Billboard Hot 100

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Billboard Hot 100

Role / Field:

The definitive US music chart measuring sales, streaming, and airplay for popular songs.

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

The Billboard Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), online streaming, and radio airplay in the U.S. A new chart is compiled and released online to the public by Billboard's website on Tuesdays but post-dated to the following Saturday, when the printed magazine first reaches newsstands. Since July 2015, the weekly tracking period for sales has been Friday–Thursday. It was initially Monday–Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991. This tracking period also applies to the compilation of online streaming data.

Career & Major Achievements

Radio airplay is readily available in real time, unlike sales figures and streaming, but is also tracked on the same Friday–Thursday cycle, effective with the chart dated July 17, 2021. Previously, radio was tracked Monday–Sunday and, before July 2015, Wednesday–Tuesday. The first number-one song of the Billboard Hot 100 was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson, on August 4, 1958. As of the issue for the week ending on October 17, 2026, the Billboard Hot 100 has had 1,195 different number-one entries. The current number-one song on the chart is "Patient Zero" by Taylor Swift.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The first chart published by Billboard was "Last Week's Ten Best Sellers Among the Popular Songs", a list of best-selling sheet music, in July 1913. Other charts listed popular song performances in theatres and recitals. In 1928, "Popular Numbers Featured by Famous Singers and Leaders" appeared, which added radio performances to in-person performances. On January 4, 1936, Billboard magazine published "Ten Best Records for Week Ending", which listed the 10 top-selling records of three leading record companies, as reported by the companies themselves. In October 1938, a review list, "The Week's Best Records", was retitled "The Billboard Record Buying Guide" by incorporating airplay and sheet music sales, which would eventually become the first trade survey of record popularity.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1913: 1913 Milestone — The first chart published by Billboard was "Last Week's Ten Best Sellers Among the Popular Songs", a list of best-selling sheet music, in July 1913.
2. 1928: 1928 Milestone — In 1928, "Popular Numbers Featured by Famous Singers and Leaders" appeared, which added radio performances to in-person performances.
3. 1936: 1936 Milestone — On January 4, 1936, Billboard magazine published "Ten Best Records for Week Ending", which listed the 10 top-selling records of three leading record companies, as reported by the companies themselves.
4. 1938: 1938 Milestone — In October 1938, a review list, "The Week's Best Records", was retitled "The Billboard Record Buying Guide" by incorporating airplay and sheet music sales, which would eventually become the first trade survey of record popularity.
5. 1958: 1958 Milestone — The first number-one song of the Billboard Hot 100 was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson, on August 4, 1958.
6. 1991: 1991 Milestone — It was initially Monday–Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991.
7. 2015: 2015 Milestone — Since July 2015, the weekly tracking period for sales has been Friday–Thursday.
8. 2021: 2021 Milestone — Radio airplay is readily available in real time, unlike sales figures and streaming, but is also tracked on the same Friday–Thursday cycle, effective with the chart dated July 17, 2021.
9. 2026: 2026 Milestone — As of the issue for the week ending on October 17, 2026, the Billboard Hot 100 has had 1,195 different number-one entries.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Billboard Hot 100

True or False: “The Billboard Hot 100 was first established using a comprehensive tracking methodology combining sales, streaming, and airplay on its debut.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The initial chart listed best-selling sheet music in 1913; the modern combination of metrics evolved over decades.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Billboard Hot 100