What is the best CHR Top 40 chart?

[j]

Best in terms of what, tho?

My personal favorite show? It's the Rick Dees Show.
My favorite chart? It's the Mediabase CHR/Pop Chart.

[Topay]

I'm partial to Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart, but then again, I'm partial to Billboard in general.

[TheJakes]

I am partial to the Mediabase chart because we have great access to all the Mediabase date. Which makes following the chart easier and more interesting.

[jond7699]

R&R/Mediabase

[irice22]

R&R clearly.

[reception]

j said:

My personal favorite show? It's the Rick Dees Show.
My favorite chart? It's the Mediabase CHR/Pop Chart.

[rowellfarm490]

R&R Mediabase CHR/Pop Chart

[krazymack]

My personal favorite countdown show was American Top 40 with Casey Kasem.
My favorite chart? It's the Mediabase CHR/Pop Chart. Although Billboard's Mainstream Hit isn't bad too.

[BillboardBoy]

LOL! I don't think the results were too unpredictable. :)

[lacrosseboy]

Now, does anyone mind if I ask why they voted for Radio & Records? Is it just because most of the people here are total radio enthusiasts.

I am in favor of Billboard, and I would be totally extatic if AT40 used the official Billboard Hot 100 chart again. (Though they won't because the range of music is so broad). American Top 40 could truly play the 40 biggest hits in the land if they went back to the Hot 100.

I like Billboard because it's methods are the most accurate of determining the most popular song in the nation (dual sales/airplay) and it covers a broader spectrum of musical genres, so their chart captures everything instead of select payola'd songs on CHR.

[Peach]

Mediabase R&R, naturally. Why else would I be here?

My favorite show is definitely Rick Dees Top 40. I don't like AT40. What's with all the recurrents?

[charlypp]

R&R all the way,it's the official CHR chart long ago,billboard had its time.
American Top 40 was the best with Case Kasem,now nothing to say.

[lacrosseboy]

I have to disagree with that. What are your criteria for it being the best? It is the most payola'd and the reason why AT40 and Casey's Top 40 went to an airplay basis back in the 90s was because CHR stations didn't like some of the songs that were on the Hot 100.

It had nothing to do with which chart is more accurate, though I put my money on Billboard.

Billboard is simply much more comprehensive than R&R's CHR/Pop chart. It is also considered the authoritative and official chart. Billboard is targeted at a wide audience, R&R is not. Billboard compiles its data from a variety of sources, R&R leans far too heavily on radio stations to be authoritative about the world of music in general.

For radio facts, stick with R&R, for an authoritative chart that compiles what songs are popular based on a variety of sources, go with Billboard. Billboard makes an honest attempt to keep bias lower, just by the fact that they don't use only airplay data as a crutch.

[TheJakes]

The design of the Hot 100 is biased and the bias has been growing as it has failed to adapt to musical realities. The narrow selection of radio markets to urban areas hurts Country music and more importantly, the continued failure to incorporate downloading, streaming and video play belies its claim to be a list of the hottest songs in America.

[lacrosseboy]

And Radio and Records does any better by leaning heavily on the crutch of what CHR payolas? I personally feel that R&R is the worst in terms of bias, and after taking a course in statistics, statisticians would tend to agree. The R&R chart fails miserably when it comes to bias: it is over-ridden with bias, and if Billboard fails to be a list of the hottest songs in America, then R&R is simply wiped off of even having a grade--it can't compete worth anything.

Further, there is no exact way to find out what songs people are downloading, as I daresay such a huge chunk of it is done via sources such as Kazaa. And I doubt that Billboard would want to get tied up in that. They COULD look over at Apple Music Store and Microsoft's Music Store, but still, neither quite provide enough sources.

[billme]

Torin, you have been mentioning payola a few times. Do you have any insights that you can share? Maybe experience with McCulosky & Assc or some other inde?