Radio Songs (chart)

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The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 [1] and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) [2] 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 (both physical and the digital) and streaming activity, that determine the chart positions of songs on the Billboard Hot 100.

Contents

History

Radio airplay has always been one of the component charts of the Hot 100. Prior to the establishment of the Hot 100, Billboard published a radio airplay chart, a singles sales chart and a jukebox play chart, the last of which was discontinued in 1959 as jukeboxes lost their popularity. During the 1960s and 1970s, Billboard continued to collect airplay data as a component of the Hot 100 but did not make the chart public. [3]

The airplay-only chart debuted as a 30-position chart on October 20, 1984, and was expanded to 40 positions on May 31, 1986. [4] Rankings were based on playlists received by a panel of Top 40 radio stations. On December 8, 1990, Billboard introduced the 75-position Top 40 Radio Monitor chart positions, which ranked songs measured by the number of spins each song on monitored radio stations and the ratings for those stations when the songs were being played based on Nielsen BDS technology. [5] The BDS-measured Top 40 Radio Monitor chart became the official airplay-component of the Hot 100 on November 30, 1991. [6]

Chart data collection

Each week, the Radio Songs chart ranks the top 100 songs by most airplay points (frequently referred to as audience impressions, which is a calculation of the number of times a song is played and the audience size of the station playing the tune). A song can pick up an airplay point every time it is selected to be played on specific radio stations that Billboard monitors. Radio stations across the board are used, from Top 40 Mainstream (which plays a wide variety of music that is generally the most popular songs of the time) to more genre-specific radio stations such as urban radio and country music. Paid plays of a song or treatment as bumper music do not count as an impression.

During the early years of the chart, only airplay data from top 40 radio stations were compiled to generate the chart. Effective from issue dated July 17, 1993, adult contemporary stations were added to the panel, followed by modern rock few months later. However, beginning in December 1998, the chart profile expanded to include airplay data from radio stations of other formats such as R&B, rock and country. To preserve the notion of the former chart, the Top 40 Tracks chart (now defunct) was introduced at the same time.

Per Billboard (as of October 2011):

"1,214 stations, encompassing pop, adult, rock, country, R&B/hip-hop, Christian, gospel, dance, jazz and Latin formats, are electronically monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by Nielsen Broadcast Data System. This data is used to compile the Billboard Hot 100."

The radio airplay data was previously collected on a Wednesday to Tuesday weekly cycle prior to July 2015, and on a Monday to Sunday weekly cycle from July 2015 to July 2021. [7] As of the chart dated July 17, 2021, the radio airplay data is collected on a Friday through Thursday weekly cycle, which matches that of the other Hot 100 metrics (streaming and sales). [8]

Lists of number ones

Song records

Highest debut

No. 2

No. 4

No. 6

No. 8

No. 9

Most weeks at number one

WeeksArtistSongYear(s)Source
27 Shaboozey "A Bar Song (Tipsy)"2024–2025 [17]
26 The Weeknd "Blinding Lights"2020 [17]
18 Goo Goo Dolls "Iris"1998 [17]
Miley Cyrus "Flowers"2023 [17]
16 No Doubt "Don't Speak"1996–1997 [17]
Mariah Carey "We Belong Together"2005 [17]
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B "Girls Like You"2018 [17]
15 Adele "Easy on Me"2021–2022 [17]
14 Céline Dion "Because You Loved Me"1996 [17]
Alicia Keys "No One"2007–2008 [17]
Panic! at the Disco "High Hopes"2018–2019 [17]

Highest audience peaks

Listed here are airplay peaks by song. Even if a song has registered enough impressions to be listed during multiple weeks, it is only listed once.

Shortest climbs to number one

Sources: [24] [25]

4 weeks

5 weeks

Artist records

Most number-one songs after BDS-based chart's December 1990 inception

Number of songsArtistSource
13 Rihanna [26]
11 Mariah Carey [26]
9 Bruno Mars [27]
8 Taylor Swift [28]
7 Usher [29]
Katy Perry [26]
Maroon 5 [30]
6 Ludacris [31]
Kanye West [32]
Beyoncé [33]

Most cumulative weeks at number one

WeeksArtistSource
91 Mariah Carey [34]
72 Rihanna [35]
60 Bruno Mars [36]
50 Usher [37]
Boyz II Men [38]
Maroon 5 [30]
45 Beyoncé [33]
44 The Weeknd [39]
40 Adele [40]
Taylor Swift [41]

Most-consecutive number-one songs

Source: [42]

Most top 10 songs

Number of SongsArtistSource
30 Rihanna [43]
24 Drake [44]
Mariah Carey [45]
21 Justin Bieber [46]
Beyoncé [47]
Taylor Swift [48]
20 Lil Wayne [49]
Bruno Mars [36]
19 Ariana Grande [50]
18 Maroon 5 [30]
Chris Brown [51]
Usher [29]


Self-replacement at number one

Use in media

On November 30, 1991, after 21 years of using the Billboard Hot 100 as their source, American Top 40 started using this chart, which at the time was called the Top 40 Radio Monitor. This relationship ended in January 1993, as American Top 40 switched to the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. The ongoing splintering of Top 40 radio in the early 1990s led stations to lean into specific formats, meaning that practically no station would play the wide array of genres that typically composed each weekly Hot 100 chart.

Related Research Articles

The Billboard Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales, online streaming, and radio airplay in the U.S.

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References

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  3. ↑ Molanphy, Chris (1 August 2013). "How The Hot 100 Became America's Hit Barometer". All Things Considered. NPR. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
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  5. ↑ "Billboard Bows Top 40 Radio Monitor Chart". Billboard . Vol. 102, no. 49. December 8, 1990. p. 8,84.
  6. ↑ Trust, Gary (November 30, 2011). "Billboard Hot 100 Celebrates 20 Years of Nielsen Data". Billboard . Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ Billboard Staff (2015-06-24). "Billboard to Alter Chart Tracking Week for Global Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  8. ↑ Trust, Gary (July 12, 2021). "BTS' 'Butter' Leads Hot 100 for Seventh Week, Lil Nas X's 'Montero' Returns to Top Five". Billboard . Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of October 17, 1992". Billboard . Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of May 30, 1992". Billboard . Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of May 1, 1993". Billboard . Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Adele's 'Easy on Me' Blasts to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard . Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of February 26, 2011". Billboard . Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero' Tops Hot 100 for 2nd Week, Rihanna's 'Lift Me Up' Launches at No. 2". Billboard . Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of September 9, 1995". Billboard . Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of March 17, 2001". Billboard . Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Shaboozey's 'A Bar Song' Surpasses The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Radio Songs Chart". Billboard . February 3, 2025. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Robin Thicke No. 1, Katy Perry No. 2 On Hot 100". Billboard . Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  19. ↑ "Pharrell Williams' 'Happy' Holds Atop Hot 100; DJ Snake & Lil Jon Hit Top 10". Billboard . Retrieved 3 April 2014.
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  25. ↑ Trust, Gary (November 16, 2015). "Adele's 'Hello' Leads Hot 100 for Third Week, Is Fastest Radio Songs No. 1 in 22 Years". Billboard . Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  26. 1 2 3 Trust, Gary (February 3, 2020). "Roddy Ricch's 'The Box' Tops Billboard Hot 100 for Fourth Week, Dua Lipa's 'Don't Start Now' Hits Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  27. ↑ Trust, Gary (April 19, 2021). "Polo G Scores First Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 With Debut of 'Rapstar'". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  28. ↑ Trust, Gary (October 2, 2023). "Doja Cat's 'Paint the Town Red' Tops Hot 100 for Second Week, Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer' Rules Radio". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Usher Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 "Maroon 5 Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Ludacris Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  33. 1 2 "Beyoncé Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  34. ↑ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Rihanna Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  36. 1 2 "Bruno Mars Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Usher Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Boyz II Men Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  39. ↑ "The Weeknd Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Adele Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Taylor Swift - Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  42. ↑ "LMFAO Keeps Katy Perry At Bay Atop Hot 100". Billboard. August 10, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Rihanna". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
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  46. ↑ "Justin Bieber - Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
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  48. ↑ "Taylor Swift - Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  49. ↑ Trust, Gary (15 May 2018). "Drake Earns 20th Radio Songs Top 10 With 'Nice for What,' Tying Lil Wayne For Most Among Males". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  50. ↑ "Ariana Grande - Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Chris Brown - Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.com. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  52. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of December 3, 1994". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  53. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of December 9, 1995". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  54. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of August 17, 2002". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of May 22, 2004". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  56. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of July 17, 2004". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  57. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of September 17, 2005". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  58. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of November 29, 2008". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  59. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of January 1, 2011". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  60. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of October 10, 2015". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  61. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of February 27, 2016". Billboard . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  62. ↑ "Radio Songs | Week of August 4, 2018". Billboard . Retrieved July 31, 2018.
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