Editing Billboard charts (section)

== History ==
The first chart published by ''Billboard'' was "Last Week's Ten Best Sellers Among The Popular Songs", a list of best-selling [[sheet music]], in July 1913. Other early charts listed popular song performances in theatres and recitals in different cities. In 1928, "Popular Numbers Featured by Famous Singers and Leaders" appeared, which added radio performances to in-person performances.<ref name="chart history" /> On January 4, 1936, ''Billboard'' magazine published its first pop chart based on record sales.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sixty-years-of-hits-from-sinatra-to-sinatra-1322429.html | title=Sixty years of hits, from Sinatra to ... Sinatra | first=Jonathan | last=Sale | date=January 4, 1996 | work=[[The Independent]] | access-date=January 3, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103170756/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sixty-years-of-hits-from-sinatra-to-sinatra-1322429.html | archive-date=January 3, 2017 | url-status=live }}</ref> Titled "Ten Best Records for Week Ending", it listed the 10 top-selling records of three leading record companies as reported by the companies themselves. In March 1937, the "Songs with the Most Radio Plugs" chart debuted with data from a separate company. In October 1938, a review list, "The Week's Best Records", was retitled "The Billboard Record Buying Guide" by incorporating airplay and sheet music sales, which would eventually become the first trade survey of record popularity.<ref name="chart history">{{cite magazine |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=XCMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT149|title= The Chart in Evolution: A Chronicle |magazine=Billboard |page=RS-110 |date=May 21, 1977}}</ref>

In the July 27, 1940, issue, the first "Billboard Music Popularity Chart" was published for the week ending July 20,<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |title=Happy Birthday, Billboard Charts! On July 27, 1940, the First Song Sales Survey Debuted |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/happy-birthday-billboard-charts/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 26, 2021 |date=July 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name="retail records">{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1940/Billboard-1940-07-27.pdf |title=Billboard Music Popularity Chart|page=11 |magazine=Billboard |date=July 27, 1940 }}</ref> with separate listings covering retail sales, sheet music sales, [[jukebox]] song selection and radio play. Among the lists were the 10 songs of the "Best Selling Retail Records", which is the fore-runner of today's pop chart, with "[[I'll Never Smile Again]]" by [[Tommy Dorsey]] (featuring vocals by [[Frank Sinatra]]) its first number one.<ref name="chart history" /><ref name="retail records"/> This best-seller chart (also known as "Best Sellers in Stores" and "Best Selling Pop Singles in Stores") is considered the true guide to a song's popularity until the creation of the Hot 100 in 1958.<ref name=bronson>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RVFLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3 |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits |first= Fred |last=Bronson |date= 1997|isbn=9780823076413 |publisher=Billboard Books|page=xxii–xxiii}}</ref>  Another accolade of a successful song was a position on the "Honor Roll of Hits", introduced on March 24, 1945, initially as a 10-song list,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=phEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT2 |title=Honor Roll of Hits Tabbed |magazine=Billboard |page=3 |date=March 24, 1945 }}</ref> later expanded to 30 songs, which ranked the most popular songs by combining record and sheet sales, disk jockey, and jukebox performances as determined by ''Billboard's'' weekly nationwide survey.<ref name="Billboard Honor Roll">{{Cite magazine|date=April 24, 1954|title=Billboard Honor Roll of Hits Represents Culmination of Disk's Life on the Charts|url=|magazine=Billboard|page=34}}</ref> This chart amalgamated different records of the same song by different performers as one, and topping the first chart was "[[Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive]]".

In  November 1955, a composite standing chart that combined retail sales, jukebox and disk jockeys play charts but counted individual records separately was created as "The Top 100" chart, with "[[Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (song)|Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing]]" by [[The Four Aces]] its first No. 1.<ref name="chart history" /> This chart is the direct predecessor to the current Hot 100 chart.  The jukebox chart ceased publication after the June 17, 1957, issue, the disk jockey chart after July 28, 1958, and the best-seller chart after October 13, 1958.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound">{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound|publisher=Routledge|last1=Hoffmann |first1=Frank W. |last2=Ferstler |first2=Howard|year=2005|isbn=0203484274|edition=2nd|location=New York, NY|oclc=65174453}}</ref> After July 28, 1958, the composite chart the "Top 100" chart was also discontinued;<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Bvm2rnwUDIC&pg=PA879 |title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 9th Edition|first= Joel |last=Whitburn |date= 2012|isbn=9780307985125|publisher=Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed |page=879}}</ref> and the "Hot 100" began the following week on August 4, 1958, listing "[[Poor Little Fool]]" by [[Ricky Nelson]] as its first No. 1.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Hot 100 55th Anniversary: Every No. 1 Song (1958–2013) |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/hot-100-55th-anniversary-every-no-1-song-1958-2013/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 26, 2021 |date=August 2, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1958-08-02/ |title=Billboard Hot 100 |magazine=Billboard |date=August 4, 1958 }}</ref>  The Hot 100 currently combines [[single (music)|singles]] sales, radio [[airplay (song)|airplay]], [[Paid download|digital downloads]], and [[Streaming media|streaming]] activity (including data from [[YouTube]] and other video sites). Many ''Billboard'' charts use this basic formula apart from charts dedicated to the three data sources: sales (both physical and digital), airplay and streaming.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Billboard Charts Legend |url=https://www.billboard.com/billboard-charts-legend/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 26, 2021 |date=January 23, 2013}}</ref>

In the early period, the issue dates and the chart dates given in ''Billboard'' were different until January 13, 1962, when the issue dates and the chart dates both referred to the ''week ending'' dates.<ref name=bronson /> The Honor Roll of Hits chart was discontinued after November 16, 1963.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound"/>

Billboard also publishes various music genre charts. "Harlem Hit Parade" was created in 1943 which became "Best-Selling Race Records" in 1948 and "Best-selling Rhythm & Blues Records" in 1949, and then "Soul Singles" in 1969 (currently [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]]). "Best-selling Folk Records" was published in 1948, and this morphed into "Best-Selling Country & Western Records" in 1949, "Best-Selling C&W Records" in 1956 and "Hot Country Singles" in 1963 (now [[Hot Country Songs]]). MOR charts has been published since 1961, variously called "Easy Listening", "Middle-Road Singles" and "Pop-Standard Singles" and now [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]].<ref name="chart history" /> ''Billboard'' charts now cover these music genres: [[Rock and roll|rock]], pop, [[Country music|country]], [[Dance music|dance]], [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]], [[jazz]], [[20th-century classical music|classical]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[Hip hop music|rap]], [[electronic music|electronic]],  [[Latin American music|Latin]], [[Christian music|Christian]], [[World music|world]] and [[Christmas music|holiday music]], and even [[ringtones]] for mobile (cell) phones.

An album chart, the "Best Selling Popular Record Albums", was first published on March 24, 1945, with ''[[The King Cole Trio (album)|The King Cole Trio]]'' its first No. 1.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=phEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT64 |title=Best Selling Popular Record Albums|magazine=Billboard |page=65|date=March 24, 1945}}</ref> The first chart had 10 albums, before reducing to five in the following weeks, then increasing again to 10 in 1948. The album chart was split into 33-8 and 45 rpm lists in 1950 before they recombined in 1954, then divided into mono and stereo classifications in 1959 before they merged into a 150-item pop album chart in 1963. It was eventually expanded into a 200 album list on May 13, 1967.<ref name="chart history" /> Various genre album charts were also published: Country LP chart in January 1964, R&B chart in 1965, jazz in 1969, Latin in 1973, Gospel 1974,<ref name="chart history" /> and [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Rock]] in 1981. Other charts include Classical albums, Comedy Albums, Holiday Albums, Soundtracks, Independent Albums, [[Top Pop Catalog Albums|Catalog Album]] and many others besides.

At the end of each year, ''Billboard'' tallies the results of all of its charts, and the results are published in a year-end issue and heard on year-end editions of its ''[[American Top 40]]'' and ''[[American Country Countdown]]'' radio broadcasts.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end|title = Charts – Year End|magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> The first such [[Billboard Year-End|annual charts]] released were for the year 1946, published in the January 4, 1947, issue,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=txoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT13|title=The Billboard First Annual Music Record Poll |pages=3, 12–16 |date=January 4, 1947 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> although annual listing of songs had been published some years prior,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/40s/1940/Billboard-1940-01-06.pdf |title=Tin Pan Alley Grows Up|pages=3, 10 |date=January 6, 1940 |magazine=Billboard }}</ref> such as the undifferentiated annual chart based on "Honor Roll of Hits" for 1945.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qBgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT12 |title=Mercer, Saintly-Joy Top in 1945 |magazine=Billboard |date=January 12, 1946 |pages=13, 24}}</ref> Between 1991 and 2006, the top single/album/artist(s) in each of those charts was/were awarded in the form of the annual [[Billboard Music Awards]], which were held in December until the awards went dormant in 2007. The awards returned in May 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.accessonline.com/articles/billboard-music-awards-will-return-to-tv-after-5-year-hiatus-97252|title = Billboard Music Awards Will Return to TV After 5-Year Hiatus|website= Access Online|date=February 17, 2011}}</ref>

===Chart compilation methodology===
{{More citations needed|1=section|date=January 2025}}
For many years, a song had to be commercially available as a single to be considered for any of the ''Billboard'' charts. At the time, instead of using [[Luminate (company)|Luminate]] (formerly [[Nielsen SoundScan]] or [[Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems]], BDS), ''Billboard'' obtained its data from manual reports filled out by radio stations and stores. For different musical genres, which stations and stores are used separates the charts; each musical genre has a core audience or retail group. Each genre's department at ''Billboard'' is headed up by a chart manager, who makes these determinations.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} According to the 100th-anniversary issue of ''Billboard'', prior to the official implementation of SoundScan tracking in November 1991, many radio stations and retail stores removed songs from their manual reports after the associated record labels stopped promoting a particular single. Thus, songs fell quickly after peaking and had shorter chart lives.  In 1990, the [[Country music|country]] singles chart was the first chart to use SoundScan and BDS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billboardchartrewind.wordpress.com/2018/10/19/hot-country-singles-the-first-chart-to-incorporate-modern-bds-tracking/|title = Hot Country Singles: The First Chart to Incorporate Modern BDS Tracking|date = October 19, 2018}}</ref> They were followed by the Hot 100 and the [[R&B]] chart in 1991.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |title=Billboard Hot 100 Celebrates 20 Years of Nielsen Data |url= https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-hot-100-celebrates-20-years-of-nielsen-data/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 26, 2021 |date=November 30, 2011}}</ref> Today, all of the ''Billboard'' charts use this technology.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Before September 1995, singles were allowed to chart in the week they first went on sale based on airplay points alone. The policy was changed in September 1995, to only allow a single to debut after a full week of sales on combined sales and airplay points. This allowed several tracks to debut at number one.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

In December 1998, the policy was further modified to allow tracks to chart on the basis of airplay alone without a commercial release.  This change was made to reflect the changing realities of the music business. Previous to this, several substantial radio and MTV hits had not appeared on the ''Billboard'' chart at all, because many [[Record label|major labels]] chose not to release them as standalone singles, hoping their unavailability would spur greater [[album sales]]. Not offering a popular song to the public as a single was unheard of before the 1970s. The genres that suffered most at the time were those that increasingly impacted [[popular culture|pop culture]], including new genres such as [[trip hop]] and [[grunge]]. Among the many pre-1999 songs that had ended up in this Hot 100 limbo were [[The Cardigans]]' "[[Lovefool]]", [[Natalie Imbruglia]]'s "[[Torn (Natalie Imbruglia song)|Torn]]" (which peaked at 42), [[Goo Goo Dolls]]' "[[Iris (Goo Goo Dolls song)|Iris]]" (which hit number 9), [[OMC (band)|OMC]]'s "[[How Bizarre (song)|How Bizarre]]", [[Sugar Ray]]'s "[[Fly (Sugar Ray song)|Fly]]", and [[No Doubt]]'s "[[Don't Speak]]".{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

On June 25, 2015, ''Billboard'' made changes in its chart requirements. The official street date for all new album releases was moved from Tuesday to Friday in the United States.  For all sales-based charts (ranking both albums and tracks), ''Billboard'' and Nielsen changed the chart reporting period to cover the first seven days of an album's release. As a result of the changes, The ''Billboard'' 200, top albums sales, genre-based albums, digital songs, genre-based downloads, streaming songs, and genre-focused streaming surveys ran on a Friday-to-Thursday cycle.  Radio Songs, which informs the Hot 100, synced to the Monday-to-Sunday period after formerly covering Wednesday to Tuesday. All other radio charts and genre tallies followed the Monday-to-Sunday cycle. The move was made to coincide with the [[IFPI|IFPI's]] move to have all singles and albums released globally on Fridays.<ref name=" chart week">[https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-alter-chart-tracking-week-global-release-date/ "Billboard to Alter Chart Tracking Week for Global Release Date"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720083618/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6605842/billboard-alter-chart-tracking-week-global-release-date |date=July 20, 2015 }} from Billboard (June 24, 2015)</ref>

=== Incorporation of digital platforms ===
Starting on February 12, 2005, ''Billboard'' changed its methodology to include paid [[music download|digital downloads]] from digital music retailers such as [[Rhapsody (online music service)|Rhapsody]], AmazonMP3, and [[iTunes Store|iTunes]]. With this policy change, a song could chart based on digital downloads alone.<ref name="Inc.2005">{{cite book |title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vhQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64|access-date=July 25, 2013|date=February 12, 2005|publisher=Nielsen Business Media |page=64|issn=0006-2510|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102114659/http://books.google.com/books?id=vhQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64|archive-date=January 2, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

On July 31, 2007, ''Billboard'' changed its methodology for the Hot 100 chart to include digital streams, which at the time was obtained from [[Yahoo]] and AOL's streaming platforms. This change was made exclusively to the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart. The effect of this chart change was minuscule at the time because it was estimated to account for 5% of the chart's total points.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/billboard-hot-100-to-include-digital-streams-1050326/ |title=Hot 100 To Include Digital Streams |magazine=Billboard |date=2007-07-31 |access-date=2021-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614022316/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1050326/billboard-hot-100-to-include-digital-streams |archive-date=June 14, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2012, ''Billboard'' significantly changed the methodology for its country, rock, Latin, and rap charts, when it incorporated sales of digital downloads and streaming plays into what had previously been airplay-only charts. Another change was that rather than measuring airplay only from radio stations of a particular genre, the new methodology measures airplay from all radio formats.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/fans-react-as-billboard-changes-charts-formula-81487/| title= Fans React as Billboard Changes Charts Formula| last= Knopper| first= Steve| date= 19 October 2012| magazine= [[Rolling Stone]]| access-date= 26 December 2021| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160509235111/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/fans-react-as-billboard-changes-charts-formula-20121019| archive-date= May 9, 2016| url-status= live}}</ref> This methodology was extended to their Christian and gospel charts in late 2013.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=''Billboard'' staff |date=November 25, 2013 |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/billboard-christian-gospel-charts-to-get-a-consumer-focused/ |title=Billboard Christian & Gospel Charts to Get a Consumer-Focused Facelift |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128194401/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/5800744/billboard-christian-gospel-charts-to-get-a-consumer-focused |archive-date=November 28, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> These methodology changes resulted in higher positions on the genre charts for songs with crossover appeal to other genres and radio formats (especially pop) at the expense of songs that appeal almost exclusively to core fans of the given genre, a change that proved controversial with those devotees.<ref>{{cite web |author=Chris Molanphy |date=April 14, 2014 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/9378-i-know-you-got-soul-the-trouble-with-billboards-rbhip-hop-chart/ |title=I Know You Got Soul: The Trouble With Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Chart |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |access-date=January 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121143650/https://pitchfork.com/features/article/9378-i-know-you-got-soul-the-trouble-with-billboards-rbhip-hop-chart/ |archive-date=January 21, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On February 20, 2013, ''Billboard'' announced another change in the methodology for its charts that incorporated [[YouTube]] video streaming data into the determination of ranking positions on streaming charts. The incorporation of YouTube streaming data enhanced a formula that includes on-demand audio streaming and online radio streaming. The YouTube video streams that used in this methodology are official video streams, [[Vevo]] on YouTube streams, and user-generated clips that use authorized audio. ''Billboard'' said this change was made to further reflect the divergent platforms of music consumption in today's world.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/hot-100-news-billboard-and-nielsen-add-youtube-video-streaming-to-platforms/ |title=Hot 100 News: Billboard and Nielsen Add YouTube Video Streaming to Platforms |magazine=Billboard |date=2013-02-20 |access-date=2021-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515071934/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1549399/hot-100-news-billboard-and-nielsen-add-youtube-video-streaming-to-platforms |archive-date=May 15, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>