Topic summary
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songschart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 30 positions at its inception in 1958, growing to 60 by 1973, when it was expanded to 100. In October 2012, it was shortened to 50 positions.
The chart is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African-American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, blues, R&B, doo-wop, rock and roll, soul, and funk, it is today dominated by contemporary R&B and hip hop. Since its inception, the chart has changed its name many times in order to accurately reflect the industry at the time.