Billboard Hot 100: 03/23/13

[Quixotic Music Lover]

Mar 13, 2013 13:28:30 GMT -5 upsidedown said:

So Harlem Shake has barely any airplay & is like #5 in sales, and somehow is the #1 song in the country for the 3rd week? This is getting ridiculous.

Even better, it is more popular than the next two records combined! To make the BB chart department squirm even more, one of the songs is setting records in digital song sales (I personally think it will break "I Gotta Feeling" for all time bestseller).

Not for the first time, I am wondering how much consultation BB did with the music industry before making such a radical change to the HOT 100 methodology. In the past BB has been very cautious and conservative.

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

Mar 13, 2013 13:08:23 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

it's very weird to see a song that's No. 1 in sales AND airplay not be No. 1 on the Hot 100.

but, as someone who's griped about with the weighing of airplay in the past, I hesitate to complain about Billboard putting so much power in the hands of the listeners. with YouTube, we pick exactly which song we want to hear, and we can hear it for free (as long as you have internet access, of course). shouldn't the component that listeners have the most direct power over be given the most weight in terms of popularity?

now counting 30-second clips of a song is a separate issue...

I think sales is a better indicator. People watched 30 second clips and still didn't buy anything close to what the youtube watches would suggest. What am I missing here? And if we are including youtube why not include video sales?

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2013 14:45:47 GMT -5 Adonis the DemiGod! said:

Mar 13, 2013 13:08:23 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

it's very weird to see a song that's No. 1 in sales AND airplay not be No. 1 on the Hot 100.

but, as someone who's griped about with the weighing of airplay in the past, I hesitate to complain about Billboard putting so much power in the hands of the listeners. with YouTube, we pick exactly which song we want to hear, and we can hear it for free (as long as you have internet access, of course). shouldn't the component that listeners have the most direct power over be given the most weight in terms of popularity?

now counting 30-second clips of a song is a separate issue...

I think sales is a better indicator. People watched 30 second clips and still didn't buy anything close to what the youtube watches would suggest. What am I missing here? And if we are including youtube why not include video sales?

Thrift Shop is getting 150 million weekly AI, yet I don't see it selling millions of copies a week... Harlem Shake is selling very well for having no airplay, only 50 million youtube views a week.

[trumandare]

ok i accept the hot 100 and I'm keen of this chart, therefore I'm here


but billboard has made 2 mistakes /unfair acts in a few months

1. gangnam style -- this song was so popular but blocked by maroon 5


2. now Bauuer is included ,although this is not a real song , its snipet of techno/house track in videos

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

Mar 13, 2013 15:00:43 GMT -5 trumandare said:

ok i accept the hot 100 and I'm keen of this chart, therefore I'm here


but billboard has made 2 mistakes /unfair acts in a few months

1. gangnam style -- this song was so popular but blocked by maroon 5


2. now Bauuer is included ,although this is not a real song , its snipet of techno/house track in videos

Does anyone even remember the Maroon 5 song that blocked it. It's another one of those times when the #2 song felt more popular than the #1 song.

[Au$tin]

Mar 13, 2013 14:51:53 GMT -5 Codex said:

Mar 13, 2013 14:45:47 GMT -5 Adonis the DemiGod! said:

I think sales is a better indicator. People watched 30 second clips and still didn't buy anything close to what the youtube watches would suggest. What am I missing here? And if we are including youtube why not include video sales?

Thrift Shop is getting 150 million weekly AI, yet I don't see it selling millions of copies a week... Harlem Shake is selling very well for having no airplay, only 50 million youtube views a week.

"Thrift Shop" is owning the sales charts. It's breaking records in sales. "Harlem Shake" is getting these massive views on YouTube, yet it's down to #6 on iTunes already. "Gangnam Style" sold over 4 million. "Harlem Shake" is not going to sell that much. This just tells me "Harlem Shake" is not as big as Billboard is claiming it to be.

IMO, "Gangnam Style" should've beaten "One More Night" at some point (whether that be one week, or in its entire run), but "Harlem Shake" should not have ever beaten "Thrift Shop" except maybe one week.

[moore746]

Mar 13, 2013 15:02:41 GMT -5 Adonis the DemiGod! said:

Mar 13, 2013 15:00:43 GMT -5 trumandare said:

ok i accept the hot 100 and I'm keen of this chart, therefore I'm here


but billboard has made 2 mistakes /unfair acts in a few months

1. gangnam style -- this song was so popular but blocked by maroon 5


2. now Bauuer is included ,although this is not a real song , its snipet of techno/house track in videos

Does anyone even remember the Maroon 5 song that blocked it. It's another one of those times when the #2 song felt more popular than the #1 song.

I don't buy this. One More Night was inescapable where I live (Minneapolis).

[badrobot]

You know what would be a really interesting method of calculating the Hot 100 (albeit super-complicated)? If it simply calculated revenue earned by each song during that week. Sales would be the easiest to track, but royalties for airplay and streaming could be factored in. If you wanted to take it further, you could even include royalties for play in TV shows, commercials, movies, etc.

It would be hard to argue the weight of the formula at that point as everything would boil down to a tangible result as opposed to "points."

[moore746]

Mar 13, 2013 15:04:40 GMT -5 moore746 said:

Mar 13, 2013 15:02:41 GMT -5 Adonis the DemiGod! said:

Does anyone even remember the Maroon 5 song that blocked it. It's another one of those times when the #2 song felt more popular than the #1 song.

I don't buy this. One More Night was inescapable where I live (Minneapolis).

In fact, during one of those weeks it reigned at #1 it was on 3 of the 5 preprogrammed stations on my radio. The fourth was playing Pay Phone, (the fifth station is public radio). I couldn't believe it.

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2013 15:03:35 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

Mar 13, 2013 14:51:53 GMT -5 Codex said:

Thrift Shop is getting 150 million weekly AI, yet I don't see it selling millions of copies a week... Harlem Shake is selling very well for having no airplay, only 50 million youtube views a week.

"Thrift Shop" is owning the sales charts. ???

I know, I was replying to the People watched 30 second clips and still didn't buy anything close to what the youtube watches would suggest. ". What do the youtube watches suggest? Is it supposed to be selling 500k copies a week or what? It's only getting 50 million youtube views a week, compared to Thrift Shop which has 150 million AI a week, and is a digital monster yet is only selling 300k. Compared to that, I'd say Harlem Shake is selling well for the exposure it has.

Gangnam Style was selling better but it had a good 60-70m AI to back it up.

[Au$tin]

^OMFG, change your avatar! I keep thinking you're Slizzard. >:( (OR Slizzard could his back to Phoebe, IRDC)

Mar 13, 2013 15:07:16 GMT -5 badrobot said:

You know what would be a really interesting method of calculating the Hot 100 (albeit super-complicated)? If it simply calculated revenue earned by each song during that week. Sales would be the easiest to track, but royalties for airplay and streaming could be factored in. If you wanted to take it further, you could even include royalties for play in TV shows, commercials, movies, etc.

It would be hard to argue the weight of the formula at that point as everything would boil down to a tangible result as opposed to "points."

And I've always wondered why it isn't set up like this. That's how we measure movies, why not music?

[trumandare]

THE VOICE has 100 percent helped to boost maroon 5 s career

their 2010 album was first a flop, sold only 500,000 copies in 2010 and had only one top 20 hit



but strangely no one from the voice has become really successful


thats the same pattern of the show in the world


musicans promote their own stuff

[imbondz]

Mar 13, 2013 12:56:01 GMT -5 @2m said:

I agree with the rule changes in general and agreed with them up until this week. I find it a bit silly that one of the three chart components trumps the other two.

Songs have failed to top either chart before and still finish #1 but usually when you top both #1 is a sure thing.

trumps the other two combined!

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

Mar 13, 2013 15:04:40 GMT -5 moore746 said:

Mar 13, 2013 15:02:41 GMT -5 Adonis the DemiGod! said:

Does anyone even remember the Maroon 5 song that blocked it. It's another one of those times when the #2 song felt more popular than the #1 song.

I don't buy this. One More Night was inescapable where I live (Minneapolis).

On the radio it was inescapable. However, the song was behind by 50-100k or more in sales for most of it's run at #1. Radio had too much influence then and youtube has too much influence now. I'm sorry but 100million in youtube views should = 10k in chart points. Harlem shake would've still registered as a Top 5 hit but it wouldn't have gotten song of the year in 1 week of being on the chart. It was a mistake on Billboard's part and now they just need to correct it retroactively.

[velaxti]

Mar 13, 2013 13:21:24 GMT -5 jebsib said:

I am going to predict that the weighting will change by the end of this year. It may not change immediately (to save face or to avoid the impression of 'giving in' to a perceived mistake). I thought we'd be ok last week with the huge decline, but at this level of attrition, it could take 5 more weeks for a new #1. And that could be a similar fad song.

I don't think they'll need to change the weighting, because we'll never get a situation like Harlem Shake again. I don't think many people would be complaining about this is the song didn't exist.

Harlem Shake is a strange situation because there's thousands of videos of it going viral. That's probably not something that will ever happen again. As long as I've been using the Internet, I can't think of any songs that have done this. Obviously songs like Crank That had lots of people doing home-made videos, but never to this extent. Even the biggest viral hit of all time, Gangnam Style, peaked at around 30 million US views per week, which is still very high, and would've got it probably over a month at #1 on the Hot 100 at least, but it's nothing compred to Harlem Shake.

At most Billboard will make shorter clips on Youtube count less toward the Hot 100, but I can't see them decreasing the point value of a stream for a few years a least (unless they add another major streaming service to the Hot 100).

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2013 16:36:52 GMT -5 velaxti said:

Mar 13, 2013 13:21:24 GMT -5 jebsib said:

I am going to predict that the weighting will change by the end of this year. It may not change immediately (to save face or to avoid the impression of 'giving in' to a perceived mistake). I thought we'd be ok last week with the huge decline, but at this level of attrition, it could take 5 more weeks for a new #1. And that could be a similar fad song.

I don't think they'll need to change the weighting, because we'll never get a situation like Harlem Shake again. I don't think many people would be complaining about this is the song didn't exist.

Harlem Shake is a strange situation because there's thousands of videos of it going viral. That's probably not something that will ever happen again. As long as I've been using the Internet, I can't think of any songs that have done this. Obviously songs like Crank That had lots of people doing home-made videos, but never to this extent. Even the biggest viral hit of all time, Gangnam Style, peaked at around 30 million US views per week, which is still very high, and would've got it probably over a month at #1 on the Hot 100 at least, but it's nothing compred to Harlem Shake.

At most Billboard will make shorter clips on Youtube count less toward the Hot 100, but I can't see them decreasing the point value of a stream for a few years a least (unless they add another major streaming service to the Hot 100).

To me it doesn't matter about the song or the 30 second clips.

Maybe I don't know enough about what a standard youtube chart looks like. But as I posted earlier, 'Thrift Shop' is #1 on 'On Demand Streaming', 'Hot 100 Airplay' and 'Digital Songs' but yet is #2 overall.

It is a little more obvious this week than in the prior three (to me anyway) that too much weight is put on youtube.

[Deleted]

There's not too much weight on Youtube, it's the 30 second clips messing things up. Otherwise the weighting is perfectly reasonable. Thrift Shop is huge yet only getting 10 million views a week. That'll be the normal amount, and has been for basically every song in the past 5 years. Only Friday and Gangnam Style were bigger, but even they were no were near as big as Harlem Shake is.

[jebsib]

You know this is exactly why I think this WILL happen again. People are now in the mood/ habit of making memes in ways and numbers they weren't 3 years ago. All you need is the right song, and this thing goes from this being a one-off ... to a fad.

[imbondz]

How much of Thrift Shops YouTube views are 30 second clips?

[Au$tin]

The argument of "Harlem Shake" being a strange situation doesn't make sense to me. It may be the biggest of the viral sensations, but it's certainly not an exception but the leader of a trend that started about a year ago. "Somebody That I Used to Know," "Call Me Maybe," "Gangnam Style," "Thrift Shop," and "Harlem Shake" are all viral sensations. Like I said, obviously "Harlem Shake" is biggest in terms of virality (is that even a word?), and I do doubt that we're really going to see many viral sensations as big as it has been, but we're certainly heading down a new path where viral sensations are going to become more and more prominent.

But think about it. Once "Harlem Shake" and "Thrift Shop" have peaked and died off, are we really going to have a period of where nothing is taking the Internet by storm? No, I don't think so. There's always going to be something oddly obscure that's going to come along and grab people's attention due to a viral video.

I just can't wait for the next "Friday"-esque viral video. It'll hit #1 and the world will burn.

[Deleted]

I don't think there'll be another Friday type video for a while. It's very hard to make a song that's the perfect combination of catchy yet obviously horrible, while also providing comedic value.

I don't think Thrift Shop is necessarily taking the internet by storm. Same with STIYTK. Maybe Call Me Maybe but I doubt that was getting more than 15 million a week. Unless more videos start having thousands of short clip versions, this is just going to be an exception.

Like if Lady Gaga released a song tomorrow and sold it on iTunes for 0.001$, and lets say it counted and sold 3 million. People would be saying that sales are overrated, no, it's just an insane example and that particular situation is all that needs to be weighted differently. Same thing here imo.

[#LisaRinna]

Billboard needs to only count official video uploads. They are looking ridiculous holding the #1 song in sales, airplay and paid streamings back from the Hot 100 top spot.

[Ballroom Blitzed]

I get the impression that Billboard was trying to prove that they're with it, that they're still helping to set trends, but at the same time it seems to me that this fiasco has made them look even more out of touch.

[Deleted]

If Billboard only counted officials, then what would happen to things like this? Only count full songs, that I'd agree with. Or that it'd need at least 50% of the actual song played in at least MQ, studio recording.

[popbox]

This new formula is really starting to piss me off now. Harlem Shake remains #1 this week with a huge lead according to Billboard, and yet Thrift Shop is #1 on BOTH airplay and sales? Shake is barely top 5 in sales and not even top 10 in airplay, so how in the hell does it make any sense for it to be #1, let alone #1 with a big lead? This is a terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE new format that billboard is using and mark my words it will ruin the Hot 100 if they don't modify it somehow.

[Deleted]

I'm getting a little mad too

Who posted the five stages of the pulse community when the billboard chart method is changed? Well now there is a sixth: Whatever you call it when you get mad at something for the second time

[Deleted]

..

Week Ending March 10, 2013. Songs: The Record-Setter That Isn’t #1

.

.



.
.By Paul Grein | Chart Watch – 43 minutes ago.. .
.


Email
Share2





Print
....
.

“Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz, which last week became the first song in digital history to top 300K in weekly sales eight times, breaks its own record this week, topping 300K for a ninth week. (It sold 306K copies this week.) “Thrift Shop” is #1 on Hot Digital Songs for the ninth straight week. It’s the first song to log that many weeks at #1 since the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” which held on for 10 weeks in 2009. In addition, “Thrift Shop” jumps to #1 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, dethroning Taylor Swift’s mass-appeal smash “I Knew You Were Trouble.,” which had been #1 for four weeks.

With all that going for it, “Thrift Shop” really should be #1 on the Hot 100 as well. Instead, it holds at #2 for the fourth week behind Baauer’s “Harlem Shake.” The reason, of course, is that Billboard altered its chart formula three weeks ago to incorporate YouTube streaming activity. “Harlem Shake” is #1 on Streaming Songs, with 48 million streams this week. That’s a little more than five times as many as second-ranked “Thrift Shop” (9.2 million streams). Still, the streaming tally for “Harlem Shake” is down from its peak. The song amassed 54 million streams last week and 98 million the week before.

Still, it’s hard not to think that the YouTube factor is being over-weighted. Consider these facts:

“Harlem Shake” has yet to crack the 75-position Radio Songs chart. Billboard’s Gary Trust reports that “Harlem Shake” is the first #1 on the Hot 100 that (at least so far) has failed to crack the Radio Songs chart since Taylor Hicks’ “Do I Make You Proud” in July 2006. Hicks’ song was released on the heels of his coronation as that season’s American Idol champ. (No offense to Hicks, but that’s not a chart comparison that will give encouragement to anyone in Baauer’s camp.)

“Harlem Shake” lost 11% of its overall Hot 100 chart points this week, which was a bigger drop-off than “Thrift Shop,” which lost 4% of its overall points. Still, don’t expect an immediate reversal of their positions. Trust reports that “Harlem Shake” still has a two-to-one lead over “Thrift Shop” in overall points. (The margin had been about 3-1/2 to one in each of the first two weeks that “Harlem Shake” topped the Hot 100.)

Billboard has adjusted its Hot 100 formula numerous times as developments warrant in the ever-changing music industry. I’m sure they’re monitoring the repercussions of this change closely. They no doubt would have preferred a smoother, less controversial roll-out of their new policy.

“Thrift Shop” is #1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for the ninth week. “Harlem Shake” is #1 on Dance/Electronic Songs for the fourth week. “Harlem Shake” also tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. (By comparison, “Thrift Shop” tops the 4.5 million mark this week.)

One area where I’m sure Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will beat Baauer is in coming up with a bigger follow-up single. The duo’s “Can’t Hold Us” (featuring Ray Dalton) jumped from #92 to #65 last week and will move up again this week. Its digital sales increase by 53% this week.

Trivia time: “Harlem Shake” is the first song by a male solo artist to spend its first four weeks on the Hot 100 at #1 since Elton John’s “Candle In The Wind 1997”/“Something About The Way You Look Tonight,” which spent its first 14 weeks at #1 in 1997-1998.

Five other songs have spent their first four weeks at #1: “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (which spent its first 16 weeks at #1), “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112 (which spent its first 11 weeks at #1), Carey’s “Fantasy” (which spent its first eight weeks at #1), Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” (which spent its first six weeks at #1) and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” (which spent its first four weeks at #1).

“Stay” by Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko rebounds from #5 to #4. The song has climbed as high as #3. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. It’s Rihanna’s 27th million-seller (counting featured credits). That’s a tremendous total for a singer who is just 25. Sales of “Stay” jump by 12% this week. That’s a greater percentage increase than any other song in the top 10 on the Hot 100. Rihanna’s Unapologetic album rebounds from #9 to #6 on The Billboard 200.

“Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z rebounds from #8 to #5 in the wake of Timberlake’s high-rated and widely-praised turn as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live. This marks the song’s first appearance in the top five since it shot from #84 to #4 seven weeks ago. Timberlake’s third solo album, The 20/20 Experience, is a lock to debut at #1 in two weeks. First-week sales may hit 600K.

Timberlake’s “Mirrors,” which dropped to #97 last week, is sure to turn around this week. Its sales jump by 79% this week. In addition, the song holds at #1 for the second week on The Official U.K. Singles Chart. It’s Timberlake’s second hit to have multiple weeks at #1 in the U.K. Madonna’s “4 Minutes,” on which he was featured, had four weeks on top in 2008.

Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” logs its 14th week in the top 10. Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out Of Heaven” logs its 20th week in the top 10. In both cases, the artists have remained in the top 10 for this many weeks with only other single. Swift’s 2009 smash “You Belong With Me” logged 16 weeks in the top 10. Mars’ 2010 monster “Just The Way You Are” logged 22.

Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 songs.

The Top Five: Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” holds at #1 in its fourth week on the chart. Digital sales rank: #4 (186K)…“Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz holds at #2 for the fourth week in its 23rd week on the chart. This is its 12th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #1 (306K)… Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” holds at #3 for the third week in its 12th week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #2 (240K)…“Stay” by Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko rebounds from #5 to #4 in its fifth week on the chart. The song has climbed as high as #3. This is its fourth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #3 (236K)…“Suit & Tie” by Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z rebounds from #8 to #5 in its ninth week on the chart. The song has climbed as high as #4. This is its sixth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #5 (151K).

The Second Five: Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” drops from #4 to #6 in its 21st week on the chart. This is its 14th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #12 (94K)…Drake’s “Started From The Bottom” dips from #6 to #7 in its fifth week on the chart. This is its fourth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #6 (128K)…“Scream & Shout” by will.i.am featuring Britney Spears dips from #7 to #8 its 15th week on the chart. This is its 10th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #11 (104K)…“Love Me” by Lil Wayne featuring Drake and Future rebounds from #11 to #9 in its eighth week on the chart. This is its second week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #13 (91K)…Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out Of Heaven” dips from #9 to #10 in its 23rd week on the chart. This is its 20th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #16 (83K).

“Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin drops from #10 out of the top 10. The song tops the 2 million mark this week. It’s the 10thDance/Electronic song to top the 2 million mark, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It follows four hits (all collabos) by David Guetta, two by Cascada and one each by La Roux, Calvin Harris and Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina.

“Feel This Moment” by Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera, which jumped to #18 last week, is expected to move up. It seems destined to become Pitbull’s eighth top 10 hit; Aguilera’s 10th. Digital sales rank: #7 (125K).

Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack,” which debuted at #12 last week, logs its second week in the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs. Digital sales rank: #10 (107K).

“Just Give Me A Reason” by Pink featuring Nate Ruess vaults from #47 to #18 in its fourth week. Digital sales rank: #8 (122K). Its sales jump by 91% this week.

Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive,” which jumped to #20 last week, cracks the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs. Digital sales rank: #9 (111K). The band’s “It’s Time,” which inched up to #22 last week, tops the 2 million mark this week.

“I Love It” by Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX, which jumped to #68 last week, will move up again. The song’s digital sales jump by 41% this week…Emeli Sande’s “Next To Me,” which jumped to #73 last week, will move up again. The song’s digital sales jump by 37%.

Luke Bryan has the top two new entries on Hot Digital Songs with “Buzzkill” (at #38) and “Just A Sip” (at #92). “Buzzkill” is likely to enter the Hot 100. Both songs are from Spring Break…Here To Party, which enters The Billboard 200 at #1 this week. (The album will probably fall to #3 next week, behind the debuting Bon Jovi and David Bowie.)

Brad Paisley’s “Beat This Summer” may debut. The song is from the country star’s Wheelhouse, which is due April 9. Will Wheelhouse become Paisley’s first #1 album on The Billboard 200? He has amassed three #2 albums, but has yet to go all the way. Place your bets.

Kanye West’s 2007 smash “Stronger” tops the 5 million mark this week. West can be grating, but first-rate tracks like this are a reminder that he’s also a gifted artist.

Carrie Underwood lands her 12th million-seller this week with “I Told You So,” a 2009 collabo with Randy Travis. This puts her in a tie with Kelly Clarkson for the most million-sellers by an American Idol contestant. Underwood’s tally includes two collaborations (“Remind Me” with Brad Paisley and “I Told You So”). Clarkson’s includes one (Jason Aldean’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” on which she was featured).

To My Readers: I’ll have more to add after I’ve seen the full Hot 100

[Rodze]

Mar 13, 2013 13:08:23 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

it's very weird to see a song that's No. 1 in sales AND airplay not be No. 1 on the Hot 100.

but, as someone who's griped about with the weighing of airplay in the past, I hesitate to complain about Billboard putting so much power in the hands of the listeners. with YouTube, we pick exactly which song we want to hear, and we can hear it for free (as long as you have internet access, of course). shouldn't the component that listeners have the most direct power over be given the most weight in terms of popularity?

now counting 30-second clips of a song is a separate issue...

Yep. If a song is getting 48 million plays on Youtube it is huge.

Harlem Shake isn't getting 48 million plays on Youtube.

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

I think the way to go here is billboard should only count the official video for youtube streams commissioned by the record companies....rather than randomly generated videos by users. Videos by the users are about the videos and not about the songs.

Billboard shouldve done a test chart first and let people comment rather than sticking their kneck out and getting it bitten off when this all couldve been avoided.

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

Mar 13, 2013 16:36:52 GMT -5 velaxti said:

Mar 13, 2013 13:21:24 GMT -5 jebsib said:

I am going to predict that the weighting will change by the end of this year. It may not change immediately (to save face or to avoid the impression of 'giving in' to a perceived mistake). I thought we'd be ok last week with the huge decline, but at this level of attrition, it could take 5 more weeks for a new #1. And that could be a similar fad song.

I don't think they'll need to change the weighting, because we'll never get a situation like Harlem Shake again. I don't think many people would be complaining about this is the song didn't exist.

Harlem Shake is a strange situation because there's thousands of videos of it going viral. That's probably not something that will ever happen again. As long as I've been using the Internet, I can't think of any songs that have done this. Obviously songs like Crank That had lots of people doing home-made videos, but never to this extent. Even the biggest viral hit of all time, Gangnam Style, peaked at around 30 million US views per week, which is still very high, and would've got it probably over a month at #1 on the Hot 100 at least, but it's nothing compred to Harlem Shake.

At most Billboard will make shorter clips on Youtube count less toward the Hot 100, but I can't see them decreasing the point value of a stream for a few years a least (unless they add another major streaming service to the Hot 100).

the 30 million views is actually just the GS videos not e user-generated videos Gangnam style spawned.