Pop Airplay
The 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 that 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), a subsidiary of the U.S.' leading marketing research company. Consumer researchers, Nielsen Audio (formerly 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 receive a bullet. A song also receives 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. 167 Mainstream Top 40 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 receive a "bullet", although there are tracks that 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 ranks 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.
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.
Source:[3]
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.[4] 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.[5] 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 6 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:[6]
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:[7]
Song records
Highest debut
Debut Position |
Artist | Song | Debut Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mariah Carey | "Dreamlover" | August 14, 1993 | [8] | |
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 | [8] | |
Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z | "Suit & Tie" | February 2, 2013 | ||
Madonna | "Frozen" | March 7, 1998 | [8] | |
Britney Spears | "Hold It Against Me" | January 29, 2011 | [8] | |
Taylor Swift | "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" | September 1, 2012 | [8] | |
Maroon 5 | "Maps" | July 5, 2014 |
Most weeks at number one
Number of weeks |
Artist | Song | Year(s) | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ace of Base | "The Sign" | 1994 | [9] | |
Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men | "One Sweet Day" | 1995–96 | [9] | |
Donna Lewis | "I Love You Always Forever" | 1996 | [9] | |
Natalie Imbruglia | "Torn" | 1998 | [9] | |
Nelly featuring Tim McGraw | "Over and Over" | 2004–05 | [9] | |
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | "Closer" | 2016 | [9] | |
Dionne Farris | "I Know" | 1995 | [9] | |
No Doubt | "Don't Speak" | 1996–97 | [9] | |
Céline Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1998 | [9] | |
'N Sync | "Bye Bye Bye" | 2000 | [9] | |
Nickelback | "How You Remind Me" | 2001–02 | [9] | |
Mariah Carey | "We Belong Together" | 2005 | [9] | |
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell | "Blurred Lines" | 2013 | [9] | |
Post Malone | "Circles" | 2019–20 | [9] |
Most weeks in the top 10
Number of weeks |
Artist | Song | Year(s) | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Post Malone | "Circles" | 2019–20 | [10] | |
Real McCoy | "Another Night" | 1994–95 | [5] | |
Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1998 | [5] | |
Lifehouse | "Hanging by a Moment" | 2001 | [5] | |
No Doubt | "Don't Speak" | 1996–97 | [5] | |
Savage Garden | "Truly Madly Deeply" | 1997–98 | [5] | |
Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2018–19 | [citation needed] | |
Halsey | “Without Me” | 2018–19 | [citation needed] |
Most weeks on the chart
Number of weeks |
Artist | Song | Year* | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dua Lipa | "New Rules" | 2018 | [11] | |
Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2019 | [11] | |
Benny Blanco, Halsey, and Khalid | "Eastside" | 2019 | [11] | |
Post Malone | "Circles" | 2020 | [citation needed] | |
Lauv | "I Like Me Better" | 2018 | [11] | |
Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1998 | [11] | |
Real McCoy | "Another Night" | 1995 | [11] | |
Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1999 | [11] | |
"Slide" | [11] | |||
5 Seconds of Summer | "Youngblood" | 2019 | [11] | |
Santana featuring Rob Thomas | "Smooth" | 2000 | [12] | |
Pink | "U + Ur Hand" | 2007 | [12] | |
Lewis Capaldi | "Someone You Loved" | 2020 | [citation needed] | |
MAX featuring gnash | "Lights Down Low" | 2018 | [12] |
Note: *-Year when the songs ended their respective chart runs.
Longest climbs to number one
The following songs took 20 or more weeks to reach number one.
Week reached number one |
Artist | Song | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid | "Eastside" | 2019 | [13] | |
Alessia Cara | "Here" | 2016 | [14] | |
CeeLo Green | "Forget You" | 2011 | [14] | |
Demi Lovato | "Give Your Heart a Break" | 2012 | [14] | |
Alessia Cara | "Scars to Your Beautiful" | 2017 | [15][16] | |
Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2018 | [17] | |
Pink | "U + Ur Hand" | 2007 | [18] | |
Ellie Goulding | "Lights" | 2012 | [19] | |
Shawn Mendes | "Stitches" | 2015 | [20][21] | |
Post Malone | "Wow" | 2019 | [22][23] | |
Dua Lipa | "New Rules" | 2018 | [24][25] | |
Jewel | "You Were Meant for Me" | 1997 | [26][27] | |
Eagle-Eye Cherry | "Save Tonight" | 1999 | [28][29] | |
Niall Horan | "Slow Hands" | 2017 | [30][31] | |
Camila Cabello | "Never Be the Same" | 2018 | [32] | |
Bazzi | "Mine" | [33][34] |
Longest climbs to the top 10
The following songs took 25 or more weeks to reach the top 10.
Week reached top 10 |
Artist | Song | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lauv | "I Like Me Better" | 2018 | [35] | |
Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1998 | [35] | |
MAX featuring gnash | "Lights Down Low" | 2018 | [35] | |
MKTO | "Classic" | 2014 | [35] | |
Daya | "Sit Still, Look Pretty" | 2016 | [35] | |
Jon Bellion | "All Time Low" | 2017 | [35] |
Artist records
Artists with the most number-one singles
Number of Singles | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
Rihanna | [38] | |
Katy Perry | [38] | |
Maroon 5 | [38] | |
Pink | [38] | |
Bruno Mars | [38] | |
Taylor Swift | [38] | |
Justin Timberlake | [38] |
Artists with the most cumulative weeks at number-one
Number of Weeks | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
Katy Perry | [39][40] | |
Mariah Carey | [39] | |
Maroon 5 | [39] | |
Pink | [39] | |
Rihanna | [39] | |
Ace of Base | [39] | |
Bruno Mars | [41] | |
Taylor Swift | [42] | |
Christina Aguilera | [39] | |
Beyoncé | [39] | |
Boyz II Men | [39] | |
Nelly | [39] | |
Justin Timberlake | [43] |
Artists with the most top 10 singles
Number of Singles | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
Rihanna | [44] | |
Maroon 5 | [44] | |
Pink | [44] | |
Justin Timberlake | [44] | |
Taylor Swift | [44] | |
Mariah Carey | [45] | |
Katy Perry | [46] | |
Usher | [46] | |
Bruno Mars | [46] | |
Britney Spears | [45] | |
Ariana Grande | [47] | |
Justin Bieber | [48] | |
Nelly | [45] | |
Madonna | [45] | |
Christina Aguilera | [45] |
Artists with the most entries
Number of Entries | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
Rihanna | [49] | |
Nicki Minaj | [50] | |
Chris Brown | [51] | |
Britney Spears | [52] | |
Pitbull | [53] | |
Taylor Swift | [54] | |
Mariah Carey | [55] | |
Lil Wayne | [56] | |
Justin Timberlake | [57] |
Simultaneously occupying the top two positions
- Mariah Carey: December 9, 1995
- "One Sweet Day" (with Boyz II Men)
- "Fantasy"
- OutKast: January 31 - February 7, 2004
- "Hey Ya!"
- "The Way You Move" (featuring Sleepy Brown)
- Pharrell Williams: July 27 - August 3, 2013
- "Blurred Lines" (Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell)
- "Get Lucky" (Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams)
- Iggy Azalea: June 28 - July 12, 2014
- "Fancy" (featuring Charli XCX)
- "Problem" (Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea)
- Halsey: February 23 - March 9, 2019
- "Without Me"
- "Eastside" (with Benny Blanco and Khalid)
Source:[58]
Self-replacement at number one
- Mariah Carey — "Fantasy" → "One Sweet Day" (Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men) (December 9, 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) †
- Halsey — "Without Me" → "Eastside" (Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid) (March 2, 2019)
† Iggy Azalea is the only act in Mainstream Top 40 history to replace herself at number one with her first two chart entries.
Source:[13]
Additional artist achievements
- Lady Gaga is the only artist to have her first six singles reach No. 1.[59]
- 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.[60]
- JoJo at age 13, became the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single on the chart with "Leave (Get Out)".[61]
Album records
Most number-one singles from an album
Number of Singles | Artist | Album | Year (s) |
---|---|---|---|
Katy Perry | Teenage Dream | 2010-12 | |
Taylor Swift | 1989 | 2014-15 | |
Justin Timberlake | FutureSex/LoveSounds | 2006-07 | |
Lady Gaga | The Fame | 2009 | |
Ace of Base | The Sign | 1993-94 | |
Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill | 1996 | |
Avril Lavigne | Let Go | 2002-03 | |
Maroon 5 | Overexposed | 2012-13 | |
Justin Bieber | Purpose | 2015-16 | |
Selena Gomez | Revival | 2015-16 |
Source:[62]
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.
- ^ Girard, Keith (August 2, 2003). "The Evolution Continues". Billboard. 115 (31): 10. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
- ^ "MAINSTREAM TOP 40 NATIONAL AIRPLAY - Powered by Nielsen BDS". http://charts.bdsradio.com". Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ^ "Chart Beat Podcast: The Top 25 Pop Songs of the Past 25 Years, by Britney Spears, Rihanna & More". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "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.
- ^ a b c d e "Taylor Swift's 'Never' Roars Toward Record Sales Debut, Onto Airplay Charts". Billboard. October 20, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Post Malone's 'Circles' Scores Historic 10th Week at No. 1 on Pop Songs Chart". Billboard. February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ "The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' Leads Hot 100 for 4th Week, DaBaby & Roddy Ricch's 'Rockstar' Launches in Top 10". Billboard.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid's 'Eastside' Ties Longevity Record On Pop Songs Chart". billboard.com. Billboard Music. June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Khalid & Normani's 'Love Lies' Ties Dua Lipa's 'New Rules' For Longevity Record On Pop Songs Chart". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid Complete Record Rise to No. 1 on Pop Songs Chart With 'Eastside'". Billboard.
- ^ a b c "Alessia Cara's 'Here' Completes Record Climb to No. 1 on Pop Songs Chart". Billboard.
- ^ "Scars to Your Beautiful Mainstream Top 40 Chart History". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ "Pop Songs Week of February 4, 2017". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ Trust, Gary (September 17, 2018). "Khalid and Normani's 'Love Lies' Lifts to No. 1 On Pop Songs Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ "G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha Rule Pop Songs Chart With 'Me, Myself & I'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
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- ^ Trust, Gary (2010-03-15). "Lady Gaga, Beyonce Match Mariah's Record". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
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