Billboard Hot 100: 01/06/2024

[avamaxstan]

Honestly I pray that Billboard will reinstate its old rules and all these songs will get relegated again to the Holiday 100 lol.

[dremolus - solarpunk]

US Spotify - Week 12/28/23

1(=) Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree 20,369,116
2(=) Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock 16,631,455
3(=) Mariah Carey - All I Want for Christmas is You 15,547,474
4(=) Wham! - Last Christmas 13,832,280
5(=) Andy Williams - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year 12,941,880
6(+1) Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 11,840,721 *NEW PEAK*
7(+1) Burl Ives - A Holly Holly Christmas 11,123,005
8(+1) Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me 10,593,763
9(+4) José Feliciano - Feliz Navidad 10,379,114
10(+2) The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride 10,302,554 *NEW PEAK*

Christmas Songs
11(-1) Michael Bublé - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 9,760,690
12(-1) Kelly Clarkson - Underneath the Tree 9,670,483
13(+1) Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) 9,602,638
14(+3) Bing Crosby, Ken Darby Singers, John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra - White Christmas 9,485,727
16(+5) Perry Como, The Fontane Sisters, Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas 8,639,402 *NEW PEAK*
17(+10) Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas 8,256,432 *NEW PEAK*
18(+5) Frank Sinatra - Jingle Bells 7,914,445 *NEW PEAK*
19(+7) The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick 7,886,177 *NEW PEAK*
20(+4) Eartha Kitt, Henri René and His Orchestra - Santa Baby 7,790,283 *NEW PEAK*
21(+8) Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 7,714,208 *NEW PEAK*
22(+6) Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run 7,643,280
23(-7) Michael Bublé - Holly Jolly Christmas 7,555,461
25(+8) Nat King Cole - Deck the Halls 7,049,981
26(+6) Frank Sinatra, B. Swanson Quartet - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 6,998,241
28(+10) Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters - Mele Kalikimaka 6,927,105 *NEW PEAK*
29(+16) Eagles - Please Come Home for Christmas 6,713,312 *NEW PEAK*
31(+12) Paul Mccartney - Wonderful Christmastime 6,517,687
32(+16) Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time is Here 6,465,821 *NEW PEAK*
34(=) Justin Bieber - Mistletoe 6,242,467
37(+13) Burl Ives - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 5,672,570 *NEW PEAK*
38(+18) Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town 5,609,281 *NEW PEAK*
39(+21) Donny Hathaway - This Christmas 5,545,650 *NEW PEAK*
41(+11) John Lennon, Yoko Ono - Happy Xmas (War is Over) 5,509,281
43(+18) The Jackson 5 - Santa Claus is Comin to Town 5,274,960
44(+14) Gene Autry - Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) 5,274,766
46(+8) Sia - Snowman 5,087,998
47(+18) Nat King Cole - Joy to the World 5,038,651 *NEW PEAK*
50(+14) Laufey - Winter Wonderland 4,939,437 *NEW PEAK*
51(+11) Taylor Swift - Christmas Tree Farm 4,863,732 *NEW PEAK*
54(+23) Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? 4,734,260
56(+26) Dean Martin - Baby, It's Cold Outside 4,681,673
57(+9) Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande - Santa, Can't You Hear Me 4,677,965 *NEW PEAK*
58(+14) Andy Williams - Happy Holidays / The Holiday Season 4,677,940
62(+24) Gayla Peevey - I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Hippo the Hero) 4,433,347 *NEW PEAK*
64(+32) The Jackson 5 - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 4,349,266
65(+5) Mariah Carey - Christmas (Please Baby Come Home) 4,330,255
66(+31) Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 4,312,116
69(+34) Bing Crosby - Winter Wonderland 4,169,565
70(+13) Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton - You Make It Feel Like It's Christmas 4,114,333
72(+35) Elvis Presley - Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) 4,073,940-3,303,712 *NEW PEAK*
73(+26) Bing Crosby - Do You Hear What I Hear? 4,072,238 *NEW PEAK*
76(+41) Perry Como - (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays 4,052,292
79(+5) *NSYNC - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays 4,033,083
80(+41) Frank Sinatra - Mistletoe and Holly 3,959,489
81(+59) Elton John - Step Into Christmas 3,953,524
82(+5) Jonas Brothers - Like It's Christmas 3,935,895
83(+36) Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych, John Williams - Carol of the Bells 3,925,906
86(+51) Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum 3,803,665
87(+46) Cher - DJ Play A Christmas Song 3,739,900 *NEW PEAK*
89(+24) Pentatonix - Hallelujah 3,707,155
90(+40) Nat King Cole - Caroling, Caroling 3,658,227 *NEW PEAK*
91(+55) Judy Garland - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 3,627,870
92(+80) Stevie Wonder - What Christmas Means to Me 3,603,226
95(+29) Britney Spears - My Only Wish (This Year) 3,507,784
104(+46) Carpenters - Merry Christmas Darling Remix 3,238,788
108(+73) Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus and Lucy 3,176,926
111(+40) Sabrina Carpenter - A Nonsense Christmas 3,157,609 *NEW PEAK*
120(+69) Thurl Ravenscroft, Boris Karloff - You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch 3,099,833
121(+62) Frank Sinatra - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town 3,097,245 *NEW PEAK*
122(+26) Dean Martin - Silver Bells 3,070,002
125(+30) Idina Menzel, Michael Bublé - Baby It's Cold Outside 3,052,510
126(+49) Ed Sheeran, Elton John - Merry Christmas 3,052,500
128(+41) Ella Fitzgerald - Sleigh Ride 3,038,709
130(re-entry) Louis Armstrong, The Commanders - Cool Yule 2,957,000
133(re-entry) Darlene Love - Winter Wonderland 2,918,122
135(+29) Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24 Instrumental 2,898,701 *NEW PEAK*
140(+30) Pentatonix - Mary, Did You Know? 2,838,003
142(re-entry) Ella Fitzgerald - Frosty the Snowman 2,820,797
147(+32) Sia - Santa's Coming for Us 2,799,522
155(re-entry) Daryl Hall & John Oates - Jingle Bell Rock 2,683,724
160(DEBUT) Michael Bublé - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) 2,631,742
162(DEBUT) Run-DMC - Christmas in Hollis 2,598,698
165(re-entry) Kay Starr - The Man with the Bag 2,554,575
171(re-entry) Bing Crosby - Silver Bells 2,509,255
172(re-entry) Stevie Wonder - Someday at Christmas 2,509,158
175(re-entry) Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy 2,471,711
177(re-entry) The Ronettes - Frosty the Snowman 2,470,408
178(re-entry) Michael Bublé - Santa Claus is Coming to Town 2,452,453
179(re-entry) Bing Crosby - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 2,447,321
191(re-entry) Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer 2,347,992
193(re-entry) Ava Max - Christmas Without You 2,340,520
196(re-entry) Nat King Cole - O Come All Ye Faithful 2,299,957
200(DEBUT) Bing Crosby - Frosty the Snowman 2,282,931

Top 10 Without Christmas Songs
15(-9) Jack Harlow - Lovin On Me 9,222,711
24(-6) Noah Kahan - Stick Season 7,258,031
27(-7) Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything 6,980,971
30(-15) Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine 6,618,648
33(-14) Tate McRae - greedy 6,407,466
35(-13) Nicki Minaj - FTCU 6,028,918
36(-6) Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer 5,760,538
40(-15) Doja Cat - Agora Hills 5,532,111
42(-11) JID, 21 Savage, Baby Tate - Surround Sound 5,312,663
45(-9) Drake, Yeat - IDGAF 5,178,904

49(-12) SZA - Snooze 5,002,061
52(-13) Gunna - fukumean 4,836,386
53(-18) Lil Tecca - 500lbs 4,748,578
55(-14) Doja Cat - Paint the Town Red 4,721,464
59(+15) Xavi - La Diabla 4,629,777 *NEW PEAK*
60(-14) Morgan Wallen - Last Night 4,588,905
61(-17) Drake, J. Cole - First Person Shooter 4,501,780
63(-16) Olivia Rodrigo - vampire 4,380,570
67(-18) Travis Scott - I KNOW ? 4,255,702
68(+8) Xavi - La Victima 4,197,140 *NEW PEAK*
74(-32) Nicki Minaj, Lil Uzi Vert - Everybody 4,064,142
75(-24) Taylor Swift - Is It Over Now? 4,063,838
77(-18) Fuerza Regida, Marshmello - HARLEY QUINN 4,050,946
84(-16) Drake, Sexyy Red, SZA - Rich Baby Daddy 3,848,050
88(+28) Juice WRLD, Eminem, benny blanco - Lace It 3,722,651 *NEW PEAK*
93(-38) Tate McRae - exes 3,601,580
94(-25) TV Girl - Not Allowed 3,532,846
96(-21) Bad Bunny - MONACO 3,499,187
98(-13) Calle 24, Chino Pacas, Fuerza Regida - Que Onda 3,479,024
99(+6) Peso Pluma, Anitta - BELLAKEO 3,473,834
100(-29) TV Girl - Lovers Rock 3,467,738

101(-28) Frank Ocean - Pink + White 3,447,568
102(-23) Tyla - Water 3,375,716
103(-13) Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? 3,287,066
105(-16) The Weeknd, JENNIE, Lily-Rose Depp 3,228,832
106(-13) Kenya Grace - Strangers 3,219,963
107(-29) Olivia Rodrigo - Can't Catch Me Now 3,216,805
109(-14) Morgan Wallen - Thinkin' Bout Me 3,161,877
115(-7) Teddy Swims - Lose Control 3,116,659
118(-27) KAROL G, Peso Pluma - QLONA 3,107,583
132(-9) Zach Bryan, The War and Treaty - Hey Driver 2,938,898
136(-56) Taylor Swift - You're Losing Me 2,894,253
137(-25) Sabrina Carpenter - Feather 2,858,643
141(-6) Luke Combs - Fast Car 2,824,378
144(-22) PARTYNEXTDOOR - Break from Toronto 2,806,924
148(-20) Bad Bunny, Feid - PERRO NEGRO 2,780,393
150(-49) Taylor Swift - Now That We Don't Talk 2,747,158
151(-15) The Red Clay Strays - Wondering Why 2,736,099
154(-23) TV Girl - Cigarettes out the Window 2,684,285
156(-89) Nicki Minaj, Drake - Needle 2,670,380
157(-12) Zach Bryan - Heading South 2,669,494
158(=) Drake - You Broke My Heart 2,665,932
159(-20) Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero 2,632,309
164(-26) Peso Pluma, Tito Double P - LA PEOPLE 2,578,355
168(-20) Taylor Swift - Don't Blame Me 2,541,831
169(-7) Jessie Murph, Jelly Roll - Wild Ones 2,518,935
184(-23) Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners - Evergreen 2,377,902
186(-29) Brent Faiyaz - Clouded 2,369,877
187(-62) Tate McRae - run for the hills 2,369,306
199(-32) BigXthaPlug - Mmhmm 2,287,235

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree spends a fifth and final week in a row this year at #1 (it's now spent a total of 1! weeks on top), up a final rise of 16.33%. This is the final gasp of Christmas songs so expect ALL the songs to vanish next week and a ton of re-entries.

Notable Non-Christmas Gains:
La Diabla - 18.93%
Lace It - 15.58%

SPOILER: Click to show

{Notable Christmas Gains:}
Winter Wonderland [Laufey] - 42.94%
What Christmas Means to Me - 42.16%
Step Into Christmas - 38.89%
Please Come Home for Christmas - 34.72%
Christmas Time is Here - 32.35%
Blue Christmas - 32.12%
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Judy Garland] - 29.41%
O Tannenbaum - 28.79%
This Christmas - 28.63%
Feliz Navidad - 27.68%
Mele Kalikimaka - 27.67%
Wonderful Christmastime - 27.43%
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town [Bruce Springsteen] - 27.18%
(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays - 27.03%
Linus and Lucy - 26.96%
Mistletoe and Holly - 26.75%
Baby, It's Cold Outside [Dean Martin] - 26.62%
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - 26.55%
You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - 26.22%
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) [Darlene Love] - 26.21%
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Frank Sinatra] - 25.5%
Little Saint Nick - 25.41%
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town [Frank Sinatra] - 25.27%
White Christmas - 25.25%
Run Rudolph Run - 25%
Sleigh Ride [The Ronettes] - 24.78%
Winter Wonderland [Bing Crosby] - 24.78%
DJ Play a Christmas Song - 24.59%
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - 24.46%
Do They Know It's Christmas? - 24.43%
Santa Claus is Comin to Town [The Jackson 5] - 24.25%
Carol of the Bells - 23.98%
Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) [Elvis Presley] - 23.31%
The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) - 22.91%
Joy to the World - 21.89%
Happy Xmas (War is Over) - 21.79%
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! [Dean Martin] - 21.73%
Jingle Bells - 21.54%
Do You Hear What I Hear? - 21.37%
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Hippo the Hero) - 21.31%
Merry Christmas [Ed Sheeran] - 21.26%
Deck the Halls ] - 21.03%
Jingle Bell Rock [Bobby Helms] - 20.82%
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - 20.63%
Caroling, Caroling - 20.27%
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! [Frank Sinatra] - 19.99%
Silver Bells - 19.78%
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [Burl Ives] - 19.73%
Santa Baby - 19.72%
Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) [Gene Autry] - 19.6%
A Holly Holly Christmas [Burl Ives] - 19.39%
Winter Wonderland [Laufey] - 18.9%
Last Christmas - 18.89%
Happy Holidays / The Holiday Season - 18.87%
Sleigh Ride [Ella Fitzgerald] - 18.58%
Merry Christmas Darling Remix - 17.24%
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - 16.33%
Christmas Tree Farm - 16.16%
Santa Tell Me - 16.09%
Underneath the Tree - 15.97%
All I Want for Christmas is You - 14.64%
A Nonsense Christmas - 14.62%
Snowman - 14.58%
Hallelujah - 14.31%
Santa, Can't You Hear Me - 13.54%
Baby It's Cold Outside [Idina Menzel] - 13.11%
My Only Wish (This Year) - 13.08%
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - 12.62%
You Make It Feel Like It's Christmas - 12.03%
Santa's Coming for Us - 11.72%
Mary, Did You Know? - 10.97%
Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24 Instrumental - 10.35%
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - 10.19%
Like It's Christmas - 10.03%

US TOP 20 WEEKLY WITHOUT CHRISTMAS SONGS
#1. Lovin On Me
#2. Stick Season *NEW PEAK*
#3. I Remember Everything
#4. My Love Mine All Mine
#5. greedy
#6. FTCU
#7. Cruel Summer
#8. Agora Hills
#9. Surround Sound
#10. IDGAF

#11. Something in the Orange
#12. Snooze
#13. fukumean
#14. 500lbs
#15. Paint the Town Red
#16. La Diabla *NEW PEAK*
#17. Last Night
#18. First Person Shooter
#19. vampire
#20. I KNOW ?

[Push The Button]

Dec 30, 2023 10:33:09 GMT -5 avamaxstan said:

Honestly I pray that Billboard will reinstate its old rules and all these songs will get relegated again to the Holiday 100 lol.

No. This is the way. It was absolute BS that Michael Jackson’s music did not chart on the Hot 100 or Bilboard 200 in the weeks after his death when he was clearly the most-consumed music act of those weeks. We don’t ever need to go back to those days.

[Gary]

Under the 'cancel Christmas' chart, the #1 song would have been #6 overall in the most recently published Hot 100. Not exactly a true reflection of what is popular I think.

For those who want that, this site does a good job of it.

[colson]

That's why I don't see it being done. Yet some of these same people don't have a problem with these album bombs charting these random insignificant tracks clogging up the Hot 100. Those are the ones I have a main problem with.

[avamaxstan]

I have much less of an issue with album bombs because those are at least driven by active listener consumption, versus Christmas music which is driven significantly by retail, involuntary consumption and streaming playlists that are susceptible to payola.

[#LisaRinna]

Dec 30, 2023 12:29:17 GMT -5 Baby Yoda Hot100Fan said:

Wrong thread.

[renfield75]

Imagine the meltdowns if the BB200 went back to "no catalog albums" and all those Taylor and Drake albums were removed.

It might be boring for chart-watchers when the same Christmas songs take over every year but that IS what the public is consuming. Those playlists don't get streams if people don't seek them out, and AIWFCIY and RATCT aren't breaking streaming records because of "payola". So be mad at the millions of people who want to listen to old Christmas songs every December, not Billboard or Mariah or Brenda or whoever.

[imbondz]

I love me some Mariah Carey but it would be more interesting if 8-10 Christmas songs / year competed for #1. But I’m also fine with Mariah being there.

[avamaxstan]

Dec 30, 2023 14:50:17 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

Imagine the meltdowns if the BB200 went back to "no catalog albums" and all those Taylor and Drake albums were removed.

It might be boring for chart-watchers when the same Christmas songs take over every year but that IS what the public is consuming. Those playlists don't get streams if people don't seek them out, and AIWFCIY and RATCT aren't breaking streaming records because of "payola". So be mad at the millions of people who want to listen to old Christmas songs every December, not Billboard or Mariah or Brenda or whoever.

But how much of those playlist spins are voluntary/proactive listeners vs retail playlists? We’ll never know

[M5AGTS]

Dec 29, 2023 15:48:19 GMT -5 Resident_Evil said:

Are people here dense on purpose? Obviously when i said borderline-pedophilic i was referring to Brenda's age when she sang that song.

And I have never, in my entire life, been accused of being a Mariah stan. I detest that accusation. Ironically I like Madonna much more than Mariah so i don't know how to feel about the Madonna fans rejoicing and trolling this thread.

AIWFCIY is iconic and it DESERVES to break the only record left for it and i will root for it to do so until it does. Brenda right now is an inconvenience and i hope Mariah takes care of this inconvenience next year to claim her record. Her team should pull a Taylor Swift and threaten Spotify so that they can even the playing field. What boomer is even using Spotify anyways?

Wtf did I just read?

You need to calm down.
You're being too loud.

[hughster1]

I'm somewhat hesitant to jump into this discussion, but here goes.

I'm increasingly convinced there is no fair way to determine what the most "popular" songs are each week.

There are a number of reasons for this:

1) The Hot 100 (and most other song charts that aren't just measuring a single component like airplay) are a combination of three sources - sales, airplay, and streaming. The determination of how much each of these should be weighed is subjective, and different weights get different results. And there's no such thing as an objectively "fair" balance.

2) Each of the three components is of questionable value and subject to manipulation. Sales of singles and downloads have fallen to such a low level that, as we know, fan armies can through mass buying boost their favorites up the Hot 100 way beyond where they would have landed. Radio airplay is controlled by a very small number of corporations with an even smaller number of people deciding what gets heard. And while streaming might have initially seemed organic, with listeners choosing what to hear, that's much less true today. Playlisting has an undue impact on what gets listened to, with many people passively listening to music off a popular playlist - just look at this month's Hot 100 for proof - and even fewer people make the decision regarding what's on those popular playlists than do for radio stations. Plus to my knowledge there's no legal ban on payola for streaming, unlike radio (that was a BIG scandal in the 50's). True, people still CAN seek out individual songs, but that doesn't mean most do.

3) Chart rules still exclude some ways music is consumed. We all know how recurrent rules exclude songs below a certain point that have charted for a given number of weeks. And some ways people hear music don't count. About 12 million people saw "Barbie" in theaters opening weekend, and many more have been watching it on Max over the past few weeks, but none of that gives "I'm Just Ken" or "What Was I Made For?" or "Dance the Night" any chart points. But if someone watched the "I'm Just Ken" video on YouTube - the exact same performance as in the movie - that counts, even if the primary motive was to see the clip and not hear the song. Other countries have their own arbitrary rules; in the UK, for instance a rule called "Accelerated Chart Ratio," or ACR, reduces the weight of streams after a song is at least 10 weeks old and has declined for three weeks, and even THEN, record companies can request a reset. Also, album bombs can result in an artist having no more than three tracks on the chart (the "Ed Sheeran Rule").

So it's not a question of the charts being an objective measure; they are the result of Billboard making certain choices to determine what is "popular."

Now let's not kid ourselves into thinking the charts were holy and pure in the past. In the pre-Soundscan days, there were all sorts of chart shenanigans, especially since the charts were not determined by actual sales and airplay but by phoned-in reports from radio stations and record stores. One thing that would happen is that radio stations would have a record peak on their chart, and then the next week it would be off their reported chart completely even though they were still playing it. And Billboard themselves could be shady; if you haven't, Google "Bill Wardlow" and see the kind of stunts he pulled as chart director, most famously with Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street." And even once the actual data was being used, labels would pull stunts like gaming the release date of singles until airplay was widespread, and discounting singles below cost. Offsetting this somewhat was the fact that power was less concentrated (more labels, more music outlets, more radio stations all contributing to the charts) so it was hard for a small number of people to control the charts (although not impossible). And over the years lots of songs got excluded; for a long time most radio formats other than Top 40 didn't count towards the Hot 100, and most of you are familiar with how until 1998 a physical single had to be released to hit the Hot 100, which meant lots of famous songs, starting with "Stairway to Heaven," "Into the Groove," and initially everything on "Sgt. Pepper," never hit the Hot 100, and that phenomenon got especially common in the 90's. So even then, what was on the Hot 100 wasn't necessarily what was "popular," although at certain times (like during the "Thriller" era) it was a lot closer than other times (like the period right before Soundscan took effect in 1991).

IMHO, the time when the charts were both most accurate and most reflective of what was popular was in the heyday of downloads, before streaming took off. Because iTunes and other online outlets allowed all tracks to be purchased, and because people could immediately buy something they wanted, it reflected the music people were actually consuming. Purchases meant it had to be an active choice by listeners, even if that choice was "Glee" covers. The data was accurate. Because so many downloads were being purchased it was very difficult for a group of fans to distort the chart through mass purchases (and fandom was much less toxic). And while radio was still overly concentrated, it began to respond to download sales and play songs that people were buying. All the music may not have been great (although a lot was), but it was a really fun time to follow the charts.

[renfield75]

Dec 30, 2023 19:54:28 GMT -5 avamaxstan said:

Dec 30, 2023 14:50:17 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

Imagine the meltdowns if the BB200 went back to "no catalog albums" and all those Taylor and Drake albums were removed.

It might be boring for chart-watchers when the same Christmas songs take over every year but that IS what the public is consuming. Those playlists don't get streams if people don't seek them out, and AIWFCIY and RATCT aren't breaking streaming records because of "payola". So be mad at the millions of people who want to listen to old Christmas songs every December, not Billboard or Mariah or Brenda or whoever.

But how much of those playlist spins are voluntary/proactive listeners vs retail playlists? We’ll never know

But that's true of things like Today's Top Hits too. You think every single stream of "Flowers" was someone actively seeking out that song individually? Most people who listen to music, especially massive pop hits, are much more passive than we think. Everyone on Pulse is an outlier, we are not the majority.

[KeepDeanWeird]

Dec 31, 2023 1:36:02 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

Dec 30, 2023 19:54:28 GMT -5 avamaxstan said:

But how much of those playlist spins are voluntary/proactive listeners vs retail playlists? We’ll never know

But that's true of things like Today's Top Hits too. You think every single stream of "Flowers" was someone actively seeking out that song individually? Most people who listen to music, especially massive pop hits, are much more passive than we think. Everyone on Pulse is an outlier, we are not the majority.

Unlike the *old* days when everyone was an *active* radio listener...

[cking33]

Dec 31, 2023 1:24:35 GMT -5 hughster1 said:

IMHO, the time when the charts were both most accurate and most reflective of what was popular was in the heyday of downloads, before streaming took off. Because iTunes and other online outlets allowed all tracks to be purchased, and because people could immediately buy something they wanted, it reflected the music people were actually consuming. Purchases meant it had to be an active choice by listeners, even if that choice was "Glee" covers. The data was accurate. Because so many downloads were being purchased it was very difficult for a group of fans to distort the chart through mass purchases (and fandom was much less toxic). And while radio was still overly concentrated, it began to respond to download sales and play songs that people were buying. All the music may not have been great (although a lot was), but it was a really fun time to follow the charts.

Well said on that point, and you're right with how you describe the dyanmics of it during that time. In some ways that 10-ish year stretch, give or take, was about as pure as chart watching got. Maybe the next step in chart construction is finding some way to delineate between a more passive playlist listen on Spotify/Apple Music and someone who actually seeks out a song and clicks on it in their library to listen, listens to that artist's particular album the song is on or on their own custom-made playlist? With all the data available, seems like that shouldn't be too hard for the streamers to report and Billboard to figure out? Perhaps Billboard can adjust the weight accordingly in the future?

I'm still personally OK with the charts as is because never before the streaming era have we been able to tell how many times people have actually listened to a song in a given week. I get all the point about playlist manipulation but that's hard to ignore. Christmas music does so well and rules the charts because it spans so many generations of people who listen. Regular mainstream hit music very, very rarely does that.

[jenglisbe]

Dec 31, 2023 1:24:35 GMT -5 hughster1 said:

IMHO, the time when the charts were both most accurate and most reflective of what was popular was in the heyday of downloads, before streaming took off. Because iTunes and other online outlets allowed all tracks to be purchased, and because people could immediately buy something they wanted, it reflected the music people were actually consuming. Purchases meant it had to be an active choice by listeners, even if that choice was "Glee" covers. The data was accurate. Because so many downloads were being purchased it was very difficult for a group of fans to distort the chart through mass purchases (and fandom was much less toxic). And while radio was still overly concentrated, it began to respond to download sales and play songs that people were buying. All the music may not have been great (although a lot was), but it was a really fun time to follow the charts.

But even sales/downloads have a flaw because they essentially just measure new popularity; a sale gives the same weight to a song you buy once out of curiosity and only listen to 1-2 times, and one you buy and listen to 3000 times.

So, more so, as you said there is no perfect measure. I guess that's why it's fun to debate, though. Of course it's also not what the Hot 100 is necessarily about anyway.

[jdanton2]

in the itunes era there was some manipulation as well with songs being discounted and getting banners and other good placements on their site.

[HolidayGuy]

^Also, it's not like there wasn't deep discounting of singles in the 1992-2001 SoundScan era, too. That's marketing, though- any label was free to do it. Some went to more extremes than others, though, it is true.

As for pre-SoundScan, any chart scandals/finagling tended to be with the lesser charts. Think the Cashbox scandal, when someone was killed. In 1992, there was the Wayne Newton thing with Cashbox, though that was not a scanald- just laughable, given that that track didn't appear on any other major chart. The biggest hits did well on all of the major charts (Billboard, Radio & Records, Cashbox, Record World, etc.) There were some variations of peak position, and there would be hits that charted on one and not the other, though, all in all, the biggest hits dominated across the board.

[thebops]

My two cents is that people also need to remember that the Billboard charts are, at their core, an industry tool meant for people within the music industry to use. Sure, Billboard, for marketing purposes, likes to say that the Hot 100 measures the "most popular" songs each week but the formula and rules are tailored to how those within the music business want them to be.

[Gary]

Dec 31, 2023 8:55:24 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

^Also, it's not like there wasn't deep discounting of singles in the 1992-2001 SoundScan era, too. That's marketing, though- any label was free to do it. Some went to more extremes than others, though, it is true.

This goes for any product of any kind - ever

Whatever measures that are taken to sell a product, the public still has to buy into it, extreme measures or not. Some work...some don't

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Dec 30, 2023 19:54:28 GMT -5 avamaxstan said:

Dec 30, 2023 14:50:17 GMT -5 renfield75 said:

Imagine the meltdowns if the BB200 went back to "no catalog albums" and all those Taylor and Drake albums were removed.

It might be boring for chart-watchers when the same Christmas songs take over every year but that IS what the public is consuming. Those playlists don't get streams if people don't seek them out, and AIWFCIY and RATCT aren't breaking streaming records because of "payola". So be mad at the millions of people who want to listen to old Christmas songs every December, not Billboard or Mariah or Brenda or whoever.

But how much of those playlist spins are voluntary/proactive listeners vs retail playlists? We’ll never know

How much of any spin for any song is proactive vs retail? Who cares? It’s not the chart’s job to determine that. It’s just another fake determiner to separate songs you like from songs you don’t like.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Dec 31, 2023 8:55:24 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

The biggest hits did well on all of the major charts (Billboard, Radio & Records, Cashbox, Record World, etc.) There were some variations of peak position, and there would be hits that charted on one and not the other, though, all in all, the biggest hits dominated across the board.

Enphasizing this point. I think the point a lot of people miss with charts is that one chart only tells part of the story. It needs to be referred in context with other charts. We can argue all day about why so-and-so bigger than somebody else using Hot 100 stats, but there’s always other charts with supporting evidence for a counterpoint. Plus, for a large majority of artists, the Hot 100 is useless. Other genre or consumption charts are often a better measurement of success because they don’t attempt to compare apples to orangea to grapes in the same pot as they compare baguettes to croissants to ciabatta.

[Soulsista]

Billboard Top 10 from 65, 60, 55, 50, and 45 years ago:

December 29, 1958 (For the week ending January 3, 1959)

01 01 The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - David Seville & The Chipmunks (2nd of 4 weeks at #1)
02 02 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters
03 03 To Know Him Is To Love Him - The Teddy Bears
04 06 One Night - Elvis Presley
05 04 Problems - The Everly Brothers
06 05 Tom Dooley - The Kingston Trio
07 08 Lonesome Town - Ricky Nelson
08 07 Beep Beep - The Playmates
09 10 A Lover's Question - Clyde McPhatter
10 12 Whole Lotta Loving - Fats Domino


January 4, 1964

01 02 There! I've Said It Again - Bobby Vinton (1st of 4 weeks at #1)
02 03 Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
03 01 Dominique - The Singing Nun
04 04 Since I Fell For You - Lenny Welch
05 07 Forget Him - Bobby Rydell
06 08 Popsicles And Icicles - The Murmaids
07 09 Talk Back Trembling Lips - Johnny Tillotson
08 12 Quicksand - Martha & The Vandellas
09 13 The Nitty Gritty - Shirley Ellis
10 11 Midnight Mary - Joey Powers


January 4, 1969

01 01 I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (4th of 7 weeks at #1)
02 02 For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
03 07 I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross & The Supremes And The Temptations
04 16 Soulful Strut - Young-Holt Unlimited
05 04 Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
06 10 Cloud Nine - The Temptations
07 03 Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes
08 05 Stormy - The Classics IV feat. Dennis Yost
09 08 Who's Making Love - Johnnie Taylor
10 13 Hooked On a Feeling - B.J. Thomas


January 5, 1974

01 01 Time In a Bottle - Jim Croce (2nd and final week at #1)
02 04 The Joker - The Steve Miller Band
03 03 Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) - Helen Reddy
04 02 The Most Beautiful Girl - Charlie Rich
05 08 Show And Tell - Al Wilson
06 09 Smokin' In The Boys Room - Brownsville Station
07 05 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
08 10 Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up - Barry White
09 11 Living For The City - Stevie Wonder
10 14 I've Got To Use My Imagination - Gladys Knight & The Pips


January 6, 1979

01 02 Too Much Heaven - The Bee Gees (1st of 2 weeks at #1)
02 01 Le Freak - Chic
03 04 My Life - Billy Joel
04 03 You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond
05 05 I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'Round) - Alicia Bridges
06 07 Sharing The Night Together - Dr. Hook
07 08 Y.M.C.A. - The Village People
08 10 Hold The Line - Toto
09 09 (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away - Andy Gibb
10 11 Ooh Baby Baby - Linda Ronstadt

[Soulsista]

Billboard Top 10 from 40, 35, 30, 25, and 20 years ago:

January 7, 1984

01 01 Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (5th of 6 weeks at #1)
02 02 Say It Isn't So - Daryl Hall & John Oates
03 03 Union Of The Snake - Duran Duran
04 04 Owner Of a Lonely Heart - Yes
05 08 Twist Of Fate - Olivia Newton-John
06 12 Talking In Your Sleep - The Romantics
07 10 Break My Stride - Matthew Wilder
08 11 I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues - Elton John
09 09 Undercover Of The Night - The Rolling Stones
10 05 All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie


January 7, 1989

01 01 Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison (3rd and final week at #1)
02 02 My Prerogative - Bobby Brown
03 06 Two Hearts - Phil Collins
04 04 Giving You The Best That I Got - Anita Baker
05 08 In Your Room - The Bangles
06 10 Don't Rush Me - Taylor Dayne
07 05 Waiting For a Star To Fall - Boy Meets Girl
08 03 Look Away - Chicago
09 12 Armageddon It - Def Leppard
10 13 Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson


January 8, 1994

01 01 Hero - Mariah Carey (3rd of 4 weeks at #1)
02 04 All For Love - Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting
03 03 All That She Wants - Ace Of Base
04 02 Again - Janet Jackson
05 07 Gangsta Lean - DRS
06 06 Breathe Again - Toni Braxton
07 11 Whoomp! (There It Is) - Tag Team
08 08 What's My Name? - Snoop Doggy Dogg
09 05 I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf
10 09 Said I Loved You...But I Lied - Michael Bolton


January 9, 1999

01 01 I'm Your Angel - R. Kelly & Celine Dion (6th and final week at #1)
02 02 Nobody's Supposed To Be Here - Deborah Cox
03 09 Have You Ever? - Brandy
04 04 ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
05 03 Lately - Divine
06 05 Because Of You - 98 Degrees
07 08 Trippin' - Total feat. Missy Elliott
08 07 Doo Wop (That Thing) - Lauryn Hill
09 10 Love Like This - Faith Evans
10 06 From This Moment On - Shania Twain


January 3, 2004

01 01 Hey Ya! - Outkast (4th of 9 weeks at #1)
02 02 The Way You Move - Outkast feat. Sleepy Brown
03 03 Milkshake - Kelis
04 05 You Don't Know My Name - Alicia Keys
05 04 Stand Up - Ludacris feat. Shawnna
06 06 Walked Outta Heaven - Jagged Edge
07 08 Suga Suga - Baby Bash feat. Frankie J
08 07 Here Without You - 3 Doors Down
09 18 Slow Jamz - Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx
10 17 Me, Myself And I - Beyonce

[Soulsista]

Billboard Top 10 Flashback:

January 3, 2009

01 01 Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) - Beyonce (3rd of 4 weeks at #1)
02 02 Live Your Life - T.I. feat. Rihanna
03 03 Just Dance - Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis
04 07 Heartless - Kanye West
05 06 Womanizer - Britney Spears
06 08 Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
07 11 Love Story - Taylor Swift
08 10 Love Lockdown - Kanye West
09 05 Whatever You Like - T.I.
10 09 If I Were a Boy - Beyonce


January 4, 2014

01 01 The Monster - Eminem feat. Rihanna (3rd of 4 weeks at #1)
02 02 Timber - Pitbull feat. Ke$ha
03 03 Counting Stars - OneRepublic
04 04 Say Something - A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera
05 05 Royals - Lorde
06 06 Demons - Imagine Dragons
07 09 Let Her Go - Passenger
08 07 Wake Me Up! - Avicii
09 08 Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus
10 10 Story Of My Life - One Direction

12 NE Drunk In Love - Beyonce feat. Jay-Z


January 5, 2019

01 01 thank u, next - Ariana Grande (7th and final week at #1)
02 02 Without Me - Halsey
03 07 All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey
04 03 SICKO MODE - Travis Scott
05 04 Sunflower - Post Malone & Swae Lee
06 06 High Hopes - Panic! At The Disco
07 05 Happier - Marshmello & Bastille
08 13 Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
09 11 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
10 12 A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives


January 7, 2023

01 01 All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey (12th of 14 weeks at #1)
02 02 Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
03 03 Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
04 05 Last Christmas - Wham!
05 04 A Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
06 06 It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Andy Williams
07 08 Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
08 09 Anti-Hero - Taylor Swift
09 11 The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) - Nat King Cole
10 10 Unholy - Sam Smith & Kim Petras

[85la]

I really think that the current Hot 100 formula measures popularity and consumption better than ever, and over time, overall, it does seem to improve. The argument that the downloads era was the strongest doesn't make the most sense, because like jenglisbe said, it only counts once per one week no matter if it's listened to once or hundreds of times, and in my opinion was weighed too much overall, when just a couple hundred thousand people downloading a song could have more weight tens of millions of streams or radio impressions (remember the Hot 100 doesn't only measure on-demand/what people want to hear, but also what is heard, just passive, whether people want to hear it or not).

Overall, streaming now is clearly the biggest method of music listening and consumption, with the tens of millions of streams the top songs receive each week, so I think the Hot 100 accurately reflects that. And yes, I agree that active/on-demand streams should count more than passive streams. There must me some way of separating them, and I'm pretty sure Billboard used to actually do that? Of course, the chart still is not and can never be perfect, and more things could be added and improved upon (the biggest factor right now I think being TikTok, some of the biggest songs on there and most known by the younger generation not even appearing on the Hot 100).

[jenglisbe]

Dec 31, 2023 13:19:46 GMT -5 85la said:

Overall, streaming now is clearly the biggest method of music listening and consumption, with the tens of millions of streams the top songs receive each week, so I think the Hot 100 accurately reflects that. And yes, I agree that active/on-demand streams should count more than passive streams. There must me some way of separating them, and I'm pretty sure Billboard used to actually do that? Of course, the chart still is not and can never be perfect, and more things could be added and improved upon (the biggest factor right now I think being TikTok, some of the biggest songs on there and most known by the younger generation not even appearing on the Hot 100).

Billboard separates passive streaming to the degree that something like Pandora (which is akin to playing a radio station) is considered passive streaming and counts less than a stream via Apple Music, though that has more to do with money than anything (Pandora being free and Apple Music being something you have to pay for). I don't think there is much other separation between proactively choosing a song to listen to and just hitting play on a playlist and hearing those songs, though. It would certainly be ideal to get some distinction there, but I assume at this point is hard to determine from a technical standpoint? Not sure.

[colson]

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Jan 1, 2024 1:06:08 GMT -5 colson said:

If I counted correctly, this prediction has 38 holiday songs out of the top 50 of the Hot 100 plus 2 below it.

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Jingles Back to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

1/2/2024

By Gary Trust

Meanwhile, the Hot 100's top eight are holiday songs for the first time.

Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” rebounds to No. 1, from No. 2, on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. The holiday classic adds a third week at the apex, four weeks after it led the list for the first time – 65 years after its release. It became Lee’s third Hot 100 No. 1, and her first since 1960.

Meanwhile, the Hot 100’s top eight titles are holiday songs for the first time ever. A year ago this week, the top seven were seasonal songs. Plus, nine of the top 10 are holiday hits for the second time, matching the festive feat first achieved three years ago this week. 

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations. All charts (dated Jan. 6, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 3, a day later than usual due to the New Year’s Day holiday Jan. 1). For all chart news, you can follow billboard and billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. 

Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” on Decca/MCA Nashville/UMe, drew 57.3 million streams (up 16%, good for the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer award for a second consecutive week) and 22.2 million radio airplay audience impressions (down 7%) and sold 4,000 downloads (down 10%) in the Dec. 22-28 tracking week – thus, encompassing four days leading up to and including Christmas Day – according to Luminate.

The single holds at No. 1 for a fifth consecutive and sixth total week atop the Streaming Songs chart (after it first ruled the last frame of the 2022 holiday season); rises 8-6 on Digital Song Sales, after reaching No. 4; and lifts 24-22 on Radio Songs, where it has hit a No. 17 best.

The song was originally recorded and released in 1958. Written by Johnny Marks and produced by Owen Bradley, it first hit the Hot 100 in December 1960 and reached an original No. 14 peak two weeks later. It went on to spend nine weeks at No. 2 between December 2019 and last holiday season prior to its coronation over the latest holiday season.

For its 65th anniversary in 2023, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” received its first official video, featuring cameos from country stars Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, Nov. 3. Plus, Lee performed it on NBC’s Christmas at the Opry, which aired Dec. 7. She has also joined TikTok, where she has been sharing posts about the song and her career.

Lee reminisced to Billboard on Dec. 4 about recording the carol, when she was 13, after learning of its ascent to No. 1 at last from Universal Music Group Nashville chair/CEO Cindy Mabe. “The producer cut the air way down in the studio,” Lee recalled. “He had a big Christmas tree and everyone was there – the Anita Kerr Singers and the ‘A-team’ [of Nashville studio musicians], as we called them. It was like a little touch of magic kind of sprinkled in, and it turned out to be magic. It really did.”

The song is just the third holiday No. 1 ever on the Hot 100, with all three having led for multiple weeks. “The Chipmunk Song,” by The Chipmunks with David Seville, also from 1958, spent four weeks on top beginning that December and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” released in 1994, has notched 14 weeks at No. 1, from its first scaling of the summit in December 2019 through last week’s Dec. 30, 2023-dated chart.

With another week at No. 1, Lee extends her record for the longest span of an artist topping the Hot 100: 63 years, five months and three weeks, from her first frame at No. 1 with “I’m Sorry” (July 18, 1960) through the latest list.

Plus, Lee, at 79 years and three weeks of age, expands by another week her mark as the senior-most artist to have ruled the Hot 100. Concurrently, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” leads the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100, for a third total week.

Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” dips to No. 2 on the Hot 100, with 54.8 million streams (up 13%), 26.5 million in airplay audience (down 16%) and 7,000 sold (down 1%). With its 2019 triumph, Carey claimed her 19th No. 1, extending her record for the most among soloists and moving to within one of The Beatles’ overall record 20. The single also reigns as the No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs retrospective.

The rest of the Hot 100’s top five holds in place: Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” released in 1957, at its No. 3 high; Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” from 1984, at its No. 4 best; and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” from 1964, at No. 5, after reaching No. 4.

Andy Williams’ “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” from 1963, rises 7-6 on the Hot 100, having hit No. 5. The late singer now sports a record span of 64 years and three months from his first week in the top 10 with “Lonely Street” in October 1959 through his latest week in the bracket.

Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!,” from 1959, ascends 8-7 for a new Hot 100 high and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” from 1970, dashes 9-8, after logging a No. 6 peak.

Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” slides 6-9 on the Hot 100, five weeks after it became his third No. 1. The chart’s top nonholiday title scores a seventh week each atop the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.

Wrapping the Hot 100’s top 10, The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride,” from 1963, parks at No. 10 for a second straight week, after reaching No. 8. The act now boasts a span of 60 years, three months and two weeks in the top 10, dating to its iconic No. 2-peaking “Be My Baby” in September 1963 – the longest among groups. (Excluding holiday fare, The Beatles broke the record for the longest top 10 span among all acts in November: 59 years, nine months and three weeks, from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in 1964 to the debut of their newly-released single “Now and Then.”)

Again, for all chart news, you can follow billboard and billboardcharts on Billboard’s social accounts, and all charts (dated Jan. 6), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 3).

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.