Hozier and Mumford & Sons both chart a new No. 1 hit in America as their joint single “Rubber Band Man” rises to the top spot on the Adult Alternative Airplay list. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 01: Hozier performs during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 1, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
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Mumford & Sons surprised and delighted fans earlier this year by announcing not just a new single and a collaboration with another rock superstar, but a complete new album. The band typically spaces out full-lengths by several years, which is not unusual for some of the most famous groups in rock music. Rushmere, the outfit’s latest, arrived in March of 2025, and Prizefighter is expected to drop in February of 2026. It’s a rare showing for Mumford & Sons, one which will see the troupe delivering a pair of albums in less than 12 months.
When the Grammy-winning act announced Prizefighter, the single “Rubber Band Man” arrived at the same time. That track is a collaboration with Irish singer-songwriter and rock hero Hozier, and the combined popularity of the two names ensured it would become a huge hit.
“Rubber Band Man” reaches No. 1 on a Billboard chart in America this week, helping both beloved musical figures add to their growing list of champions.
“Rubber Band Man” Rises to No. 1 on a Billboard Chart
Just a month into its time on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, “Rubber Band Man” conquers the radio list. The collaborative cut improves from No. 7 to No. 1, replacing “Ordinary Creature” by Of Monsters and Men in the top spot.
No. 1 Hits from Mumford & Sons
Both Mumford & Sons and Hozier have already racked up multiple leaders on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, which ranks the tunes that collect the largest number of audience impressions across radio stations in the U.S. that focus on a more mature style of alternative music. Mumford & Sons is now up to half a dozen leaders, including all of the following hits.
- “I Will Wait”
- “Guiding Light”
- “Believe”
- “Lover of the Light”
- “Rubber Band Man” with Hozier
- “Good People” with Pharrell Williams
Hozier Earns Another No. 1 Single
Hozier has seen eight tracks reach the peak position on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart throughout his career. Here is a list of all of the Grammy nominees and winners.
- “Too Sweet”
- “Nobody’s Soldier”
- “Northern Attitude” with Noah Kahan
- “Eat Your Young”
- “Nina Cried Power” with Mavis Staples
- “Rubber Band Man” with Mumford & Sons
- “Francesca”
- “Take Me to Church”
How Many Top 10 Hits Have Mumford & Sons and Hozier Scored?
While Mumford & Sons claims fewer No. 1s than Hozier on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, the band has racked up more top 10s than the soloist. Mumford & Sons recently scored its fifteenth top 10 success on the tally with “Rubber Band Man,” while Hozier is up to an even dozen.
“Rubber Band Man” Dances Into the Top 10
As “Rubber Band Man” conquers the Adult Alternative Airplay list, it also reaches the top 10 for the first time on the Alternative Airplay chart, a slightly more all-encompassing version of the Triple A roster. “Rubber Band Man” ascends from No. 16 to No. 10, scoring Hozier just his third placement between Nos. 1 and 10, while Mumford & Sons is up to 12.
Mumford & Sons and Hozier’s Collaboration Lives on Half a Dozen Billboard Charts
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, and Ted Dwane attend the 2024 Albie Awards presented by the Clooney Foundation for Justice at New York Public Library on September 26, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
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“Rubber Band Man” lives on six different Billboard lists this frame, and it climbs on all but two of them. In addition to both the Alternative Airplay and Adult Alternative Airplay rankings, “Rubber Band Man” improves to No. 20 on the Hot Rock Songs chart and No. 26 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally. Continuous spins on radio stations are likely to thank for the single’s continued growth, even if it does not reach new all-time highs on either of those charts.
The same collaboration holds at its all-time high of No. 7 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay tally, the most competitive of all radio lists focused on rock music, and is a non-mover at No. 19 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart.
Hozier’s “Too Sweet” Remains a Hit Globally and in the U.S.
Mumford & Sons only claims the one hit in the U.S. at the moment, while Hozier’s “Too Sweet” lives on both of Billboard’s global charts as well as the Rock Streaming Songs and Alternative Streaming Songs lists. His self-titled album can also be found on four rosters, where it has spent hundreds of frames.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/12/01/hozier-scores-a-new-no-1-and-hes-not-alone/
