"Lead Article"

[Fizz]

On occasion I see that someone has listed in their CV that one of their peer-reviewed articles was the "lead article" - meaning that in the journal issue that it was in it was the first article. This has always struck me as something that doesn't matter at all. But sometimes people wear it as a badge of pride and accomplishment. Is there some reason why this matters? Do the editors put the article they liked most in the front?

Thanks

[sometimes]

I don't know. I know a few people who list "lead article" next to pubs in their CVs. My sense from them is that whether it matters depends on the journal and the editor. For example, in one case, a colleague of mine said she was informed by the editor that hers was the lead article because they were essentially structuring the entire issue around her paper. So, in this case, I would say that it matters. I'm sure there are counterexamples though.