1990 Billboard Articles – The End of the Hot 100?
Mar 28, 2012 14:36:14 GMT -5
Post by jebsib on Mar 28, 2012 14:36:14 GMT -5
I just revisited some interesting articles published in Billboard back in 1990, 18 months before the BDS / Soundscan era forever changed the music industry. It is interesting that even then - as the 1980’s had just wound down – they were at least considering breaking the Hot 100 into 2 separate charts.
This was the beginning…
From 5/19/90 - Last week, our new pop retail panel was introduced. Early indications are that some acts do better by the new panel, particularly black crossover acts that may not have received their “due” previously. On the Hot 100, however, the gap between sales reports and top 40 airplay reports has grown. Several records that appear high on the top 40 sales-only chart are not on the top 40 airplay-only chart. Top 40 radio is a narrower format than it was in the ‘60s when it played everything. Now, like every radio format, it targets an audience (usually 18 – 34 year old females) and only seeks to satisfy that group. Overall sales totals are of little interest to a targeted station; it merely seeks to satisfy one demographic group, and that group may not buy many records. Its tastes can be determined more precisely by passive call-out research.
This leads to the question of the future of the Hot 100 chart, which has combined sales and airplay information since the late ‘50s. Sales is the only thing that matters to record retailers, wholesalers, and record companies, but is less relevant to record stations. Is one combined sales and airplay chart still meaningful in the ‘90s, or would two separate charts be more useful? To properly develop the right methodology for the future Hot 100 and other music-popularity charts, we are soliciting input from the music industry as to what direction the Hot 100 chart should take.
From 7/21/90 – Billboard introduced a revised pop sales panel in May, and as I have already noted, the differences between the sales only top 40 and airplay-only top 40 are more pronounced than before. There is a bigger gap between what is selling and what top 40 is playing, and the Hot 100 chart now better reflects the impact of big-selling singles. For example, “Mentirosa” by Mellow Man Ace, soon to be certified gold, is up to no. 5 in sales but falls to no. 32 in airplay after peaking last week at no. 28; overall it moves from no. 16 to no. 14.
The Gap between sales and airplay affects not only rap records and black crossover hits but rock records as well. These records always perform well where they are played on the radio, and that’s why they sell so strongly. But spreading the songs to other top 40 stations is difficult. “The Power” by Snap, certified gold, is no. 2 in sales, but only no. 17 in airplay. “Do Me!” by Bell Biv Devoe zooms 19 places on the Hot 100 to no. 29, with sales leading the way; It leaps 39 – 20 on the sales side but is only no. 43 in airplay. “Epic” by Faith No More, a rock record, jumps 21 – 15 in sales while it just enters the airplay chart at no. 39.
From 8/4/90 – About three months ago in this column I sketched out future plans to improve the methodology of the Hot 100 and other charts in Billboard. With better information available and the increasing gap between sales and airplay on the Hot 100, the future of a combined cart is in question. I solicited input from the Billboard readership, and I would like to share some of those letters this week.
There was no consensus among the writers. Ricahrd Recco from Malverne, NY wrote, “I think the charts should be based on sales only. Sales are what people are really buying and like. What radio plays, and people buy, are not always the same. The album charts go by sales, and so should the singles chart.” Elmar B. Kuner from Germany wrote, “Outside the U.S., almost everybody would consider the sales-side as ‘the’ American hitlist due to the fact that most of the European charts are compiled solely by actual selling numbers. This leads to an overexposure of teenage-aimed singles, dance tracks, and exchangeable sound patterns. I always perceived the combination of sales and airplay within the Hot 100 as a compensation so that Billboard’s No. 1 hits reflect almost every year the most popular and durable songs. For example, singles like ‘Swing the Mood’, which will be very likely unbearable to listen to when the ‘wave’ is over, never made the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100, while they were chart-toppers in most of the European countries.”
Most writers were against splitting the chart for historical reasons. John Camacho from Trinidad wrote, “If you decide to separate the chart into top 100 sales and top 100 airplay, this breakup will generate problems for chart enthusiasts.” John Farkas from Cleveland wrote, “Please continue to provide a complete and combined Hot 100 singles chart weekly, indefinitely. The Hot 100 is a cherished tool for those in the industry and those who are music / trivia buffs. I feel it would be very detrimental to see a landmark such as the Hot 100 split up into two separate charts.”
On the other side, Andrew Peat from London, Ontario feels that “allowing sales reports on some black music to affect the Hot 100 sales chart is causing some distortion with the Hot 100. Songs that have a large sales base chart on the combined chart, and I have never heard the songs because of the little airplay they receive. Sales reports are irrelevant to radio, so it would be more accurate to have an airplay chart for shows like “American Top 40”. I think an airplay-only and sales-only Hot 100 should be considered.”
Top 40 Radio used to be the total, mass-appeal format and it made logical sense to combine top 40 information with total sales reports. Today, top 40 is only one of many successful radio formats, but we continue to combine total sales reports with just top 40 airplay. However, it would be unworkable to combine all radio formats into the Hot 100 along with total sales. Individual radio format charts are more useful and meaningful. We’ll deal with this topic further in future columns.
(All content c/o Michael Ellis’ Hot 100 Singles Spotlight, Billboard Magazine, 1990)
In retrospect, a lot of this is very well known to us; Sales and airplay not always matching up, the Hot 100 no longer being a mirror image of top 40 playlists. But after 2 solid decades of CHR playing only ‘safe hits’ – and single sales reflecting those safe choices – the industry was stunned by the sudden explosion of harder rock (which became grunge / alternative) and hip-hop (which later embraced gangsta rap and ultimately became the modern rhythmic format).
This was the beginning…
From 5/19/90 - Last week, our new pop retail panel was introduced. Early indications are that some acts do better by the new panel, particularly black crossover acts that may not have received their “due” previously. On the Hot 100, however, the gap between sales reports and top 40 airplay reports has grown. Several records that appear high on the top 40 sales-only chart are not on the top 40 airplay-only chart. Top 40 radio is a narrower format than it was in the ‘60s when it played everything. Now, like every radio format, it targets an audience (usually 18 – 34 year old females) and only seeks to satisfy that group. Overall sales totals are of little interest to a targeted station; it merely seeks to satisfy one demographic group, and that group may not buy many records. Its tastes can be determined more precisely by passive call-out research.
This leads to the question of the future of the Hot 100 chart, which has combined sales and airplay information since the late ‘50s. Sales is the only thing that matters to record retailers, wholesalers, and record companies, but is less relevant to record stations. Is one combined sales and airplay chart still meaningful in the ‘90s, or would two separate charts be more useful? To properly develop the right methodology for the future Hot 100 and other music-popularity charts, we are soliciting input from the music industry as to what direction the Hot 100 chart should take.
From 7/21/90 – Billboard introduced a revised pop sales panel in May, and as I have already noted, the differences between the sales only top 40 and airplay-only top 40 are more pronounced than before. There is a bigger gap between what is selling and what top 40 is playing, and the Hot 100 chart now better reflects the impact of big-selling singles. For example, “Mentirosa” by Mellow Man Ace, soon to be certified gold, is up to no. 5 in sales but falls to no. 32 in airplay after peaking last week at no. 28; overall it moves from no. 16 to no. 14.
The Gap between sales and airplay affects not only rap records and black crossover hits but rock records as well. These records always perform well where they are played on the radio, and that’s why they sell so strongly. But spreading the songs to other top 40 stations is difficult. “The Power” by Snap, certified gold, is no. 2 in sales, but only no. 17 in airplay. “Do Me!” by Bell Biv Devoe zooms 19 places on the Hot 100 to no. 29, with sales leading the way; It leaps 39 – 20 on the sales side but is only no. 43 in airplay. “Epic” by Faith No More, a rock record, jumps 21 – 15 in sales while it just enters the airplay chart at no. 39.
From 8/4/90 – About three months ago in this column I sketched out future plans to improve the methodology of the Hot 100 and other charts in Billboard. With better information available and the increasing gap between sales and airplay on the Hot 100, the future of a combined cart is in question. I solicited input from the Billboard readership, and I would like to share some of those letters this week.
There was no consensus among the writers. Ricahrd Recco from Malverne, NY wrote, “I think the charts should be based on sales only. Sales are what people are really buying and like. What radio plays, and people buy, are not always the same. The album charts go by sales, and so should the singles chart.” Elmar B. Kuner from Germany wrote, “Outside the U.S., almost everybody would consider the sales-side as ‘the’ American hitlist due to the fact that most of the European charts are compiled solely by actual selling numbers. This leads to an overexposure of teenage-aimed singles, dance tracks, and exchangeable sound patterns. I always perceived the combination of sales and airplay within the Hot 100 as a compensation so that Billboard’s No. 1 hits reflect almost every year the most popular and durable songs. For example, singles like ‘Swing the Mood’, which will be very likely unbearable to listen to when the ‘wave’ is over, never made the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100, while they were chart-toppers in most of the European countries.”
Most writers were against splitting the chart for historical reasons. John Camacho from Trinidad wrote, “If you decide to separate the chart into top 100 sales and top 100 airplay, this breakup will generate problems for chart enthusiasts.” John Farkas from Cleveland wrote, “Please continue to provide a complete and combined Hot 100 singles chart weekly, indefinitely. The Hot 100 is a cherished tool for those in the industry and those who are music / trivia buffs. I feel it would be very detrimental to see a landmark such as the Hot 100 split up into two separate charts.”
On the other side, Andrew Peat from London, Ontario feels that “allowing sales reports on some black music to affect the Hot 100 sales chart is causing some distortion with the Hot 100. Songs that have a large sales base chart on the combined chart, and I have never heard the songs because of the little airplay they receive. Sales reports are irrelevant to radio, so it would be more accurate to have an airplay chart for shows like “American Top 40”. I think an airplay-only and sales-only Hot 100 should be considered.”
Top 40 Radio used to be the total, mass-appeal format and it made logical sense to combine top 40 information with total sales reports. Today, top 40 is only one of many successful radio formats, but we continue to combine total sales reports with just top 40 airplay. However, it would be unworkable to combine all radio formats into the Hot 100 along with total sales. Individual radio format charts are more useful and meaningful. We’ll deal with this topic further in future columns.
(All content c/o Michael Ellis’ Hot 100 Singles Spotlight, Billboard Magazine, 1990)
In retrospect, a lot of this is very well known to us; Sales and airplay not always matching up, the Hot 100 no longer being a mirror image of top 40 playlists. But after 2 solid decades of CHR playing only ‘safe hits’ – and single sales reflecting those safe choices – the industry was stunned by the sudden explosion of harder rock (which became grunge / alternative) and hip-hop (which later embraced gangsta rap and ultimately became the modern rhythmic format).