Which chart did Taylor Swift's "august" lead when it debuted at number five?

Taylor Swift's "august" debuted and peaked at number five on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The song stayed on that chart for 20 weeks, giving it a substantial run beyond its seasonal association with August.

The chart result reflects the track's hybrid sound. Critics and reference sources describe it as a ballad combining dream pop, guitar pop, and soft rock. Its reverberant production, strings, keyboards, and guitar textures helped place it within a broader alternative-oriented chart environment.

This achievement is separate from the song's number 23 peak on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 46 peak on the Billboard Global 200. Those figures are frequently confused because all three charts are associated with the same recording. The annual August streaming revival later brought renewed attention to each of these milestones.