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Daughtry again reaches top of ‘Billboard’ Mainstream Rock Airplay with ‘THE BOTTOM’

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Chris Daughtry of Daughtry performs at Angel of the Winds Arena on December 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images)

Daughtry has returned to the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with the band’s current single, “THE BOTTOM.”

Frontman Chris Daughtry tells ABC Audio that the song that became “THE BOTTOM” was a result of combining different elements of past unused ideas.

“It was very synonymous with the theme of the song, kinda resurrecting yourself from the dead and finding your own identity again,” Chris says. “This song went through all these different twists and turns until it found its identity in what it is now.”

“THE BOTTOM” marks the third Daughtry track to hit #1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay after notching their first two in 2024 with “PIECES” and “ARTIFICIAL.” Getting that first #1, Chris says, was very meaningful to him.

“Out of all the #1s or whatever chart positions I’ve ever had, this felt the most important to me, because it was on my terms,” Chris says. “It was me following my gut and my instinct to get back to me and listen to my voice and not placate to everyone else.”

It’s probably no coincidence that Daughtry began lighting up the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart after shifting to a more heavier rock direction around the time of their 2021 album, Dearly Beloved. On past records, they went into more pop and adult contemporary sounds. That said, Chris doesn’t regret any of the albums he’s put out in his career.

“I feel like all of those were moments in time and lessons that I had to learn to get to where I am now,” Chris says. “I feel like I don’t know if I would be exactly where we are right now and be so sure of it if I didn’t go through the things that made me question everything in the first place.” 

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