Pop Airplay
Mainstream Top 40 (also called Pop Songs on billboard.com and sometimes referred to as Top 40/CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard Magazine which ranks the most popular songs being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the United States. The rankings are based on radio airplay detections as measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems (Nielsen BDS). Arbitron refers to the format as contemporary hit radio (CHR).
History
The chart debuted in Billboard Magazine in its issued date October 3, 1992, with the introduction of two Top 40 airplay charts, Mainstream and Rhythm-Crossover. Both Top 40 charts measured "actual monitored airplay" from data compiled by Broadcast Data Systems (BDS). The Top 40/Mainstream chart was compiled from airplay on radio stations playing a wide variety of music, while the Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover chart was made up from airplay on stations playing more dance and R&B music.[1] Both charts were "born of then-new BDS electronic monitoring technology" as a more objective and precise way of measuring airplay on radio stations. This data was also used as the airplay component for Hot 100 tabulations.[1]
Top 40/Mainstream was published in the print edition of Billboard from its debut in October 1992 through May 1995, when both Top 40 charts were moved exclusively to Airplay Monitor, a secondary chart publication by Billboard. They returned to the print edition in the August 2, 2003, issue.[2]
Chart criteria
Songs on the chart are ranked by the total number of spins detected per week. Songs which gain plays or remain flat from the previous week will receive a bullet. A song will also receive a bullet if its percentage loss in plays does not exceed the percentage of monitored station downtime for the format. If two songs are tied in total plays, the song with the larger increase in plays is placed first.
There are forty positions on this chart and it is solely based on radio airplay. A number of Top 40 Mainstream radio stations are electronically monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. Songs are ranked by a calculation of the total number of spins per week with its "audience impression", which is based upon exact times of airplay and each station's Arbitron listener data.
Songs receiving the greatest growth will receive a "bullet", although there are tracks that will also get bullets if the loss in detections doesn't exceed the percentage of downtime from a monitored station. "Airpower" awards are issued to songs that appear on the top 20 of both the airplay and audience chart for the first time, while the "greatest gainer" award is given to song with the largest increase in detections. A song with six or more spins in its first week is awarded an "airplay add". If a song is tied for the most spins in the same week, the one with the biggest increase that previous week will rank higher, but if both songs show the same amount of spins regardless of detection the song that is being played at more stations is ranked higher.
Since the introduction of the chart until 2005, songs below No. 20 were moved to recurrent after 26 weeks on the chart. In the chart week of December 3, 2005, songs below No. 20 were moved to recurrent after 20 weeks on the chart. Since the issue dated December 4, 2010, songs older than 20 weeks on the chart are moved to recurrent after they drop below No. 15.
This chart was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart.[citation needed] Whereas the Top 40 Mainstream and Pop 100 Airplay charts both measured the airplay of songs played on Mainstream stations playing pop-oriented music, the Pop 100 Airplay (like the Hot 100 Airplay) measured airplay based on statistical impressions, while the Top 40 Mainstream chart used the number of total detections.
All-time chart achievements
On October 19, 2017, the Mainstream Top 40 co-hosts, Gary Trust and Trevor Anderson, gave hints as to what the number 1 all-time Mainstream Top 40 song was going to be on the charts.[3] Later that day, the top 100 all-time songs and the top 50-all time artists were released, with the number 1 all-time song being revealed as "Another Night" by Real McCoy.[4] Shown below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists from each chart.
Top 10 Pop Songs of all time (1992–2017)
Rank | Single | Year released | Artist(s) | Peak and duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Another Night" | Real McCoy | #1 for 6 weeks | ||
"Smooth" | Santana featuring Rob Thomas | #1 for 8 weeks | ||
"Hanging by a Moment" | Lifehouse | #2 for 12 weeks | ||
"Apologize" | Timbaland featuring OneRepublic | #1 for 8 weeks | ||
"How You Remind Me" | Nickelback | #1 for 10 weeks | ||
"Here Without You" | 3 Doors Down | #1 for 2 weeks | ||
"Don't Speak" | No Doubt | #1 for 10 weeks | ||
"Iris" | Goo Goo Dolls | #1 for 4 weeks | ||
"Closer" | The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | #1 for 11 weeks | ||
"I Love You Always Forever" | Donna Lewis | #1 for 11 weeks |
Source:[5]
Top 10 Pop Songs artists of all time (1992–2017)
Rank | Artist |
---|---|
Rihanna | |
Pink | |
Maroon 5 | |
Katy Perry | |
Justin Timberlake | |
Britney Spears | |
Taylor Swift | |
Kelly Clarkson | |
Mariah Carey | |
Bruno Mars |
Source:[6]
Song records
Highest debut
Debut Position |
Artist | Song | Debut Date |
---|---|---|---|
Mariah Carey | "Dreamlover" | August 14, 1993 | |
Taylor Swift | "Shake It Off" | September 6, 2014 | |
Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar | "Bad Blood" | June 6, 2015 | |
Lady Gaga | "Born This Way" | February 26, 2011 | |
Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z | "Suit & Tie" | February 2, 2013 | |
Madonna | "Frozen" | March 7, 1998 | |
Britney Spears | "Hold It Against Me" | January 29, 2011 | |
Taylor Swift | "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" | September 1, 2012 | |
Maroon 5 | "Maps" | July 5, 2014 |
Most weeks at number one
Number of weeks |
Artist | Song | Year(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Ace of Base | "The Sign" | 1994 | |
Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men | "One Sweet Day" | 1995–96[7] | |
Donna Lewis | "I Love You Always Forever" | 1996 | |
Natalie Imbruglia | "Torn" | 1998 | |
Nelly featuring Tim McGraw | "Over and Over" | 2004–05 | |
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | "Closer" | 2016 | |
Dionne Farris | "I Know" | 1995 | |
No Doubt | "Don't Speak" | 1996–97 | |
Céline Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1998 | |
'N Sync | "Bye Bye Bye" | 2000 | |
Nickelback | "How You Remind Me" | 2001–02 | |
Mariah Carey | "We Belong Together" | 2005[8] | |
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell | "Blurred Lines" | 2013 | |
Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" | 1992–93 | |
Janet Jackson | "That's the Way Love Goes" | 1993 | |
Ace of Base | "All That She Wants" | 1993 | |
Seal | "Kiss from a Rose" | 1995 | |
Chumbawamba | "Tubthumping" | 1997–98 | |
Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink | "Lady Marmalade" | 2001 | |
OutKast | "Hey Ya!" | 2003–04 | |
Leona Lewis | "Bleeding Love" | 2008 | |
Ed Sheeran | "Shape of You" | 2017 |
Source:[9]
Most weeks in the top 10
Number of weeks |
Artist | Song | Year(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Real McCoy | "Another Night" | 1994–95 | |
Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1998 | |
Lifehouse | "Hanging by a Moment" | 2001 | |
No Doubt | "Don't Speak" | 1996–97 | |
Savage Garden | "Truly Madly Deeply" | 1997–98 | |
Donna Lewis | "I Love You Always Forever" | 1996–97 | |
Goo Goo Dolls | "Slide" | 1998–99 | |
Santana featuring Rob Thomas | "Smooth" | 1999–00 | |
3 Doors Down | "Here Without You" | 2003–04 | |
Timbaland featuring OneRepublic | "Apologize" | 2007–08 | |
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | "Closer" | 2016–17 | |
Goo Goo Dolls | "Name" | 1995–96 | |
Ed Sheeran | "Shape of You" | 2017 |
Most weeks on the chart
Number of weeks |
Artist | Song | Year(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1998 | |
Real McCoy | "Another Night" | 1995 | |
Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1999 | |
"Slide" | |||
Dua Lipa | "New Rules" | ||
Santana featuring Rob Thomas | "Smooth" | 2000 | |
P!nk | "U + Ur Hand" | 2007 | |
MAX featuring gnash | "Lights Down Low" | ||
Third Eye Blind | "Semi-Charmed Life" | 1998 | |
Eagle-Eye Cherry | "Save Tonight" | 1999 | |
Vertical Horizon | "Everything You Want" | 2000 | |
Lifehouse | "Hanging by a Moment" | 2001 |
Longest climbs to number one
Week reached number one |
Artist | Song | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Alessia Cara | "Here" | 2016 [10] | |
CeeLo Green | "Forget You" | 2011 | |
Demi Lovato | "Give Your Heart a Break" | 2012 [11] | |
Alessia Cara | "Scars to Your Beautiful" | 2017 | |
P!nk | "U + Ur Hand" | 2007 | |
Ellie Goulding | "Lights" | 2012 [12] | |
Shawn Mendes | "Stitches" | 2015 | |
Dua Lipa | "New Rules" | 2018 | |
Jewel | "You Were Meant for Me" | 1997 | |
Eagle-Eye Cherry | "Save Tonight" | 1999 | |
Niall Horan | "Slow Hands" | 2017 | |
Camila Cabello | "Never Be the Same" | 2018 |
Longest climbs to the top 10
Week reached top 10 |
Artist | Song | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1998 | |
MAX featuring gnash | "Lights Down Low" | 2018 [13] | |
MKTO | "Classic" | 2014 | |
Daya | "Sit Still, Look Pretty" | 2016 | |
Jon Bellion | "All Time Low" | 2017 | |
Imagine Dragons | "It's Time" | 2013 | |
The Neighbourhood | "Sweater Weather" | 2014 | |
Matchbox Twenty | "Back 2 Good" | 1999 | |
Evan and Jaron | "Crazy for This Girl" | 2001 | |
CeeLo Green | "Forget You" | 2011 | |
Ed Sheeran | "The A Team" | 2013 | |
Daya | "Hide Away" | 2016 |
Highest weekly plays
Below are listed the 10 songs with the most weekly plays under Billboard's then panel. The panel is regularly updated, with stations being added or removed sometimes even weekly, and often expanded, thus the spins record is broken quite frequently.
- Ed Sheeran - "Shape of You" (17,507)
- Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar - "Bad Blood" (17,474)[14]
- Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth - "See You Again" (17,356)[14]
- The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey - "Closer" (17,298)
- Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars - "Uptown Funk!" (17,236)
- Bruno Mars - "That's What I Like" (17,235)
- Justin Bieber - "Sorry" (16,997)
- The Weeknd - "Can't Feel My Face" (16,988)
- Taylor Swift - "Wildest Dreams" (16,924)
- Sia featuring Sean Paul - "Cheap Thrills" (16,905)
Artist records
Artists with the most number-one singles
- 11 – Rihanna, Katy Perry
- 9 – Pink, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars
- 8 – Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift
- 7 – Lady Gaga, Beyoncé
- 6 – Britney Spears, Mariah Carey
Artists with the most cumulative weeks at number-one
- Katy Perry (47)
- Mariah Carey (45)
- P!nk, Rihanna, Maroon 5 (32)
- Ace of Base (29)
- Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars (28)
- Justin Timberlake (26)
- Christina Aguilera (25)
- Boyz II Men, Nelly, Beyoncé (23)
Artists with the most top 10 singles
- Rihanna (30)
- Pink, Maroon 5 (19)
- Justin Timberlake (18)
- Mariah Carey, Katy Perry (17)
- Usher, Bruno Mars (16)
- Britney Spears, Taylor Swift (15)
- Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Nelly (14)
Artists with the most entries
- Rihanna (49)
- Nicki Minaj (36) [23]
- Britney Spears (35)
- Chris Brown (35)
- Pitbull (34)
- Mariah Carey (31)
- Lil Wayne (31) [24]
Source:[25]
Self-replacement at number one
- Mariah Carey — "Fantasy" → "One Sweet Day" (Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men) (December 6, 1995)
- OutKast — "Hey Ya!" → "The Way You Move" (OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown) (February 14, 2004)
- Iggy Azalea — "Fancy" (Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX) → "Problem" (Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea) (July 12, 2014) †
† Iggy Azalea is the only act in Mainstream Top 40 history to replace herself at number one with her first two chart entries.
Source:[26]
Additional artist achievements
- Lady Gaga is the only artist to have her first six singles reach No. 1.[27]
- As of 2011, Britney Spears holds the record for the longest span between No. 1s at 12 years, seven months and four days between her first No.1 and her latest.[28]
- Katy Perry's Teenage Dream is the first and only album to have 6 singles top the chart.[29]
- JoJo at age 13, became the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single on the chart with "Leave (Get Out)".[30]
Album records
Most number-one singles from an album
- Teenage Dream by Katy Perry, 6 (2010–12)
- 1989 by Taylor Swift, 5 (2014–15)
- FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake, 4 (2006–07)
- The Fame by Lady Gaga, 4 (2009)
- The Sign by Ace of Base, 3 (1993–94)
- Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette, 3 (1996)
- Let Go by Avril Lavigne, 3 (2002–03)
- Overexposed by Maroon 5, 3 (2012–13)
- Purpose by Justin Bieber, 3 (2015–16)
- Revival by Selena Gomez, 3 (2015–16)
Source:[31]
Use in countdown shows
From January 9, 1993, until its last first-run show on January 28, 1995, American Top 40 used this chart as its main source after having used the Hot 100 Airplay chart since 1991.
References
- ^ a b "Chart Histories—Top 40 Airplay". Billboard 100th Anniversary Issue 1894–1994: 264. November 1, 1994.
{{cite journal}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=
(help) - ^ Girard, Keith (August 2, 2003). "The Evolution Continues". Billboard. 115 (31): 10. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ "Chart Beat Podcast: The Top 25 Pop Songs of the Past 25 Years, by Britney Spears, Rihanna & More". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Rihanna Rules as No. 1 Artist In Pop Songs Chart's 25-Year History". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Greatest of All Time Pop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 19, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ "Greatest of All Time: Pop Songs Artists". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ Trust, Gary (March 16, 2014). "March 16, 1996: Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men's 'One Sweet Day' Makes History On Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- ^ Trust, Gary (March 26, 2010). "Ask Billboard: Happy 40th, Mariah!". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- ^ "The Chainsmokers' 'Closer' Ties for Second-Longest No. 1 Run Atop Pop Songs Chart". Billboard. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
- ^ "Alessia Cara's 'Here' Completes Record Climb to No. 1 on Pop Songs Chart". Billboard.
- ^ http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/photos/pdf/2012/TFNm0904.pdf
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Hot 100 Chart Moves: MAX Hits the Top 40 With 'Lights Down Low". Billboard. February 1, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood' Tops Another Tally & Breaks Weekly Plays Record". Billboard. July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ "Rihanna Rewrites Record For Most Pop Songs No. 1s". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
- ^ "Katy Perry Ties For Most Pop Songs No. 1s". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- ^ Trust, Gary (March 26, 2018). "Bruno Mars & Cardi B's 'Finesse' Tops Pop Songs Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ^ Trust, Gary (October 16, 2017). "Taylor Swift Tops Pop Songs Chart With 'Look What You Made Me Do'". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "Katy Perry Sets Record On Pop Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
- ^ "Chart Highlights: One Direction, Katy Perry, U2 Score New No. 1s". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ "Hot 100 Chart Moves: Hailee Steinfeld's 'Starving' Hits the Top 40". Billboard. September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ^ "Hot 100 Chart Moves: Lorde's A-Leaping & Ed Sheeran Debuts 10 Songs From 'Divide'". Billboard. March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
- ^ "Nicki Minaj Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Lil Wayne Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ "G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha Rule Pop Songs Chart With 'Me, Myself & I'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ^ "Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea Top Pop, Rhythmic Songs Charts With 'Problem'". Billboard.
- ^ Trust, Gary (2010-03-15). "Lady Gaga, Beyonce Match Mariah's Record". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
- ^ Trust, Gary (2011-09-12). "Britney Spears' Sustained Success 'Go'-es On At Pop Radio". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
- ^ "Katy Perry". Billboard.
- ^ "JoJo Signs Deal with Atlantic Records". Complex. 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2014-06-07.
- ^ "Selena Gomez Scores Third Pop Songs No. 1 With 'Hands to Myself' & Releases New Single From 'Revival'". Billboard.