American Top 40 - September 23, 2006

WHEN IS BROOKE GONNA BE ON THE TOP 40!?

SHE HAS BEEN FOR 4 WEEKS STRAIGHT NOW!!!!@!!!!!!!!

Jesse is #31 on the corresponding R&R, yet he's only an extra here?

Did Cheyenne fall off Mediabase's chart this week?

Wow... it's rare whe 2 of the optional extras don't correspond with the HotAC AT40 chart.

If you have only one CHR station in your market and that station airs only one of the four "national" CHR countdowns and that show happens to be AT40, yes YOU ARE BEING FORCED to listen to this only show in town.  :'(

He should take the older songs off on the lower part of the chart and have the newer song that do make top 40 on it. I can understand why people complaint about it. More perple want to here NEW music not OLD music that radio has over played.

Not really... you can choose not to listen to any CHR countdowns at all, or listen to a different one on a station that streams online. ;)

I agree with the max that there is too much complaining going on every week with the AT40 topic. 
The two major complaints are:
(1) "Why is Natasha, or Kelly, or Usher, or whoever, still on the chart?  It's been 7 months already - let's give this song a rest.  It's time for this song to go!"
(2) "Why is such-and-such song #25 on AT40, but #23 on the corresponding week's Mediabase chart?  This chart is just plain silly.  Why do I have to listen to this crap?"

(1) Back when I first started following the Top 40 in 1980, the chart was based on playlists which stations submitted.  It made for a faster moving chart than the current system does, with more songs hitting #1, the Top 10, and the Top 40 in general.  However, it was not accurate.  The current system most countdowns based on airplay use, actual monitored airplay, is much more accurate.  The downside (most people consider this to be a downside) is that it creates for a much slower chart, with songs lingering on the countdown for much longer.  That being said, chart compilers had to institute a "recurrent rule," meaning that songs are arbitrarily removed from the chart after a certain amount of time and after dropping below a certain position.  These recurrent rules are not an act of God - they are created by man, and were generally created only within the past 15 years.  What AT40 does is play the 40 most played songs on a panel of CHR/Pop stations, period.  At what point is a song too "old" to be included on a countdown?  10 weeks?  15 weeks?  20 weeks?  25 weeks?  30 weeks?  Never?    AT40 has chosen the "never" option.  Their countdown is, simply, the 40 most played songs.  Each way of compiling a countdown has its pros and cons.

• Playlists - Pro - faster chart and more songs can chart.  Con - not accurate
  
• Monitored Airplay with recurrent rule - Pro - Accurate.  Con - Songs arbitraily removed from chart even if still receiving airplay
  
• Monitored Airplay with no recurrent rule - Pro - Accurate (even more so than above option).  Con - Includes some "older" songs which much of the radio-listening public would no longer classify as "current."
  

You might like one option more than the others.  I have my own presonal preference.  AT40 chose the last option.  That's their prerogative.  It's easier to like something if you're willing to accept it.

(2) It costs big bucks to use an official chart for a countdown show.   That, and you also need their permission.  I remember reading about this is Rob Durkee's Book "American Top 40 - Countdown of the Century."  (highly recommended, by the way).  I don't remember exact figures, but I remember them being quite high.  As for songs not matching up exactly to the Mediabase chart, remember that AT40 only uses monitored airplay from its affiliates - that is, those stations actually broadcasting the show.  While that panel is a good-sized percentage of the total Mediabase panel, there is definitely room for songs to be off by a few positions.

I have never complained about the AT40 chart.  I take the chart for what it's worth.
As for comparing the actual radio program (Casey until 2003 vs. Ryan 2004-present), that's a whole 'nother can of worms.  Obviously, Casey's American Top 40 (pre-January 2004) is the clear winner, but that's a topic for a different thread.

Usually it's like that every week. Optionals 1 and 3 are the same but 2 and 4 are different. Rick's are always the same on both shows.

Here is a commentary that a certain e-mail friend of mine who shall remain nameless used to send me but, just because I didn't put replying to his e-mail on the top of my priority list, he's no longer e-mailing me.... But enough ranting, here it is:

Two debuts this week, both of them members of boy bands. 98 Degree lead singer Nick Lachey kicks off the countdown at #40 with "I Can't Hate You Anymore" and Justin Timberlake, of 'N Sync debuts at #38 with "My Love" (I'm assuming that it's not a hot Petula Clark, Wings, or Lionel Richie remake)

Nine songs that have since moved to recurrent on the September 8 R&R chart:
#20: Move Along/All-American Rejects
#21: Hips Don't Lie/Shakira f/Wyclef Jean
#29: Savin' Me/Nickelback
#31: Where'd You Go/Fort Minor f/Holly Brook
#32: Temperature/Sean Paul
#33: S.O.S./Rihanna
#35: Walk Away/Kelly Clarkson
#36: What's Left Of Me/Nick Lachey
#39: Unwritten/Natasha Bedingfield

Songs on the R&R chart that have not yet made it onto AT40:
#31: Right Where You Want Me (one of this week's two Breakout tracks)
#35: These Walls/Teddy Geiger
#38: Chain Hang Low/Jibbs (this week's other Breakout track)
#40: About Us/Brooke Hagan f/Paul Wall

Songs still on the R&R chart that have since dropped off the AT40 chart:
#29: Hangin' On/Cheyenne Kimball
#33: Snap Yo Fingers/Lil' Jon f/E-40 & Sean Paul of the Youngbloodz
#34: It's Goin' Down/Yung Joc
#37: I Dare You/Shinedown
#39: So What/Field Mob f/Ciara

Biggest mover: (both up ten spots)
#24: Pullin' Me Back/Chingy f/Tyrese
#26: Chasing Cars/Snow Patrol

Biggest dropper: (both down six)
Where'd You Go/Fort Minor f/Holly Brook
Dani California/Red Hot Chili Peppers

Oldest song on the survey:
Unwritten/Natasha Bedingfield (38 weeks)
(honorable mention goes to "Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson, which has been hanging around for 35 weeks - might have the longevity title to herself next week if she can hold on for another week while Natasha (hopefully) falls off the chart, never to return.

While he debuts with his new song, Justin Timberlake holds on to the top of the chart with "Sexyback". He could stay there for awhile, since there are no likely number one songs immediately below. Of course, if "My Love" picks up steam, that could take away thunder from "Sexyback" and perhaps one of the songs in the Top Five could hit the top via vacuum effect. I wonder when the last time that happened was?

Actually, the VH1 Hot AC show is still on the air, just not in countdown form. It's more like all the songs that would appear in the countdown (On The Verge or not), only they're played in random order. The show is called "Best Week Ever Radio". It's not quite the same as the VH1 Weekly Rewind, but it's better than nothing.