Two Olivia Rodrigo tracks, “Expectations” and “Serena Joy,” debut on different tallies in the U.K. at the same time, earning the superstar several new smashes. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 01: Olivia Rodrigo performs onstage during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 01, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joshua Applegate/WireImage)
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The United Kingdom operates under chart regulations that restrict artists to a maximum of three hit singles on the competitive singles ranking each week. While collaborations can provide some flexibility with this limitation, it remains rare for any artist’s name to appear more than three times during a given tracking period.
This rule was implemented after Ed Sheeran’s dominance nearly a decade ago with tracks from his album ÷, and it has subsequently limited many prominent artists from dominating the Official Singles chart when releasing new material. Olivia Rodrigo is among the most recent artists affected by this restriction, particularly when her third studio album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love entered the U.K. charts.
Prior to this recent development, only three tracks from the album appeared on the Official Singles ranking. Before this week, just four of the thirteen tracks included on the project had ever charted. While this might seem substantial, in today’s streaming-dominated landscape, leading artists frequently occupy dozens of positions on comparable singles charts like America’s Billboard Hot 100 during active promotional periods.
However, this regulation occasionally benefits artists like Rodrigo by allowing unexpected hits when one album track gains more popularity than previously qualifying singles. Such is the situation currently, as Rodrigo has debuted several tracks across multiple U.K. charts.
Olivia Rodrigo Scores Another Hit in the U.K.
“Expectations” launches at No. 56 on the Official Singles chart this week. It becomes Rodrigo’s twenty-first career hit on the tally and the fifth song from You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love to reach the important roster.
“Expectations” is the lowest-peaking of those five tunes and the first from the album to miss the top 40. “Drop Dead” hit No. 1 in April, while “The Cure” and “Stupid Song” both stopped just one space short of ruling, peaking at No. 2 during different tracking periods in June. Later, “Honeybee” became a fan favorite and climbed as high as No. 30.
Olivia Rodrigo Also Claims Two Even Bigger Hits
“Drop Dead” is missing from the Official Singles chart this week, but the two more recent singles from You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love are present. “The Cure” rises one spot to No. 7, while “Stupid Song” continues to decline and settles at No. 22.
“Serena Joy” Debuts on Two Charts in the U.K.
At the same time that “Expectations” launches, a different Rodrigo track debuts on another pair of U.K. rankings. “Serena Joy” starts at Nos. 72 and 76 on the Official Singles Downloads and Official Singles Sales charts, respectively.
“Serena Joy” was released after the album itself arrived, and it was initially available in a very limited fashion through CD singles before the tune received a wider release. Now that listeners can easily purchase and stream the track, it becomes another chart hit for Rodrigo.
Olivia Rodrigo Fills the Streaming Chart
“The Cure” and “Stupid Song” appear not only on the Official Singles chart, but also on the Official Streaming tally, which looks specifically at a cut’s performance on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and others. “Stupid Song” declines to No. 9, while “The Cure” improves to No. 13. “Drop Dead” is also still a top 40 hit on the streaming-only ranking, despite disappearing from the main singles roster. The former No. 1 slides to No. 38 this week.
Olivia Rodrigo Claims Two Strong Sellers
“Serena Joy” joins “Stupid Song” as Rodrigo’s only two current hits on both the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads charts in the U.K. “Stupid Song” falls to Nos. 48 and 52 on the downloads and broader sales rankings, respectively, while “Serena Joy” debuts on those same tallies.