No. 14 peak on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with a 2% gain in plays, marking the band's highest performance there since "Ready to Let Go" reached No. 12 in 2019.

"Beaches in Tennessee" is the first track released by the band since signing with Big Loud Rock in July, following their departure from longtime label home RCA Records. The single is the third Alternative Airplay No. 1 for the Big Loud Rock imprint in 2026, following Edgehill’s "Doubletake" in April and Dexter and the Moonrocks’ "Freakin’ Out" in June. It also represents the first No. 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart for any artist on the Big Loud Records roster.

Lead singer Matt Shultz stated that the song reflects his recovery from a mental health crisis that resulted in a nearly three-month hospitalization. Shultz explained that the track is a fictionalized account used to reclaim his ability to write about serious life events from a place of genuine experience. He noted that the experience provided him with a greater appreciation for his life as the band enters this new chapter.