Of course airplay can make a difference, but
Chris' album has been selling well all along despite not having notable airplay until the past few weeks. Hasn't his album been top 10-20 since it dropped? Back in December it's not like his song was doing much. My point is that Chris' middling airplay early on wasn't enough to help him stay top 10, so I don't see that as an excuse regarding Taylor who fell quickly.