Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs)

The Hot 100 Airplay chart (or Radio Songs on Billboard.com) is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Chart data collection

The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a weekly chart that ranks the 100 songs with the most airplay points (frequently referred to as audience impressions, which is a calculation of the number of times a song is played and the audience size of the station playing the tune). A song can pick up an airplay point every time it is selected to be played on specific radio stations that Billboard monitors. Radio stations across the board are used, from Top 40 Mainstream (which plays a wide variety of music that is generally the most popular songs of the time) to more genre-specific radio stations such as urban radio and country music.

Per Billboard (as of October 2005):

"988 stations, comprised of top 40, adult contemporary, R&B/hip-hop, country, rock, gospel, Latin and Christian formats, are electronically monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This data is used to compile The Billboard Hot 100."

The chart was first published as a 30-position chart on October 20, 1984. It was expanded to 40 positions on May 31, 1986, and to 75 positions on December 8, 1990.

Strength of airplay

Singles usually enter the Hot 100 Airplay chart before any other, because in most cases, they hit the airwaves before being made commercially available online or in stores. Prior to December 5, 1998, the Hot 100 was solely compiled of songs that were commercially available. This means that songs could enter the airplay chart, but would not be eligible for the Hot 100 unless a commercial single in stores was issued. In the 1990s, "Don't Speak" by No Doubt, "Lovefool" by The Cardigans, "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia, and "When I Come Around" by Green Day all did well on this chart, but were not allowed to enter the Hot 100, because no commercial single was issued, even though they would have probably been significant hits on the Hot 100 without the need of a commercial single.

Due to circumstances like this becoming a growing trend with major record labels to release singles only to radio (as they felt commercial releases were a factor in decreasing album sales) many in the music industry requested that Billboard rethink its long-standing rule of "singles only" on the Hot 100. Billboard carefully weighed the pros and cons of this type of change and conducted extensive research and polls of music and recording industry insiders to assess the need for such a revamp of the chart. It was concluded that allowing airplay-only singles into the Hot 100 was the most logical choice, as the chart has always been a reflection of what songs are most popular in the United States and this new rule would present an accurate tool for those in the music industry to gauge the popularity of their "product" and to analyze marketing strategies, etc.

Album cut implementation

After December 5, 1998, songs could chart on the Hot 100 with just airplay points. However, before they were allowed onto the Hot 100, they had to make the Top 75 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. However, starting from the chart issue of 12 February 2005, songs without a retail component will now be allowed to chart on the Hot 100 regardless of their rank on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. Songs that charted on the Hot 100, without being issued with a commercial single release were known as album cuts. These album cuts however, were not very strong initially and did not usually chart very high; the first airplay-only single to hit number one came in June 2000 when Aaliyah's "Try Again" spent one week at the top.

This implementation was solely responsible for the end of number-one debuts. In the mid 90s, many songs were commercially released as singles after airplay was given a chance to grow to its maximum potential. This allowed songs to enter the Hot 100 at the top, a feat unheard of before 1995. Ten songs were able to do this, but after this change to the Hot 100, only ten singles (from four American Idol participants, Britney Spears, Eminem, Kesha, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry) have debuted at number one since.

Records

Highest debut

Madonna set a record in 1992 when the lead single and title track from her fifth studio album Erotica debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 Airplay Chart.

Most weeks at number one

18 weeks

• Goo Goo Dolls – "Iris" (1998)

16 weeks

• No Doubt – "Don't Speak" (1996–1997)
• Mariah Carey – "We Belong Together" (2005)

14 weeks

• Céline Dion – "Because You Loved Me" (1996)
• Alicia Keys – "No One" (2007–2008)

13 weeks

• Boyz II Men – "End Of The Road" (1992)
• Ace Of Base – "The Sign" (1994)
• Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men – "One Sweet Day" (1995)
• Donna Lewis – "I Love You Always Forever" (1996)
• TLC – "No Scrubs" (1999)

12 weeks:

• Boyz II Men – "I'll Make Love To You" (1994)
• Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland – "Dilemma" (2002)
• Usher featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris – "Yeah!" (2004)
• Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris – "We Found Love" (2011-2012)

11 weeks

• Whitney Houston – "I Will Always Love You" (1992–1993)
• Mariah Carey – "Dreamlover" (1993)
• Boyz II Men – "On Bended Knee" (1994–1995)
• Natalie Imbruglia – "Torn" (1998)
• Eminem – "Lose Yourself" (2002–2003)
• Mario – "Let Me Love You" (2005)
• Beyoncé – "Irreplaceable" (2006–2007)

10 weeks

• Mariah Carey – "Someday" (1991)
• Janet Jackson – "That's the Way Love Goes" (1993)
• Mariah Carey – "Hero" (1993–1994)
• Seal – "Kiss From A Rose" (1995)
• Céline Dion – "My Heart Will Go On" (1998)
• Usher – "U Got It Bad" (2001–2002)
• Ashanti – "Foolish" (2002)
• Lil' Wayne featuring Static Major – "Lollipop" (2008)

Statistical impression record

Daily: Mariah Carey — "We Belong Together", 32.8 million impressions

Weekly: Mariah Carey — "We Belong Together", 223 million impressions, week of July 9, 2005.

Most cumulative weeks at number one

• Mariah Carey holds the record for the most weeks at number one in total with 93 weeks atop the chart.

Most consecutive number ones

• Katy Perry - 5 - "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"

Album with the most number ones

• Teenage Dream by Katy Perry - 5

Self replacement at number one

• Boyz II Men - "On Bended Knee" replaced "I'll Make Love to You" (December 1994)
• Mariah Carey - "One Sweet Day" replaced "Fantasy" (December 1995)
• Nelly - "Dilemma" replaced "Hot in Herre" (August 2002)
• Usher - "Confessions Part II" replaced "Burn" (July 2004)
• Mariah Carey - "Shake It Off" replaced "We Belong Together" (September 2005)
• T.I. - "Live Your Life" replaced "Whatever You Like" (November 2008)
• Rihanna - "What's My Name?" replaced "Only Girl (In the World)" (January 2011)

Use in countdown shows

From November 30, 1991 until January 2, 1993, the American Top 40 countdown show used the top 40 portion of this chart as its main source.

See also

• List of number-one Hot 100 Airplay hits

External links

• Current Hot 100 - Top 25 Positions