Lead the Way
Lead the Way is a King Warz Charts top-10 hit song by Mariah Carey. The song debuted on the charts at #11 during Week 1. It reached its highest peak of #9 during Week 33.
| "Lead the Way" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Top 10 Hit Song by Mariah Carey | |
| from the album Glitter | |
| Main Artist | Mariah Carey |
| First Charted | Week 1 |
| Last Charted | Week 104 |
| Rank | 114 (as of July 19, 2026) |
| Plays | 218 |
| Weeks | 34 |
| Peak | 9 |
| Certification | 5x Platinum ▲ |
| Song Rating | |
| Rating | Unrated |
As of July 2026, it is certified 5x Platinum.
Chart Summary
'Lead the Way' by Mariah Carey debuted at #11 in Week 1 and peaked at #9 in Week 33. The song has drifted on and off the chart since, including over a year away before a return in Week 104, and it has spent 34 total weeks on the charts. Along the way it became Mariah Carey's 13th top-10 hit.
Its biggest week by points came in Week 1, pulling 132 points at #11 in its debut week. The biggest single-week climb came in Week 24, jumping from #55 to #28. At its most durable, the song held the chart for 6 straight weeks between Week 22 and Week 27. The song has recorded 15 re-entries, with gaps of 1 to 45 weeks between appearances. The first re-entry came in Week 12, and the most recent in Week 104; the strongest return came in Week 38, back in at #29.
Out of 963 charting songs, it stands 51st by weeks charted and 142nd by total points accumulated. Over the course of its chart run, the song has earned 1,129 total units. Chart activity draws 39% from raw streams and 61% from chart points.
During 2021, the track appeared 5 times, peaking at #11, averaging #38, earning 328 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 1, adding 152 units for a 37th-place year-end finish. 2022 brought 11 weeks on the chart, peaking at #28, averaging #44, earning 495 points, with the biggest points week in Week 24 (64 points), adding 288 units for a 69th-place year-end finish. 2023 was its biggest year: 11 weeks on the chart, peaking at #9, averaging #35, earning 523 points, with the biggest points week in Week 33 (74 points), adding 385 units for a 41st-place year-end finish. 2024 brought 6 weeks on the chart, peaking at #36, averaging #48, earning 193 points, with the biggest points week in Week 58 (40 points). 2025 brought 1 week on the chart, peaking at #37, earning 69 points. The song's average position improved from #38 in 2021 to #37 in 2025.
Notable Achievements
- The song has appeared on 3 year-end charts.
- The song has re-entered the chart 15 times, demonstrating lasting appeal.
- The song is certified 5x Platinum on the King Warz Charts.
Certifications
| Certification | Achieved | Units required | Time to reach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | October 8, 2021 (Week 2) | 100 | 340 days |
| Platinum | December 3, 2021 (Week 4) | 200 | 396 days |
| 2× Platinum | October 28, 2022 (Week 24) | 400 | 725 days |
| 3× Platinum | March 17, 2023 (Week 33) | 600 | 865 days |
| 4× Platinum | June 9, 2023 (Week 40) | 800 | 949 days |
| 5× Platinum | October 7, 2024 (Week 57) | 1,000 | 1,435 days |
Listening Milestones
Chart Performance
Units growth and plays by month
Chart History
| Date | Week | MV | Song | Artist | TW | LW | WKS | PTS | PLS | PK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2021 | Week 1 | NEW | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 11 | - | 1 | 132 | 6 | 11 |
| November 11, 2021 | Week 2 | ▼25 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 36 | 11 | 2 | 68 | 4 | 11 |
| December 2, 2021 | Week 3 | ▲4 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 32 | 36 | 3 | 60 | 4 | 11 |
| December 16, 2021 | Week 4 | ▼23 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 55 | 32 | 4 | 36 | 2 | 11 |
| December 30, 2021 | Week 5 | = | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 55 | 55 | 5 | 32 | 2 | 11 |
| March 31, 2022 | Week 12 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 38 | - | 6 | 43 | 3 | 11 |
| April 21, 2022 | Week 14 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 40 | - | 7 | 50 | 4 | 11 |
| April 28, 2022 | Week 15 | ▼7 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 47 | 40 | 8 | 42 | 3 | 11 |
| June 9, 2022 | Week 17 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 55 | - | 9 | 42 | 3 | 11 |
| August 11, 2022 | Week 20 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 44 | - | 10 | 42 | 3 | 11 |
| September 29, 2022 | Week 22 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 46 | - | 11 | 48 | 4 | 11 |
| October 27, 2022 | Week 23 | ▼9 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 55 | 46 | 12 | 38 | 3 | 11 |
| November 17, 2022 | Week 24 | ▲27 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 28 | 55 | 13 | 64 | 5 | 11 |
| December 8, 2022 | Week 25 | ▼1 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 29 | 28 | 14 | 56 | 4 | 11 |
| December 15, 2022 | Week 26 | ▼14 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 43 | 29 | 15 | 38 | 2 | 11 |
| December 29, 2022 | Week 27 | ▼15 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 58 | 43 | 16 | 32 | 2 | 11 |
| January 26, 2023 | Week 29 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 51 | - | 17 | 36 | 3 | 11 |
| February 23, 2023 | Week 31 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 31 | - | 18 | 50 | 4 | 11 |
| March 16, 2023 | Week 32 | ▼4 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 35 | 31 | 19 | 42 | 3 | 11 |
| March 30, 2023 | Week 33 | ▲26 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 9 | 35 | 20 | 74 | 6 | 9 |
| April 20, 2023 | Week 35 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 41 | - | 21 | 37 | 2 | 9 |
| April 27, 2023 | Week 36 | ▲8 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 33 | 41 | 22 | 36 | 3 | 9 |
| May 25, 2023 | Week 38 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 29 | - | 23 | 52 | 4 | 9 |
| June 8, 2023 | Week 39 | ▲13 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 16 | 29 | 24 | 72 | 6 | 9 |
| June 22, 2023 | Week 40 | ▼28 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 44 | 16 | 25 | 40 | 2 | 9 |
| July 6, 2023 | Week 41 | ▼9 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 53 | 44 | 26 | 36 | 2 | 9 |
| August 31, 2023 | Week 45 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 40 | - | 27 | 48 | 4 | 9 |
| January 25, 2024 | Week 46 | ▼11 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 51 | 40 | 28 | 30 | 2 | 9 |
| April 11, 2024 | Week 48 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 50 | - | 29 | 30 | 2 | 9 |
| May 23, 2024 | Week 50 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 44 | - | 30 | 29 | 2 | 9 |
| September 19, 2024 | Week 55 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 52 | - | 31 | 28 | 2 | 9 |
| September 26, 2024 | Week 56 | ▲16 | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 36 | 52 | 32 | 36 | 3 | 9 |
| October 17, 2024 | Week 58 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 57 | - | 33 | 40 | 3 | 9 |
| September 11, 2025 | Week 104 | RE | Lead the Way (Mariah Carey) | Mariah Carey | 37 | - | 34 | 69 | 3 | 9 |
Year End Chart Appearances
The song has appeared on 3 year-end charts.
| Year | Position | Weeks | Units | Plays | Peak | Peak Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 41 | 11 | 385 | 48 | 9 | — |
| 2022 | 69 | 11 | 288 | 50 | 28 | — |
| 2021 | 37 | 5 | 152 | 18 | 11 | — |
Month End Chart Appearances
The song has appeared on 6 month-end charts.
| Month | Year | Position | Weeks | Units | Plays | Peak | Peak Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 2023 | 40 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 40 | — |
| June | 2023 | 24 | 2 | 80 | 9 | 16 | — |
| March | 2023 | 16 | 2 | 98 | 10 | 9 | — |
| November | 2022 | 25 | 1 | 49 | 8 | 28 | — |
| November | 2021 | 37 | 1 | 35 | 5 | 36 | — |
| October | 2021 | 14 | 1 | 56 | 3 | 11 | — |