Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/CHR ) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music 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). The current number-one song as of the chart dated November 5, 2022 is "Vegas" by Doja Cat. [1]
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. [2] 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. [2] American Top 40 with Shadoe Stevens used this chart for their show from January 1993 to January 1995.
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. [3] The first number-one song on the chart was "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men. [4]
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. Beginning 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: [5]
In 2012, for the 20th anniversary of the chart, Billboard compiled a ranking of the 100 best-performing songs on the chart over the 20 years, along with the best-performing artists. "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls ranked as the #1 song on that list. [6] [7] In 2017, Billboard revised the rankings, including the methodologies for how they are calculated. "Another Night" by Real McCoy was the new #1 song, while the previous #1 song, "Iris", dropped to #8. Rihanna ranked as the top artist on both all-time charts. [8] Shown below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists from the most recent chart.
Rank | Single | Year released | Artist(s) | Peak and duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Another Night" | 1994 | Real McCoy | #1 for 6 weeks |
2. | "Smooth" | 1999 | Santana featuring Rob Thomas | #1 for 8 weeks |
3. | "Hanging by a Moment" | 2000 | Lifehouse | #2 for 12 weeks |
4. | "Apologize" | 2007 | Timbaland featuring OneRepublic | #1 for 8 weeks |
5. | "How You Remind Me" | 2001 | Nickelback | #1 for 10 weeks |
6. | "Here Without You" | 2003 | 3 Doors Down | #1 for 6 weeks |
7. | "Don't Speak" | 1996 | No Doubt | #1 for 10 weeks |
8. | "Iris" | 1998 | Goo Goo Dolls | #1 for 4 weeks |
9. | "Closer" | 2016 | The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | #1 for 11 weeks |
10. | "I Love You Always Forever" | 1996 | Donna Lewis | #1 for 11 weeks |
Source: [9]
Rank | Artist |
---|---|
1. | Rihanna |
2. | Pink |
3. | Maroon 5 |
4. | Katy Perry |
5. | Justin Timberlake |
6. | Britney Spears |
7. | Taylor Swift |
8. | Kelly Clarkson |
9. | Mariah Carey |
10. | Bruno Mars |
Source: [10]
Debut Position | Artist | Song | Debut Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
No. 12 | Mariah Carey | "Dreamlover" | August 14, 1993 | [11] |
Taylor Swift | "Shake It Off" | September 6, 2014 | [11] | |
No. 13 | Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar | "Bad Blood" | June 6, 2015 | [11] |
No. 14 | Lady Gaga | "Born This Way" | February 26, 2011 | [12] |
Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z | "Suit & Tie" | February 2, 2013 | [12] | |
No. 16 | Madonna | "Frozen" | March 7, 1998 | [13] |
Britney Spears | "Hold It Against Me" | January 29, 2011 | [13] | |
No. 18 | Taylor Swift | "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" | September 1, 2012 | [13] |
Maroon 5 | "Maps" | July 5, 2014 | [14] |
Number of weeks | Artist | Song | Year(s) | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 | Ace of Base | "The Sign" | 1994 | [15] |
13 | The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber | "Stay" | 2021 | [16] |
11 | Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men | "One Sweet Day" | 1995–96 | [15] |
Donna Lewis | "I Love You Always Forever" | 1996 | [15] | |
Natalie Imbruglia | "Torn" | 1998 | [15] | |
Nelly featuring Tim McGraw | "Over and Over" | 2004–05 | [15] | |
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | "Closer" | 2016 | [15] | |
10 | Dionne Farris | "I Know" | 1995 | [15] |
No Doubt | "Don't Speak" | 1996–97 | [15] | |
Céline Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1998 | [15] | |
'N Sync | "Bye Bye Bye" | 2000 | [15] | |
Nickelback | "How You Remind Me" | 2001–02 | [15] | |
Mariah Carey | "We Belong Together" | 2005 | [15] | |
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell | "Blurred Lines" | 2013 | [15] | |
Post Malone | "Circles" | 2019–20 | [15] |
Number of weeks | Artist | Song | Year(s) | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
40 | The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber | "Stay" | 2021–22 | |
39 | The Weeknd | "Blinding Lights" | 2020 | |
35 | Post Malone | "Circles" | 2019–20 | [17] |
32 | Harry Styles | "Adore You" | 2020 | |
30 | Dua Lipa | "Levitating" | 2020–21 | |
28 | Real McCoy | "Another Night" | 1994–95 | [8] |
Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1998 | [8] | |
24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior | "Mood" | 2020–21 |
Number of weeks | Artist | Song | Year* | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
60 | The Weeknd | "Blinding Lights" | 2021 | [18] |
54 | Glass Animals | "Heat Waves" | 2022 | [19] |
48 | The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber | "Stay" | [20] | |
47 | Lewis Capaldi | "Before You Go" | 2020 | [21] |
45 | Dua Lipa | "New Rules" | 2018 | [22] |
Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2019 | [22] | |
Benny Blanco, Halsey, and Khalid | "Eastside" | [22] | ||
Post Malone | "Circles" | 2020 | [22] | |
Harry Styles | "Adore You" | [23] | ||
Lil Nas X | "Thats What I Want" | 2022 | [24] |
*Year when the songs ended their respective chart runs.
Prior to 2018, the song with the most weeks on the chart was "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain, which spent 41 weeks on the chart in 1998. This record run held for almost two decades, but has been surpassed many times since then. Radio stations having more data points, such as streaming, to increase their accuracy at measuring what radio listeners want to hear, have made longer runs more commonplace. [25]
Week reached number one | Artist | Song | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
37th week | Lewis Capaldi | "Before You Go" | 2020 | [26] |
32nd week | Glass Animals | "Heat Waves" | 2022 | [27] |
31st week | Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid | "Eastside" | 2019 | [28] |
28th week | Trevor Daniel | "Falling" | 2020 | [29] |
27th week | Dua Lipa featuring DaBaby | "Levitating" | 2021 | [30] |
26th week | Alessia Cara | "Here" | 2016 | [31] |
25th week | CeeLo Green | "Forget You" | 2011 | [31] |
Demi Lovato | "Give Your Heart a Break" | 2012 | [31] | |
24th week | Alessia Cara | "Scars to Your Beautiful" | 2017 | [32] |
Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2018 | [33] |
Week reached top 10 | Artist | Song | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
35th week | Lauv | "I Like Me Better" | 2018 | [25] |
31st week | Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1998 | [25] |
27th week | MAX featuring Gnash | "Lights Down Low" | 2018 | [25] |
Lewis Capaldi | "Before You Go" | 2020 | [34] | |
AJR | "Bang!" | 2020 | [35] | |
25th week | MKTO | "Classic" | 2014 | [25] |
Daya | "Sit Still, Look Pretty" | 2016 | [25] | |
Jon Bellion | "All Time Low" | 2017 | [25] |
Number of Singles | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
11 | Rihanna | [38] |
Katy Perry | [38] | |
Maroon 5 | [38] | |
10 | Justin Bieber | [38] |
9 | Bruno Mars | [38] |
Pink | [38] | |
Taylor Swift | [38] | |
8 | Justin Timberlake | [39] |
Ariana Grande | [40] | |
Number of Weeks | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
47 | Katy Perry | [41] [42] |
45 | Mariah Carey | [41] |
39 | Maroon 5 | [41] |
38 | Justin Bieber | [43] |
32 | Pink | [41] |
Rihanna | [41] | |
29 | Ace of Base | [41] |
28 | Bruno Mars | [44] |
Taylor Swift | [45] | |
Ariana Grande | [46] |
Number of Singles | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
30 | Rihanna | [47] |
22 | Maroon 5 | [47] |
20 | Justin Bieber | [48] |
19 | Pink | [47] |
Ariana Grande | [49] | |
18 | Justin Timberlake | [47] |
Taylor Swift | [47] | |
17 | Mariah Carey | [50] |
Katy Perry | [50] | |
Bruno Mars | [51] |
Number of Entries | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
51 | Rihanna | [52] |
42 | Nicki Minaj | [53] |
41 | Justin Bieber | [54] |
39 | Chris Brown | [55] |
38 | Drake | [56] |
37 | Britney Spears | [57] |
Taylor Swift | [58] | |
36 | Pitbull | [59] |
32 | Lil Wayne | [60] |
31 | Mariah Carey | [61] |
Justin Timberlake | [62] |
† Iggy Azalea is the only act in Mainstream Top 40 history to replace herself at number one with her first two chart entries.
†† Ariana Grande became the first artist to succeed herself at number one as the only act credited on both tracks.
Source: [40]
Number of Singles | Artist | Album | Year (s) | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|
6 | Katy Perry | Teenage Dream | 2010-12 | [72] |
5 | Taylor Swift | 1989 | 2014-15 | [72] |
4 | Justin Timberlake | FutureSex/LoveSounds | 2006-07 | [72] |
Lady Gaga | The Fame | 2009 | [72] | |
3 | Ace of Base | The Sign | 1993-94 | [72] |
Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill | 1996 | [72] | |
Avril Lavigne | Let Go | 2002-03 | [72] | |
Maroon 5 | Overexposed | 2012-13 | [72] | |
Justin Bieber | Purpose | 2015-16 | [72] | |
Selena Gomez | Revival | 2015-16 | [72] | |
Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia | 2020-21 | [72] | |
Lil Nas X | Montero | 2021-22 | [72] | |
Doja Cat | Planet Her | 2021-22 | [72] |
The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by Billboard magazine. Although it originally started tracking song sales the week of October 30, 2004, it officially debuted in the issue dated January 22, 2005, and merged all versions of a song sold from digital music distributors. Its data was incorporated in the Hot 100 three weeks later. Since October 2004, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboard's music singles charts. The decision was based on the dramatic increase of the digital market while commercial single sales in a physical format were becoming negligible.
The Radio Songs chart is released weekly by Billboard magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States across all musical genres. It is one of the three components, along with sales and streaming activity, that determine the chart positions of songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by Billboard magazine.
The Adult Pop Airplay chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems."
The Streaming Songs chart is released weekly by Billboard magazine and lists each week's top streamed radio songs, on-demand songs and videos on leading online music services in the United States. The chart represents one of the three components, along with airplay and sales, that determine the chart positions of songs on the Billboard Hot 100, which ranks the most popular songs in the United States.
"Fancy" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Charli XCX, taken from the former's debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was released on 17 February 2014 by Def Jam Recordings as the fourth single from the album. "Fancy" was described as an electro-hop, electropop, and pop rap song. It was written by Azalea and XCX, composed and produced by production team the Invisible Men, alongside additional producers The Arcade. It was leaked under the title "Leave It" in December 2013.
"Black Widow" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Rita Ora. Released through Def Jam Recordings, the song impacted on mainstream radio stations in the US on 8 July 2014, as the fifth single from her debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was written by Azalea, Katy Perry, Sarah Hudson, Benny Blanco, and duo Stargate, while the latter also produced the song. Its lyrics chronicle subjects of revenge and feminism in a failed romantic relationship. An accompanying music video for the song was released on 13 August 2014.
"Problem" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande, featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. It was written by both alongside Savan Kotecha, Ilya and Max Martin, being produced by the latter two with Shellback, with Peter Carlsson serving as a vocal producer. The song was released by Republic Records on April 28, 2014, as the lead single from Grande's second studio album My Everything (2014). "Problem" is an uptempo dance-pop and R&B with influences of funk music, which comprises a melody based on drums, saxophone loops, and trumpets. The chorus features uncredited background vocals from American hip hop artist Big Sean. Lyrically, Grande has stated that the song is about "the feeling of being absolutely terrified to re-approach a relationship that's gone sour – but you want to more than anything."
"Side To Side" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande, featuring Nicki Minaj, from Grande's third studio album, Dangerous Woman (2016). Grande co-wrote the song with Savan Kotecha, Alexander Kronlund, and Minaj along with its producers Max Martin and Ilya. It is a reggae-pop song, featuring guest vocals from Minaj. The song was serviced to urban contemporary radio on August 30, 2016, serving as the third single from the album.
"God Is a Woman" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on July 13, 2018, as the second single from Grande's fourth studio album Sweetener (2018). The song was written by Grande, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson and its producer Ilya.
"Save Your Tears" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd from his fourth studio album, After Hours (2020). The Weeknd wrote and produced the song with Max Martin and Oscar Holter, with Belly and DaHeala receiving additional writing credits. The record was met with universal acclaim, with praise for The Weeknd's vocals. The song was also used for the theme song for WWE WrestleMania 37 for their tagline: Back In Business.
"Stuck with U" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released through Republic Records, Def Jam Recordings, and Silent Records Ventures as a single on May 8, 2020. Both artists wrote the song alongside producers Freddy Wexler and Gian Stone alongside Whitney Phillips, their manager, Scooter Braun, and Skyler Stonestreet. The song marks the second collaboration between Grande and Bieber, following their duet on the remix of the latter's chart-topping single, "What Do You Mean?"; the original song and remix both appear on his fourth studio album, Purpose (2015).
"Positions" is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande. The song was released by Republic Records on October 23, 2020, as the lead single from Grande's sixth studio album of the same name. The song was written by Grande, Angelina Barrett, Brian Vincent Bates, Nija Charles, James Jarvis, Tommy Brown, London on da Track, and Mr. Franks, and produced by the last three.
Positions is the sixth studio album by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released by Republic Records on October 30, 2020. Grande worked with numerous producers on Positions, including frequent collaborator Tommy Brown, accompanied by longtime co-writers Victoria Monét and Tayla Parx. Inspired by her "emotional healing", Grande desired to emphasize her vocals on the album.
"34+35" is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande, included as the second track on her sixth studio album, Positions (2020). It was written by Grande, Albert Stanaj, Courageous Xavier Herrera, Scott Nicholson, Steven Franks, Tayla Parx, Victoria Monét, and its producers Peter Lee Johnson and Tommy Brown. The song was released through Republic Records on November 3, 2020, serving as the second official single from Positions. The song's title and chorus reference the 69 sex position, while the rest of its lyrics feature several sexual puns, double entendres, and sex jokes.
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