Top Pop Songs Airplay 1992-2017

[Gary]

Greatest of All Time Pop Songs & Artists: Rihanna, Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake & More

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By Gary Trust | October 19, 2017 9:59 AM EDT


A recap of the top 100 songs & top 50 artists of the Pop Songs airplay chart's first 25 years.


After piling up record after record (musically and achievement-wise) on Billboard's Pop Songs radio airplay chart, Rihanna reigns as the No. 1 artist over the first 25 years of the survey, which began with the list dated Oct. 3, 1992.

Rihanna roared onto the ranking, which reflects the most-played songs each week on pop radio, according to Nielsen Music, in 2005 with her debut hit "Pon De Replay," her first of an unprecedented 30 top 10s. In 2006, she earned her first Pop Songs No. 1, "SOS," of 11, a record she shares with Katy Perry, the chart's No. 4 top artist.


Notably, Rihanna has reached historic heights despite having arrived on the chart more than halfway through its existence.



Rounding out the top five Pop Songs artists since the chart's inception 25 years ago, below Rihanna, P!nk places at No. 2; Maroon 5 ranks at No. 3, and reigns as the top group; Perry is No. 4; and Justin Timberlake claims the No. 5 spot, while ranking as the top solo male.



As for the biggest hits on the Pop Songs chart over the past quarter-century, Real McCoy's 1994 club classic "Another Night" leads the list. The single crowned the chart for six weeks and ranked in the top 10 for 28 weeks, a record it co-owns with Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" (the No. 8 all-time song). Nos. 2 through 5, respectively, are Santana's "Smooth," featuring Rob Thomas, from 1999; Lifehouse's "Hanging by a Moment" (2001); Timbaland's "Apologize," featuring OneRepublic (2007); and Nickelback's "How You Remind Me."


Rihanna's highest-ranking song on the 25-year ranking is "We Found Love," featuring Calvin Harris, at No. 17.


And, the top Pop Songs hit of the current decade ranks at No. 9 on the all-time recap: The Chainsmokers' 2016 smash "Closer," featuring Halsey.




In 2012, Billboard recapped the top artists and titles of the Pop Songs chart's first 20 years. (The two new tallies are based on a more advanced methodology, so certain titles released through 2012 rank in a different order relative to each other than they did on the recap published five years ago.) Still, in the relatively brief span since, several noteworthy acts have soared. As Rihanna retains her No. 1 Pop Songs artist ranking, Maroon 5 bounds from No. 19 to No. 5; Taylor Swift surges 39-7; and Bruno Mars blasts 32-10.


From pop to rock to R&B/hip-hop and dance, check out Billboard's exclusive recaps of the top Pop Songs artists, from No. 50 to No. 1, and the top Pop Songs, from No. 100 to No. 1.

The Greatest of All-Time Pop Songs Artists and Songs rankings are based on weekly performance on the Pop Songs chart (from its Oct. 3, 1992, inception through Sept. 30, 2017). Artists and Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower spots earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted differently to account for chart turnover rates over various periods. Artists are ranked based on a formula blending performance, as outlined above, of all their Pop Songs chart entries.

[Gary]

All Time Top Pop Songs - 1992-2017

1 Another Night Real McCoy
2 Smooth Santana Featuring Rob Thomas
3 Hanging By A Moment Lifehouse
4 Apologize Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic
5 How You Remind Me Nickelback
6 Here Without You 3 Doors Down
7 Don't Speak No Doubt
8 Iris Goo Goo Dolls
9 Closer The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey
10 I LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOREVER Donna Lewis
11 One More Night Maroon 5
12 Wake Me Up! Avicii
13 TiK ToK Ke$ha
14 Slide Goo Goo Dolls
15 Name Goo Goo Dolls
16 Counting Stars OneRepublic
17 We Found Love Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris
18 Two Princes Spin Doctors
19 Locked Out Of Heaven Bruno Mars
20 Uptown Funk! Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
21 Truly Madly Deeply Savage Garden
22 Kryptonite 3 Doors Down
23 Dark Horse Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J
24 Since U Been Gone Kelly Clarkson
25 ...Baby One More Time Britney Spears
26 The Way I Are Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson
27 Because Of You Kelly Clarkson
28 Down Jay Sean Featuring Lil Wayne
29 Where Is The Love? The Black Eyed Peas
30 Shape Of You Ed Sheeran
31 Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera
32 Low Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
33 You Were Meant For Me Jewel
34 With Arms Wide Open Creed
35 Party Rock Anthem LMFAO Featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
36 Yeah! Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
37 Blurred Lines Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. + Pharrell
38 Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars
39 Complicated Avril Lavigne
40 Missing Everything But The Girl
41 I Know Dionne Farris
42 Whatcha Say Jason Derulo
43 Don't Let Go (Love) En Vogue
44 Lights Ellie Goulding
45 Far Away Nickelback
46 Big Girls Don't Cry Fergie
47 Run It! Chris Brown
48 Bad Romance Lady Gaga
49 I Knew You Were Trouble. Taylor Swift
50 Gives You Hell The All-American Rejects
51 How Do You Talk To An Angel The Heights
52 The Reason Hoobastank
53 Semi-Charmed Life Third Eye Blind
54 Dynamite Taio Cruz
55 Bent matchbox twenty
56 Stereo Hearts Gym Class Heroes Featuring Adam Levine
57 I Knew I Loved You Savage Garden
58 Cheap Thrills Sia Featuring Sean Paul
59 Leavin' Jesse McCartney
60 Hey Ya! OutKast
61 The Sign Ace Of Base
62 DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love Usher Featuring Pitbull
63 Kiss From A Rose Seal
64 Good Feeling Flo Rida
65 Love Yourself Justin Bieber
66 Everything You Want Vertical Horizon
67 You Belong With Me Taylor Swift
68 Just A Dream Nelly
69 Promiscuous Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland
70 Lovefool The Cardigans
71 Fly Sugar Ray
72 Give Me Everything Pitbull Featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
73 In The End Linkin Park
74 Hold My Hand Hootie & The Blowfish
75 Torn Natalie Imbruglia
76 Stay (I Missed You) Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
77 Don't Turn Around Ace Of Base
78 Bye Bye Bye 'N Sync
79 Bleeding Love Leona Lewis
80 All That She Wants Ace Of Base
81 Don't Let Me Down The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya
82 Boom Boom Pow The Black Eyed Peas
83 Dilemma Nelly Featuring Kelly Rowland
84 I'm With You Avril Lavigne
85 Stitches Shawn Mendes
86 Shut Up And Dance WALK THE MOON
87 I Gotta Feeling The Black Eyed Peas
88 All Star Smash Mouth
89 DREAMLOVER Mariah Carey
90 Blank Space Taylor Swift
91 My Love Justin Timberlake Featuring T.I.
92 We Belong Together Mariah Carey
93 Hips Don't Lie Shakira Featuring Wyclef Jean
94 Bring Me To Life Evanescence Featuring Paul McCoy
95 Unwritten Natasha Bedingfield
96 Underneath It All No Doubt Featuring Lady Saw
97 Genie In A Bottle Christina Aguilera
98 On Bended Knee Boyz II Men
99 Ironic Alanis Morissette
100 Lose Yourself Eminem

[Deleted]

Amazing number 1!

[Gary]

Top Pop Artists

1992-2017


1 Rihanna
2 P!nk
3 Maroon 5
4 Katy Perry
5 Justin Timberlake
6 Britney Spears
7 Taylor Swift
8 Kelly Clarkson
9 Mariah Carey
10 Bruno Mars
11 Usher
12 Lady Gaga
13 The Black Eyed Peas
14 Christina Aguilera
15 Janet Jackson
16 Madonna
17 Flo Rida
18 Beyonce
19 Nickelback
20 Jason Derulo
21 matchbox twenty
22 Jennifer Lopez
23 Eminem
24 Chris Brown
25 Nelly
26 Avril Lavigne
27 Justin Bieber
28 Backstreet Boys
29 Pitbull
30 Kesha
31 Selena Gomez
32 'N Sync
33 Adele
34 Alanis Morissette
35 Calvin Harris
36 Ed Sheeran
37 Destiny's Child
38 3 Doors Down
39 Ne-Yo
40 Celine Dion
41 Boyz II Men
42 The Weeknd
43 Enrique Iglesias
44 No Doubt
45 Ariana Grande
46 OneRepublic
47 Hootie & The Blowfish
48 Ellie Goulding
49 Sheryl Crow
50 Nicki Minaj

[fhas]

Closer is the biggest hit of the 2010s.



One More Night (#2) and Wake Me Up (#3) are fantastic as well.

[Tea-why]

I love that "Another Night" is #1! That album was the first CD I ever bought back in 1995 (before I was born).

The podcast for this list is pretty interesting.

aca.st/952595

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Regarding the songs that made the top 100, I love variety of music represented, the facts that no one artist dominates it and that more recents are not overrespresented as they are for the Greatest Hot 100. Also, there's a good variety in the artist side of things.

[85la]

Surprised to see quite a few rock songs on the list, also One More Night ranking so highly as Maroon 5's top song, and, despite being the top artist, Rihanna only having one song on the list.