Adult Alternative Airplay
{{Short description|Billboard chart}}
Adult Alternative Airplay (also known as Triple A or Triple A Airplay, and formerly Adult Alternative Songs and Triple A Songs) is a record chart currently published by Billboard that ranks the most popular songs on adult album alternative radio stations. The 40-position{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8046196/nothing-more-first-billboard-no-1-go-to-war|title=Nothing More Scores First Billboard Chart-Topper With 'Go to War'|magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=November 21, 2017|access-date=November 22, 2017|author=Rutherford, Kevin}} chart is formulated based on each song's weekly radio spins, as measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/triple-a |title=Triple A |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |access-date=May 13, 2014 |url-access=subscription }}
The current number-one song on the chart is "Moody" by Royel Otis.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/triple-a/2025-07-12|title=Adult Alternative Airplay|date=July 12, 2025|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 10, 2025}}
History
The earliest incarnation of the chart was first published on January 20, 1996,{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/chartbeat/481397/triple-a-radio-breaking-rookie-stars |title=Triple A Radio Breaking Rookie Stars |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=July 17, 2012 |access-date=May 13, 2014 |author=Trust, Gary}} as a feature in Billboard sister publication Airplay Monitor. In 2006, Airplay Monitor ceased publication after Billboard parent company VNU Media's acquisition of rival radio trade magazine Radio & Records,{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1352657/vnu-to-acquire-radio-records |title=VNU To Acquire Radio & Records |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=July 6, 2006 |access-date=May 17, 2014}} which then subsequently incorporated Airplay Monitor{{'}}s Nielsen-based Triple A chart.{{cite web |url=http://www.idolator.com/5060978/billboard-breaks-down-dials-up-triple-a |title='Billboard' Breaks Down, Dials Up Triple-A |publisher=Idolator. Spin Media |date=October 9, 2008 |access-date=May 13, 2014 |author=Shipley, Al}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1349978/nielsen-bds-expands-service |title=Nielsen BDS Expands Service |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=September 21, 2006 |access-date=May 17, 2014 |author=Tucker, Ken}}
Billboard itself began publishing the Triple A chart in the issue dated July 5, 2008, through their Billboard.biz website,{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jhQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA37 |title=Billboard's Charts Get Makeover; Price Matters |magazine=Billboard |volume=120 |issue=28 |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=July 12, 2008 |access-date=May 13, 2014 |author=Mayfield, Geoff |page=37}} appropriating the same airplay data as Radio & Records. Radio & Records closed in June 2009, leaving Billboard as the sole publisher of the chart.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/268412/chart-beat-pink-black-eyed-peas-shinedown |title=Chart Beat: Pink, Black Eyed Peas, Shinedown |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=June 10, 2009 |access-date=June 28, 2013 |author=Trust, Gary}} In February 2014, the chart's reporting panel was expanded from 23 to 32 stations, including non-commercial reporters for the first time.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/radio/5915622/billboards-triple-a-chart-gets-a-makeover |title=Billboard's Triple A Chart Gets a Makeover |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Prometheus Global Media |date=February 21, 2014 |access-date=May 13, 2014 |author=Trust, Gary}}
Following a re-design of their website, Billboard officially incorporated the history of the Airplay Monitor/Nielsen chart from 1996 to 2008 into their Adult Alternative Songs chart. The Billboard website and its official chart archive now show the first Adult Alternative Songs chart as having been published on January 20, 1996, with "The World I Know" by Collective Soul as its first number one single.{{cite magazine|title=Adult Alternative Songs: January 20, 1996|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/triple-a/1996-01-20|magazine=Billboard|access-date=9 February 2018}} Radio And Records first charted their Adult Alternative chart in the September 22, 1995, issue. It was a 30 position chart, and "Til I Hear It from You" by the Gin Blossoms was the first number one.
All-time achievements
In 2021, for the 25th anniversary of the chart, Billboard compiled a ranking of the 50 best-performing songs and artists on the chart over the 25 years. "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers was ranked as the #1 song, while Dave Matthews Band was ranked as the #1 artist.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/adult-alternative-airplay-25th-anniversary-recap/|title=Dave Matthews Band & The Wallflowers’ ‘One Headlight’ Top Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Charts|website=Billboard.com|date=February 18, 2021|access-date=October 21, 2024}} Listed below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists.
=Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs (1996–2021)=
class="wikitable" |
Rank
!Single !Year released !Artist(s) !Peak and duration |
---|
{{center|1.}}
|{{center|1997}} |#1 for 14 weeks |
{{center|2.}}
|"Clocks" |{{center|2002}} |#1 for 15 weeks |
{{center|3.}}
|"3AM" |{{center|1997}} |#1 for 14 weeks |
{{center|4.}}
|{{center|2017}} |#1 for 11 weeks |
{{center|5.}}
|{{center|2001}} |#1 for 14 weeks |
{{center|6.}}
|"Babylon" |{{center|2000}} |#1 for 2 weeks |
{{center|7.}}
|"It's Time" |{{center|2012}} |#2 for 5 weeks |
{{center|8.}}
|{{center|2007}} |#1 for 4 weeks |
{{center|9.}}
|{{center|2010}} |#1 for 14 weeks |
{{center|10.}}
|{{center|2000}} |U2 |#1 for 16 weeks |
Source:{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-of-all-time-adult-alternative-songs/|title=Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc|date=February 18, 2021|access-date=October 21, 2024}}
=Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Artists (1996–2021)=
class="wikitable" |
Rank
!Artist |
---|
{{center|1.}} |
{{center|2.}}
|U2 |
{{center|3.}} |
{{center|4.}} |
{{center|5.}} |
{{center|6.}} |
{{center|7.}} |
{{center|8.}} |
{{center|9.}} |
{{center|10.}} |
Source:{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-of-all-time-adult-alternative-artists//|title=Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Artists|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc|date=February 18, 2021|access-date=October 21, 2024}}
Song records
=Most weeks at number one=
class="wikitable" |
Number of weeks !Artist !Song !Year(s) !Source |
---|
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |16
|U2 |2000–01 |
rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |15
|"Clocks" |2003 |
Kings of Leon
|2016–17 |
rowspan=5 style="text-align:center;" |14
|1996–97 |
Matchbox Twenty
|"3AM" |1997–98 |
Matchbox Twenty
|"Bent" |2000 |
Train
|2001 |
Adele
|2011 |
rowspan=4 style="text-align:center;" |13
|Santana featuring Rob Thomas |"Smooth" |1999 |
Jack Johnson
|"Upside Down" |2006 |
Pearl Jam
|"Just Breathe" |2010 |
Gotye featuring Kimbra
|"Somebody That I Used to Know" |2012 |
rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |12
|2009 |
Beck
|"Dreams" |2015 |
rowspan=6 style="text-align:center;" |11
|"Hold On" |2007 |
Coldplay
|"Viva la Vida" |2008 |
Jack Johnson
|2010 |
Mumford & Sons
|"I Will Wait" |2012 |
The Lumineers
|"Ophelia" |2016 |
Portugal. The Man
|2017 |
rowspan=9 style="text-align:center;" |10
|1997 |
Jack Johnson
|"Good People" |2005 |
Death Cab For Cutie
|2005–06 |
Jack Johnson
|2008 |
David Gray
|"Fugitive" |2009 |
The Black Keys
|"Fever" |2014 |
George Ezra
|"Budapest" |2014–15 |
Mumford & Sons
|2018–19 |
Hozier
|"Too Sweet" |2024 |
=Most weeks on the chart=
class="wikitable" |
Number of weeks !Artist !Song !Year(s) !Source |
---|
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |52
|"Use Somebody" |2009–10 |
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |51
|2001–02 |
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |48
|2008–09 |
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |47
|"It's Time" |2012–13 |
rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |46
|"Clocks" |2002–03 |
The Head and the Heart
|2011–12 |
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |44
|"Babylon" |2000–01 |
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |43
|"Heaven" |2003–04 |
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |42
|2013–14 |
rowspan=1 style="text-align:center;" |41
|One eskimO |"Kandi" |2009–10 |
=Highest debut=
class="wikitable" |
Debut Position !Artist !Song !Debut Date !Source |
---|
style="text-align:center;" |No. 1
|U2 |February 7, 2009 |
rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |No. 2
|"Old Man & Me (When I Get to Heaven)" |April 20, 1996 |
Coldplay
|May 7, 2005 |
style="text-align:center;" |No. 3
|September 20, 1997 |
rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;" |No. 4
|February 10, 1996 |
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
|"Walls" |August 3, 1996 |
Coldplay
|November 28, 2015 |
rowspan=3 style="text-align:center;" |No. 5
|May 16, 1998 |
Coldplay
|"Violet Hill" |May 17, 2008 |
Mumford & Sons
|"Believe" |March 28, 2015 |
Artist records
=Most number-one singles=
=Most cumulative weeks at number one=
class="wikitable" | ||
Number of weeks | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
style="text-align:center;" |72 | U2 | |
style="text-align:center;" |69 | Coldplay | |
style="text-align:center;" |62 | Jack Johnson | |
style="text-align:center;" |51 | Dave Matthews{{efn|name=davematthews}} | |
style="text-align:center;" |48 | |The Black Keys | |
style="text-align:center;" |46 | |The Lumineers | |
style="text-align:center;" |45 | Death Cab For Cutie | |
style="text-align:center;" |33 | Nathaniel Rateliff{{efn|name=nathanielrateliff}} | |{{cite web|title=Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/nathaniel-rateliff-the-night-sweats/chart-history/aaa/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 4, 2024}} |
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |31 | Mumford & Sons | |
R.E.M. | {{cite web|title=R.E.M. Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/r-e-m/chart-history/aaa/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=October 19, 2024}} |
=Most top 10 singles=
class="wikitable" | ||
Number of singles | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |28 | U2 | |
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |26 | Dave Matthews{{efn|name=davematthews}} | |
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |25 | Coldplay | |
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |19 | Jack Johnson | |
John Mayer | ||
style="text-align:center;" |16 | Counting Crows | {{cite web|title=Counting Crows Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/counting-crows/chart-history/aaa/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 14, 2025}} |
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |15 | Beck | | |
The Black Keys | ||
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |14 | Mumford & Sons | |
Sheryl Crow | {{cite web|title=Sheryl Crow Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/sheryl-crow/chart-history/aaa/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=October 19, 2024}} |
=Most chart entries=
class="wikitable" | ||
Number of entries | Artist | Source |
---|---|---|
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |36 | Dave Matthews{{efn|name=davematthews}} | |
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |33 | U2 | |
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |30 | Coldplay | |
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |27 | Jack Johnson | |
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |25 | John Mayer | |
Sheryl Crow | ||
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |20 | Beck | | |
The Black Keys | ||
rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |18 | Counting Crows | |
Death Cab For Cutie | | | |
R.E.M. |
Notes
{{notelist}}
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.billboard.com/charts/triple-a Adult Alternative Songs] at Billboard
{{US Rock chart}}
{{Billboard charts}}