Mainstream Top 40
The Mainstream Top 40 is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard Magazine that ranks the most popular songs 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, a subsidiary of the U.S.' leading marketing research company. Consumer researchers, Nielsen Audio, refers to the format as contemporary hit radio.
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. 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.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.
Chart criteria
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. In 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 measured airplay based on statistical impressions, while the Top 40 Mainstream chart used the number of total detections.
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All-time chart achievements
On October 19, 2017, the Mainstream Top 40 co-hosts, Gary Trust and Trevor Anderson, gave hints as to what the number 1 all-time Mainstream Top 40 song was going to be on the charts. Later that day, the top 100 all-time songs and the top 50-all time artists were released, with the number 1 all-time song being revealed as "Another Night" by Real McCoy. Shown below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists from each 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
| Debut Position | Artist | Song | Debut Date | Source |
| Mariah Carey | "Dreamlover" | August 14, 1993 | ||
| Taylor Swift | "Shake It Off" | September 6, 2014 | ||
| Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar | "Bad Blood" | June 6, 2015 | ||
| Lady Gaga | "Born This Way" | February 26, 2011 | ||
| Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z | "Suit & Tie" | February 2, 2013 | ||
| Madonna | "Frozen" | March 7, 1998 | ||
| Britney Spears | "Hold It Against Me" | January 29, 2011 | ||
| Taylor Swift | "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" | September 1, 2012 | ||
| Maroon 5 | "Maps" | July 5, 2014 |
Most weeks at number one
| Number of weeks | Artist | Song | Year | Source |
| Ace of Base | "The Sign" | 1994 | ||
| Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men | "One Sweet Day" | 1995-96 | ||
| Donna Lewis | "I Love You Always Forever" | 1996 | ||
| Natalie Imbruglia | "Torn" | 1998 | ||
| Nelly featuring Tim McGraw | "Over and Over" | 2004-05 | ||
| The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | "Closer" | 2016 | ||
| Dionne Farris | "I Know" | 1995 | ||
| No Doubt | "Don't Speak" | 1996-97 | ||
| Céline Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1998 | ||
| 'N Sync | "Bye Bye Bye" | 2000 | ||
| Nickelback | "How You Remind Me" | 2001-02 | ||
| Mariah Carey | "We Belong Together" | 2005 | ||
| Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell | "Blurred Lines" | 2013 | ||
| Post Malone | "Circles" | 2019-20 |
Most weeks in the top 10
| Number of weeks | Artist | Song | Year | Source |
| Post Malone | "Circles" | 2019-20 | ||
| Real McCoy | "Another Night" | 1994-95 | ||
| Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1998 | ||
| Lifehouse | "Hanging by a Moment" | 2001 | ||
| Dua Lipa | "Don't Start Now" | 2020 | ||
| No Doubt | "Don't Speak" | 1996-97 | ||
| Savage Garden | "Truly Madly Deeply" | 1997-98 | ||
| Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2018-19 | ||
| Halsey | “Without Me” | 2018-19 |
Most weeks on the chart
| Number of weeks | Artist | Song | Year* | Source |
| Dua Lipa | "New Rules" | 2018 | ||
| Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2019 | ||
| Benny Blanco, Halsey, and Khalid | "Eastside" | 2019 | ||
| Post Malone | "Circles" | 2020 | ||
| Lauv | "I Like Me Better" | 2018 | ||
| Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1998 | ||
| Real McCoy | "Another Night" | 1995 | ||
| Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1999 | ||
| Goo Goo Dolls | "Slide" | 1999 | ||
| 5 Seconds of Summer | "Youngblood" | 2019 | ||
| Santana featuring Rob Thomas | "Smooth" | 2000 | ||
| Pink | "U + Ur Hand" | 2007 | ||
| Lewis Capaldi | "Someone You Loved" | 2020 | ||
| Dua Lipa | "Don't Start Now" | 2020 | ||
| MAX featuring gnash | "Lights Down Low" | 2018 |
Note: *-Year when the songs ended their respective chart runs.
Longest climbs to number one
The following songs took 20 or more weeks to reach number one.| Week reached number one | Artist | Song | Year | Source |
| Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid | "Eastside" | 2019 | ||
| Trevor Daniel | "Falling" | 2020 | ||
| Alessia Cara | "Here" | 2016 | ||
| CeeLo Green | "Forget You" | 2011 | ||
| Demi Lovato | "Give Your Heart a Break" | 2012 | ||
| Alessia Cara | "Scars to Your Beautiful" | 2017 | ||
| Khalid and Normani | "Love Lies" | 2018 | ||
| Pink | "U + Ur Hand" | 2007 | ||
| Ellie Goulding | "Lights" | 2012 | ||
| Shawn Mendes | "Stitches" | 2015 | ||
| Post Malone | "Wow" | 2019 | ||
| Dua Lipa | "New Rules" | 2018 | ||
| Jewel | "You Were Meant for Me" | 1997 | ||
| Eagle-Eye Cherry | "Save Tonight" | 1999 | ||
| Niall Horan | "Slow Hands" | 2017 | ||
| Camila Cabello | "Never Be the Same" | 2018 | ||
| Bazzi | "Mine" | 2018 | ||
| Maroon 5 | "Memories" | 2020 | ||
| Justin Bieber featuring Quavo | "Intentions" | 2020 |
Longest climbs to the top 10
The following songs took 25 or more weeks to reach the top 10.| Week reached top 10 | Artist | Song | Year | Source |
| Lauv | "I Like Me Better" | 2018 | ||
| Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1998 | ||
| MAX featuring gnash | "Lights Down Low" | 2018 | ||
| Lewis Capaldi | "Before You Go" | 2020 | ||
| MKTO | "Classic" | 2014 | ||
| Daya | "Sit Still, Look Pretty" | 2016 | ||
| Jon Bellion | "All Time Low" | 2017 |
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
| Number of Entries | Artist | Source |
| Rihanna | ||
| Nicki Minaj | ||
| Chris Brown | ||
| Britney Spears | ||
| Pitbull | ||
| Taylor Swift | ||
| Mariah Carey | ||
| Lil Wayne | ||
| Justin Timberlake |
Simultaneously occupying the top two positions
- Mariah Carey: December 9, 1995
- "One Sweet Day" '
- "Fantasy"
- OutKast: January 31 - February 7, 2004
- "Hey Ya!"
- "The Way You Move" '
- Pharrell Williams: July 27 - August 3, 2013
- "Blurred Lines" '
- "Get Lucky" '
- Iggy Azalea: June 28 - July 12, 2014
- "Fancy" '
- "Problem" '
- Halsey: February 23 - March 9, 2019
- "Without Me"
- "Eastside"
Self-replacement at number one
- Mariah Carey — "Fantasy" → "One Sweet Day"
- OutKast — "Hey Ya!" → "The Way You Move"
- Iggy Azalea — "Fancy" → "Problem" †
- Halsey — "Without Me" → "Eastside"
Source:
Additional artist achievements
- Lady Gaga is the only artist to have her first six singles reach No. 1.
- Britney Spears 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 ".
Album records