Top 40 Chart
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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 Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
being played on a panel of
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
radio stations in the United States. The rankings are based on radio
airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
detections as measured by
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owned ...
(Nielsen BDS), a subsidiary of the U.S.' leading marketing research company. Consumer researchers,
Nielsen Audio Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
(formerly ''Arbitron''), refers to the format as
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
(CHR). The current number-one song as of the chart dated December 24, 2022 is "
Anti-Hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
" by
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
.


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 Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owned ...
(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. 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. 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 ''Billboard Radio Monitor'' was a weekly music Trade journal, trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes. The magazine was a spinoff of ''Billboard magazine ...
, a secondary chart publication by ''Billboard''. They returned to the print edition in the August 2, 2003, issue. The first number-one song on the chart was " End of the Road" by
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
.


Chart criteria

There are forty positions on this chart. Songs are ranked based on its total number of spins per week. This is calculated by electronically monitoring Mainstream Top 40 radio stations across the U.S. 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. 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 two songs are tied in spins in the same week, the one with the biggest increase that week ranks 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 chart dated December 4, 2010, songs below No. 15 are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks on the chart Whereas the Pop Airplay 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 The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout ...
) measured airplay based on statistical impressions, while the Top 40 Mainstream chart used the number of total detections. Source:


All-time achievements

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 Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
" by
Goo Goo Dolls The Goo Goo Dolls are an American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik, bassist/vocalist Robby Takac, and drummer George Tutuska. After starting off as a cover band and then developing a punk sound, ...
ranked as the #1 song on that list. In 2017, Billboard revised the rankings, including the methodologies for how they are calculated. " Another Night" by
Real McCoy "The real McCoy" is an idiom and metaphor used in much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g. "he's the real McCoy". The phrase has been the subject of numerous false etymologies. History The phr ...
was the new #1 song, while the previous #1 song, "Iris", dropped to #8.
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
ranked as the top artist on both all-time charts. Shown below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists from the most recent chart.


Top 10 Pop Songs of all time (1992–2017)

Source:


Top 10 Pop Songs artists of all time (1992–2017)

Source:


Song records


Highest debut


Most weeks at number one


Most weeks in the top 10


Most weeks on the chart

*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 Edwin Cole McCain (born January 20, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His songs " I'll Be" (1998) and "I Could Not Ask for More" (1999) were radio top-40 hits in the U.S., and five of his albums have reached the ''Billboard ...
, 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.


Longest climbs to number one


Longest climbs to the top 10


Artist records


Artists with the most number-one singles


Artists with the most cumulative weeks at number one


Artists with the most top 10 singles


Artists with the most entries


Simultaneously occupying the top two positions

*
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
: December 9, 1995 # "
One Sweet Day "One Sweet Day" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and vocal group Boyz II Men. The song was released on as the second single from Carey's fifth studio album, ''Daydream'' (1995) by Columbia Records. The artists co- ...
" ''(with
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
)'' # "
Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
" * OutKast: January 31 - February 7, 2004 # "
Hey Ya! "Hey Ya!" is a song performed by American hip-hop duo Outkast, specifically group member André 3000, who wrote and produced the song. Along with "The Way You Move", recorded by Outkast's other member Big Boi, "Hey Ya!" was released by Arista ...
" # "
The Way You Move "The Way You Move" is a hip-hop and soul song performed by Big Boi of American hip hop duo OutKast. The song features OutKast mentor Sleepy Brown on guest vocals. Along with "Hey Ya!", recorded by OutKast's other member André 3000, "The Way Y ...
" ''(featuring
Sleepy Brown Patrick Leroy "Sleepy" Brown (born January 24, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Savannah, Georgia. He is one-third of the successful Atlanta-based production team of Organized Noize, which has created hits for act ...
)'' *
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
: July 27 - August 3, 2013 # "
Blurred Lines "Blurred Lines" is a song by American singer Robin Thicke featuring American rappers T.I. and Pharrell Williams from the former's sixth studio album of the same name (2013). Solely produced by Williams, it was released as the album's lead si ...
" ''(
Robin Thicke Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 hit single " Blurred Lines", which is one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, h ...
featuring T.I. and Pharrell)'' # " Get Lucky" ''(
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
featuring Pharrell Williams)'' *
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...
: June 28 - July 12, 2014 # "
Fancy Fancy may refer to: Places * Fancy, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a settlement * Fancy River, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Music Albums * ''Fancy'' (Bobbie Gentry album), 1970 * ''Fancy'' (Idiot Flesh album), 1997 * ''Fancy'' (video ...
" ''(featuring
Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
)'' # " Problem" ''(
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
featuring Iggy Azalea)'' * Halsey: February 23 - March 9, 2019 # " Without Me" # " Eastside" ''(with
Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also ...
and
Khalid Khalid (variants include Khaled and Kalid; Arabic: خالد) is a popular Arabic male given name meaning "eternal, everlasting, immortal", and it also appears as a surname.
)'' *
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
: February 20, 2021 # "
34+35 "34+35" (pronounced "thirty-four thirty-five") 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, ...
" # " Positions" *
Olivia Rodrigo Olivia Isabel Rodrigo (born February 20, 2003) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television programs ''Bizaardvark'' and '' High School Musical: The Music ...
: August 7–28, 2021 # "
Good 4 U "Good 4 U" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, released on May 14, 2021, through Geffen and Interscope Records, as the third single from Rodrigo's debut studio album, ''Sour'' (2021). T ...
" # "
Deja Vu Deja or Dejah may refer to: * Deja News, an archive of messages posted to Usenet discussion groups and its successor ''deja.com'' * Andreas Deja (born 1957), German animator * Dejah Mulipola (born 1998), American softball player * Dejah Thoris, a ...
" *
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...
: October 15–22, 2022 # "
I Like You (A Happier Song) "I Like You (A Happier Song)" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone featuring fellow American rapper and singer Doja Cat. The song was written by the artists alongside Billy Walsh and producers Louis Bell and Jasper Harris. It was ...
" ''(
Post Malone Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his variegated vocals, Malone has gained acclaim for blending genres and subgenres of hip ...
featuring Doja Cat)'' # "
Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
" Source:


Simultaneously three or more songs in the top 10

*
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
: May 15–22, 2021 ** " Positions" ** "
34+35 "34+35" (pronounced "thirty-four thirty-five") 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, ...
" ** " POV" *
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...
: October 23–30, 2021 ** "
Kiss Me More "Kiss Me More" is a song by American rapper and singer Doja Cat featuring fellow American singer SZA from the former's third studio album ''Planet Her'' (2021). The song was released on April 9, 2021 as its lead single through Kemosabe and RC ...
" ** "
You Right In Modern English, ''you'' is the Grammatical person, second-person English pronouns, pronoun. It is Grammatical number, grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all case ...
" ** "
Need to Know The term "need to know", when used by government and other organizations (particularly those related to the military or espionage), describes the restriction of data which is considered very sensitive. Under need-to-know restrictions, even if one ...
" *
Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series ''The X Factor (UK TV series), The X Factor''. Following hi ...
: October 15–29, 2022 ** "
As It Was "As It Was" is a song by British singer Harry Styles, released through Erskine and Columbia on 1 April 2022 as the lead single from his third studio album, ''Harry's House'' (2022). The song was written by Styles alongside the song's producer ...
" ** "
Late Night Talking "Late Night Talking" is a song by English singer Harry Styles. The song was released to US pop radio as the second single from his third studio album ''Harry's House'' on 21 June 2022. A music video for the song was later released on 13 July 20 ...
" ** " Music for a Sushi Restaurant" Source:


Self-replacement at number one

*
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
— "
Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
" → "
One Sweet Day "One Sweet Day" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and vocal group Boyz II Men. The song was released on as the second single from Carey's fifth studio album, ''Daydream'' (1995) by Columbia Records. The artists co- ...
" (Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men) (December 9, 1995) * OutKast — "
Hey Ya! "Hey Ya!" is a song performed by American hip-hop duo Outkast, specifically group member André 3000, who wrote and produced the song. Along with "The Way You Move", recorded by Outkast's other member Big Boi, "Hey Ya!" was released by Arista ...
" → "
The Way You Move "The Way You Move" is a hip-hop and soul song performed by Big Boi of American hip hop duo OutKast. The song features OutKast mentor Sleepy Brown on guest vocals. Along with "Hey Ya!", recorded by OutKast's other member André 3000, "The Way Y ...
" (OutKast featuring Sleepy Brown) (February 14, 2004) *
Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...
— "
Fancy Fancy may refer to: Places * Fancy, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a settlement * Fancy River, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Music Albums * ''Fancy'' (Bobbie Gentry album), 1970 * ''Fancy'' (Idiot Flesh album), 1997 * ''Fancy'' (video ...
" (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) *
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
— " Positions" → "
34+35 "34+35" (pronounced "thirty-four thirty-five") 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, ...
" (February 13, 2021) †† *
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song ...
— "
I Like You (A Happier Song) "I Like You (A Happier Song)" is a song by American rapper and singer Post Malone featuring fellow American rapper and singer Doja Cat. The song was written by the artists alongside Billy Walsh and producers Louis Bell and Jasper Harris. It was ...
" (Post Malone featuring Doja Cat) → "
Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
" (October 22, 2022) † 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:


Additional artist achievements

175px, Lady Gaga is the only musical artist in history to have her first six singles all reach the number-one position on this chart. *
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
is the only artist to have her first six singles reach No. 1. *
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
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. * JoJo at age 13, became the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single on the chart with "
Leave (Get Out) "Leave (Get Out)" is the debut single of American singer JoJo from her self-titled debut studio album (2004). It was released as the album's lead single on February 24, 2004. Produced by Danish production duo Soulshock & Karlin, the song became ...
". *
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
broke the record for the oldest song to have ever charted on the Mainstream Top 40 chart with "
Running Up That Hill "Running Up That Hill", titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" on some releases, is a song by the British singer and songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the United Kingdom as the lead single from Bush's album ''Hounds of Love'' on ...
", originally released in 1985. It charted in 2022 after its use in the fourth season of ''
Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
''. The previous record holder was
Empire of the Sun ''Empire of the Sun'' is a 1984 novel by English writer J. G. Ballard; it was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Like Ballard's earlier short story "The Dead Time" (published in the anthology '' ...
, whose song "
Walking on a Dream Walking on a Dream may refer to: * ''Walking on a Dream'' (album), a 2008 album by Empire of the Sun ** "Walking on a Dream" (song), the album's title track {{Disambiguation ...
", originally released in 2008, charted in 2016 after its use in a
Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
commercial.


Album records


Most number-one singles from an album


References


External links


Pop Airplay on Billboard.com
{{Billboard Billboard charts Pop music