Maxwell’s ‘Simply Beautiful’ Cover Hits No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay

Maxwell captures the No. 1 rank on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart for the first time in over two years as his single “Simply Beautiful” crowns the list dated Oct. 12. Rising from No. 2, the track was the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the tracking week of Sept. 27 – Oct. 3, according to Luminate, and improved 9% in plays.

With his chart-topping cover, Maxwell collects his ninth No. 1 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart. He matches Tank and Usher for the fourth-most leaders since the list began in 1993; the trio trail only Alicia Keys (14), Toni Braxton (11) and Charlie Wilson (10) on the overall leaderboard.

“Simply Beautiful,” distributed through Musze/BMG, is a cover of an Al Green track that the soul legend released on a 1972 album, I’m Still In Love With You. Though the cover is Maxwell’s first studio-released rendition of the song, the singer has performed the track live for years, including at the 2008 BET Awards when Green received the lifetime achievement award.

“Hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay radio chart for a ninth time with my take on an Al Green’s ‘Simply Beautiful’ is an honor,” Maxwell tells Billboard. “Al is a true legend and force, and I was amazed from the first time I heard his music. It reminds me of the impact that great music can have, and I’m just thankful to be part of it.”

As “Simply Beautiful” joins Maxwell’s No. 1 collection on the radio chart, here’s an updated recap of his nine champs:

“Fortunate,” 18 weeks at No. 1, beginning May 22, 1999
“Lifetime,” 15, Sept. 29, 2001
“Pretty Wings,” 12, July 4, 2009
“Bad Habits,” nine, Oct. 10, 2009
“Fistful of Tears,” two, April 17, 2010
“Fire We Make,” with Alicia Keys, seven, June 22, 2013
“Lake By The Ocean,” 10, June 18, 2016
“Off,” two, April 2, 2022
“Simply Beautiful,” one (to date), Oct. 12, 2024

Maxwell’s last three Adult R&B Airplay appearances – 2019 single “Shame,” which reached No. 8, “Off” and “Simply Beautiful” – have so-far been standalone singles. The Grammy Award-winner’s last album, blackSUMMERS’night, was released in 2016.

Elsewhere, “Simply Beautiful” advances 15-12 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the cover single registered 5.7 million in audience, an 18% jump from the prior week. The three-spot climb makes it Maxwell’s best showing on the chart since “Lake By the Ocean” also reached No. 12, in 2016.