Wikipedia:Record charts/Billboard charts guide
For a complete list of Billboard charts and general information see Billboard charts.
In the United States Billboard publishes songs and albums charts based on data from Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen BDS. This guide is designed to help editors to determine which charts are acceptable for use on Wikipedia in which circumstances. Below is the chart matrix for this purpose.
The guide contains the official and current names for the charts as of April 2010, with the exception of the Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs), also known as either the Mainstream Top 40 or the Pop Songs chart. On Wikipedia, it is located at a page using both names (one as a disambiguator). When listing the chart in chart tables list it exactly as its page is named: Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs).
Billboard magazine is the provider of US charts; however, its use on Wikipedia when mentioning charts should be limited: i.e., charts should simply be referred to as US followed by the chart name. The only two exceptions to this rule are the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard 200, which should include Billboard as it is a part of the actual chart name.
- Sourcing Billboard charts
As with all record charts, you should first try to source each chart directly from the Billboard.com website. Ideally, the citation should link to the Billboard page for the song in question, through the artist's discography / chart history page there.
Note, however, that the Billboard archives are sometimes incomplete, particularly on older and/or lesser-known artists. Any of the books by Joel Whitburn may also be used to verify chart positions.
On singles discography tables, do not add 100 to a Bubbling Under peak if the song never entered the corresponding chart [i.e., Billboard Hot 100 and Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (do not add 50 to a Bubbling Under peak on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs after October 2012)]. Doing so would violate WP:SYNTH by creating information not directly supported by the source (i.e., the notion that the Bubbling Under chart is an extension to the main chart and the position). It should be indicated as an uncharted song with a footnote to indicate the Bubbling Under peak. In the song's article, just indicate it as a Bubbling Under peak, so long as it is verifiable. If an artist has had Bubbling Under entries but no songs that entered the Hot 100 proper, or has had multiple Bubbling Under entries, discography tables may use a separate "Bubbling Under" column to save on footnotes.
Also, when creating singles tables, do not include charts on which the artist has never appeared—a Hot 100 column is not mandatory if the artist never charted on the Hot 100.
It is recommended that you use the {{single chart}} template where possible.
Song charts
[edit]| Condition | Applicable US charts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regardless of other chartings, you may add any of the charts to the right → |
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| Additionally, you may add the following charts if the conditions below are met. | |||
| If a song has not charted on the Billboard Global 200, you may add → |
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| If a song has not charted on the Billboard Hot 100, you may add any of the following → |
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| If a song has not charted on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, you may add any of the following → | |||
| If a song has charted on Hot Latin Songs or Latin Airplay but not any other Billboard genre charts listed on "Applicable US charts" you may add any of the following[G] → | |||
| If a song has not charted on the Pop 100, you may add → | |||
| If a song has charted on neither Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs nor R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, you may add any of the following → |
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| If a song has charted on neither Hot Rock & Alternative Songs nor Rock Airplay, you may add any of the following → |
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| Genre-specific digital song sales and streaming songs charts should not be included unless a song did not chart on the respective all-genre Digital Song Sales or Streaming Songs charts and the genre's "hot" chart. | |||
Album charts
[edit]| Condition | Applicable US charts | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| If an album has charted on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums you may not add any of the following → |
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Billboard in October 2012 launched the R&B Songs chart and in January 2013, launched the R&B Albums chart as distillations of the main Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts. The separate R&B song and album charts rank the top 25 songs or albums, but exclude rap titles. Effectively they are a subset of the main chart. |
| If an album has charted on Top Latin Albums, and on any other Billboard album genre charts, you may not add one of the following[G] → |
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Prior to the inception of an overall Top Latin Albums chart in July 1993, it was simply divided into Latin Pop, Regional Mexican, and Tropical Albums. Since then, they are a subset of the main chart. The Latin Rhythm Albums chart was launched in 2005. |
- Notes
- ^ Since October 20, 2012, Billboard's "hot" charts use the same methodology to measure sales, streaming activity, and airplay on all monitored radio stations as used for the Billboard Hot 100.
- ^ a b c In October 2012, Billboard revamped Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs to include digital sales, streaming and airplay from all radio formats in its methodology, introduced the similarly-formulated Hot R&B Songs, and employed the same changes to already-existing Hot Rap Songs chart. Entries on the Hot Rap Songs chart prior to the issue dated October 20, 2012, when the changes took effect, can be listed regardless of other chartings.
- ^ Prior to December 7, 2013, the Christian Songs chart was an airplay-only chart. Since then, Hot Christian Songs uses the Hot 100 methodology and the original Christian Songs was rebranded as Christian Airplay, measuring airplay from only Christian music radio stations.
- ^ Billboard uses the names Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay interchangably for the only existing country music chart between January 20, 1990 and October 20, 2012, at which point the chart tracked only radio airplay. The Hot Country Songs name was also used before January 20, 1990 for the same chart. On October 20, 2012, Hot Country Songs was reformulated to include digital sales, streaming, and airplay from all radio formats, while the existing airplay-only format was transferred to the Country Airplay name. From October 20, 2012 onward, both charts may be used per consensus.
- ^ Prior to October 20, 2012, the Latin Songs chart was an airplay-only chart. Since then, Hot Latin Songs uses the Hot 100 methodology and the original Latin Songs was rebranded as Latin Airplay, measuring airplay from Spanish-language radio stations. From October 20, 2012 onward, both charts may be used.
- ^ Prior to October 20, 2012, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay served as the airplay component to the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart; therefore, for entries before that date, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay should be added only if a song did not chart on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
- ^ a b Billboard defines "Latin music" as any music sung predominately in Spanish. Thus any Spanish-language song is eligible to rank on the Hot Latin Songs chart regardless of genre. Although the Latin Pop, Tropical, Regional Mexican, and Latin Rhythm are subcharts of the Latin Airplay chart, per consensus, they are treated as distinct genres of Latin music.
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