List of Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number ones of the 1990s
Alternative Songs is a record chart published by the music industry magazine Billboard that ranks the most-played songs on American modern rock radio stations. Introduced by Billboard in September 1988 and named Modern Rock Tracks until June 2009,[1] it was initially compiled based on weighted reports from several national rock radio stations.[2] Starting with the chart dated June 12, 1993, radio airplay data compiled by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems – which electronically monitors various radio stations on a daily basis – was introduced as a factor in determining chart rankings.[3] Modern Rock Tracks later became solely based on Nielsen data, a change that took effect with the chart dated January 22, 1994.[3]
141 singles topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the 1990s; the first of these was "Blues from a Gun" by The Jesus and Mary Chain, which spent three weeks at number one from December 1989 to January 1990.[4] The modern rock radio format experienced a substantial growth in popularity during the decade,[5] with the success of Nirvana's 1991 single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" marking a "return of the crossover rock hit".[6] Speaking to Billboard in 1994, chart analyst Max Tolkoff remarked that in previous years, "people didn't care what was a hit on modern rock. Now everybody wants to be involved."[6] The first formal number one debut on the Modern Rock Tracks chart also occurred during the 1990s, with "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" by R.E.M. entering at number one on the chart for the issue dated September 24, 1994.[7]
The Irish band U2 scored the most number-one hits on Modern Rock Tracks during the decade, with six of their singles topping the chart: "The Fly", "Mysterious Ways", "One", "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me", "Discothèque" and "Staring at the Sun".[4][8] "Scar Tissue" by the American band Red Hot Chili Peppers topped the chart for sixteen consecutive weeks in 1999, the longest time spent at number one by any single during the 1990s.[9] The band themselves spent a record twenty-seven weeks at number one on Modern Rock Tracks during the decade with four chart-toppers: "Give It Away", "Soul to Squeeze", "My Friends" and "Scar Tissue".[4][10] "All the Small Things" by the American band Blink-182 was the final number-one hit of the decade.[4]
Number-one singles
- Key
- † – Billboard year-end number-one single[a]
- ↑ – Return of a single to number one
Contents |
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![A man wearing a black jacket sings on a stage illuminated with yellow and purple lights; a bassist, a guitarist and a drummer perform along with him.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Jesus_and_Mary_Chain_2007.jpg/220px-Jesus_and_Mary_Chain_2007.jpg)
![A side-view photograph of a blonde-haired man playing a guitar and singing into a microphone, along with a brown-haired man playing a bass guitar.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Nirvana_around_1992.jpg/220px-Nirvana_around_1992.jpg)
![A blue-tinted photograph of musicians performing in front of an industrial background. From left to right: a long-haired male stands with his back to the camera playing bass guitar, a middle-aged Caucasian male sings into a microphone, a middle-aged Caucasian male plays behind a black-and-silver drum set on a riser, and a guitar player is mostly cropped from the extreme left of the photo.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Padova_REM_concert_July_22_2003_blue.jpg/220px-Padova_REM_concert_July_22_2003_blue.jpg)
![Three men wearing black shirts stand in a hallway.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/88/MarcyPlaygroundBandPic.jpg/220px-MarcyPlaygroundBandPic.jpg)
![A band performs on a stage while several audience members raise their arms up. In the background, two spotlights flash brightly.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Rhcp-live-pinkpop05.jpg/220px-Rhcp-live-pinkpop05.jpg)
![A black-haired man plays a guitar while another man plays a drum kit in the background.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Blink2.jpg/220px-Blink2.jpg)
Notes
- ^ The Modern Rock Tracks year-end number-one single of 1994 was "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden,[11] which peaked at number two on the chart dated July 2.[12]
References
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (April 19, 2012). "100 & Single: Gotye And fun. Help Alternative Rock Go Pop Once Again". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ Cateforis 2011, p. 65.
- ^ a b Whitburn 2008, p. 8.
- ^ a b c d e f Whitburn 2008, pp. 342–349.
- ^ Keith & Sterling 2008, p. 165.
- ^ a b Boehlert, Eric (April 9, 1994). "Modern Rock Comes Into Its Own". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 15. p. 69. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "Powter Stays Hot, Chili Peppers Sizzle On Charts". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
- ^ "U2 Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Trust, Gary (February 11, 2013). "Muse's 'Madness' Rewrites Record For Longest-Reigning Alternative Songs No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-62. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 27. July 2, 1994. p. 102. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
- ^ "Top Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. YE-47. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Top Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-41. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Top Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 52. December 26, 1992. p. YE-42. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "Top Modern Rock Tracks" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-39. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 1. January 6, 1996.
- ^ "Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-78. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-73. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. December 26, 1998. p. YE-84. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-90. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
Bibliography
- Keith, Michael C.; Sterling, Christopher H. (2008). Sounds of Change: A History of FM Broadcasting in America. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-5888-2.
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(help) - Whitburn, Joel (2008). Rock Tracks 1981–2008 (3rd ed.). Record Research. ISBN 978-0-8982-0174-1.
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(help) - Cateforis, Theo (2011). Are We Not New Wave?: Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-4720-3470-3.
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