How would you handle the history of Billboard’s Genre Charts
Oct 24, 2014 9:48:51 GMT -5
Post by jebsib on Oct 24, 2014 9:48:51 GMT -5
Two years ago, Billboard’s key genre Master Charts (R&B/ Hip-Hop, Country, Latin, Dance, Rap, Christian, Gospel) were rebooted from airplay-driven to sales/airplay/streaming hybrids (The new main Dance chart was introduced to coexist with the long-time Dance Club Songs Chart).
So - like them or not - we now have a “Definitive Chart” for each genre.
The thinking behind this move was to make each genre have its own mini Hot 100; The rationale was that in the 21st century, music is now consumed on a variety of platforms, not merely by gathering radio listener data or polling DJs.
In the case of some genres like Country or r&b, the former charts did not disappear, but were simply rebranded “Airplay” Charts.
Thus we have a situation where:
“Hot Country Songs” has been around since 1958, with “airplay-only data” from 1990 till late 2012. That info - including weeks and peaks of those airplay-only years - now officially belong to two chart histories: “Hot Country Songs”, and also retroactively linked to create a faux history of the new airplay chart. Thus Billboard now lists “Hot Country Airplay” as starting in 1990, not 2012.
“Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” is similar:
The main chart has been ongoing (albeit with a two year hiatus in the 60s) since 1948.
The chart was essentially an “airplay-only chart” from 2001 through late 2012.
“Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Airplay” began in the early 1990’s and continues today, combining Mainstream R&B/ Hip-Hop and Adult R&B data.
This appears to solve a bunch of concerns, but…
Histories of the Rock and Dance genres are messier, as they incorporate numerous overlapping competing ‘radio formats’ such as AAA, Mainstream, and Alternative. This is made more confusing when you appreciate that the current “Mainstream Rock” Chart was the only “Rock Chart” for most of the 80’s and was then on par with (and then culturally eclipsed by) the “Modern Rock (Alternative) Chart” throughout the 90’s.
For most of the 70’s, the Dance chart was a series of Disco playlists. In the 80’s, this was supplemented by a 12” Vinyl Single Sales list. By the ‘90s, that chart was mostly populated by Hip-Hop tracks, quite disparate from the Diva-belting “Club Play chart”.
So - an existential question:
What was the #1 Rock Song this week in 1995?
Would there be two answers? (Two Rock Charts at the time);
Is there a cultural dividing line date where one chart is supplanted by the other?
What about the Dance Charts? If asked what the #1 Dance song was 20 years ago, would you go by the Dance Club chart, or the Dance Singles Sales chart?
So - like them or not - we now have a “Definitive Chart” for each genre.
The thinking behind this move was to make each genre have its own mini Hot 100; The rationale was that in the 21st century, music is now consumed on a variety of platforms, not merely by gathering radio listener data or polling DJs.
In the case of some genres like Country or r&b, the former charts did not disappear, but were simply rebranded “Airplay” Charts.
Thus we have a situation where:
“Hot Country Songs” has been around since 1958, with “airplay-only data” from 1990 till late 2012. That info - including weeks and peaks of those airplay-only years - now officially belong to two chart histories: “Hot Country Songs”, and also retroactively linked to create a faux history of the new airplay chart. Thus Billboard now lists “Hot Country Airplay” as starting in 1990, not 2012.
“Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” is similar:
The main chart has been ongoing (albeit with a two year hiatus in the 60s) since 1948.
The chart was essentially an “airplay-only chart” from 2001 through late 2012.
“Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Airplay” began in the early 1990’s and continues today, combining Mainstream R&B/ Hip-Hop and Adult R&B data.
This appears to solve a bunch of concerns, but…
Histories of the Rock and Dance genres are messier, as they incorporate numerous overlapping competing ‘radio formats’ such as AAA, Mainstream, and Alternative. This is made more confusing when you appreciate that the current “Mainstream Rock” Chart was the only “Rock Chart” for most of the 80’s and was then on par with (and then culturally eclipsed by) the “Modern Rock (Alternative) Chart” throughout the 90’s.
For most of the 70’s, the Dance chart was a series of Disco playlists. In the 80’s, this was supplemented by a 12” Vinyl Single Sales list. By the ‘90s, that chart was mostly populated by Hip-Hop tracks, quite disparate from the Diva-belting “Club Play chart”.
So - an existential question:
What was the #1 Rock Song this week in 1995?
Would there be two answers? (Two Rock Charts at the time);
Is there a cultural dividing line date where one chart is supplanted by the other?
What about the Dance Charts? If asked what the #1 Dance song was 20 years ago, would you go by the Dance Club chart, or the Dance Singles Sales chart?
