Adult Pop Airplay
{{Short description|Music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine}}
{{Update|date=February 2025}}
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-pop-songs |title= Current Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart| magazine= Billboard | access-date=February 9, 2013}}
It is a format in which the genre is geared more towards an adult audience who are not into hard rock, hip hop, or soft adult contemporary fare. The main genres within this format are a mix of soft and energetic adult contemporary music alongside adult alternative rock and adult-oriented pop music. It is not to be confused with the Adult Contemporary chart which contains more ballad-driven songs played on the radio. The current number-one song on the chart is "Ordinary" by Alex Warren.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-pop-songs/2025-07-12/|title=Adult Pop Airplay: Week of July 12, 2025|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 9, 2025}}
History
The chart was first published in the March 16, 1996, issue of Billboard; however, historically, the chart's introduction was in October 1995, when it began as a test chart.{{cite magazine |date=March 16, 1996 |title=Updated Charts: Heatseekers, AC |magazine=Billboard |volume=108 |issue=11 |page=109 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YA8EAAAAMBAJ |access-date=February 9, 2013}}
The Adult Top 40 chart was formed following a split of the "Hot Adult Contemporary" chart due to the growing emergence of Adult Top 40 radio stations in the 1990s. These stations played a wider variety of artists and saw a faster turnover of songs compared to traditional adult contemporary radio. Songs by modern rock, dance, and R&B artists were mixed in with acts more closely associated with adult contemporary. According to Billboard, splitting the chart "better reflect[s] the music being played on adult contemporary and adult/top 40 stations."
The first number-one song on the Adult Top 40, from the test chart of October 7, 1995, was "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/1995-10-07/hot-adult-40-tracks |title=Adult Pop Songs chart |date=October 7, 1995 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=February 24, 2013}} The first number-one song on the Adult Top 40, from the published chart of March 16, 1996, was "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/1996-03-16/hot-adult-40-tracks |title=Adult Pop Songs chart |date=March 16, 1996 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=February 24, 2013}}
Chart criteria
There are 40 positions on this chart. Songs are ranked based on its total number of spins per week. This is calculated by electronically monitoring Adult Top 40 radio stations across the U.S. 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.
Songs receiving the greatest growth receive a "bullet", although there are tracks that also get bullets if the loss in detections doesn't exceed the percentage of downtime from a monitored station. "Airpower" awards are issued to songs that appear on the top 20 of both the airplay and audience chart for the first time, while the "greatest gainer" award is given to song with the largest increase in detections. A song with six or more spins in its first week is awarded an "airplay add". If two songs are tied in spins in the same week, the one with the biggest increase that week ranks higher.
=Recurrent rules=
All-time achievements
In 2016, for the 20th anniversary of the chart, Billboard compiled a ranking of the 50 best-performing songs and artists on the chart over the 20 years. "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas was ranked as the #1 song, while Maroon 5 was ranked as the #1 artist.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/best-adult-pop-songs-artists-charts-greatest-of-all-time/|title=Maroon 5 Top Artist, Santana's 'Smooth' Top Song of Adult Pop Songs Chart's First 20 Years|website=Billboard.com|access-date=August 28, 2023}} Listed below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists.
=Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs (1996–2016)=
| class="wikitable" |
| Rank
!Single !Year released !Artist(s) !Peak and duration |
|---|
| {{center|1.}}
|"Smooth" |{{center|1999}} |Santana featuring Rob Thomas |#1 for 25 weeks |
| {{center|2.}}
|{{center|2000}} |#1 for 14 weeks |
| {{center|3.}}
|{{center|2001}} |#1 for 23 weeks |
| {{center|4.}}
|{{center|2006}} |#1 for 15 weeks |
| {{center|5.}}
|{{center|2013}} |#1 for 7 weeks |
| {{center|6.}}
|"Unwell" |{{center|2003}} |#1 for 18 weeks |
| {{center|7.}}
|"I'm Yours" |{{center|2008}} |#1 for 9 weeks |
| {{center|8.}}
|"You and Me" |{{center|2005}} |#1 for 9 weeks |
| {{center|9.}}
|"All for You" |{{center|1997}} |#1 for 7 weeks |
| {{center|10.}}
|{{center|2000}} |Lifehouse |#1 for 5 weeks |
=Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs Artists (1996–2016)=
| class="wikitable" |
| Rank
!Artist |
|---|
| {{center|1.}} |
| {{center|2.}} |
| {{center|3.}} |
| {{center|4.}} |
| {{center|5.}}
|Pink |
| {{center|6.}} |
| {{center|7.}} |
| {{center|8.}} |
| {{center|9.}} |
| {{center|10.}} |
Song records
=Most weeks at number one=
=Most weeks on the chart=
=Highest debut=
| class="wikitable" |
| Debut Position !Artist !Song !Debut Date !Source |
|---|
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |No. 9
|"Shake It Off" |September 6, 2014 |
| Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone
|"Fortnight" |May 4, 2024 |{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-post-malone-fortnight-adult-pop-airplay-chart-debut-1235667869/|title=Taylor Swift & Post Malone's 'Fortnight' Makes Record-Tying Start on Adult Pop Airplay Chart|magazine=Billboard|first=Gary|last=Trust|date=April 26, 2024|access-date=April 28, 2024}} |
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |No. 12
|"Eyes Closed" |April 8, 2023 |
| NSYNC
|"Better Place" |October 14, 2023 |
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |No. 13
|"Thank U" |October 10, 1998 |
| Ed Sheeran
|"Afterglow" |January 2, 2021 |
| rowspan=4 style="text-align:center;" |No. 14
|Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie |"Me!" |May 4, 2019 |
| Adele
|"Easy on Me" |October 23, 2021 |
| Miley Cyrus
|"Flowers" |January 28, 2023 |
| Ed Sheeran
|"Azizam" |April 19, 2025 |
| rowspan=4 style="text-align:center;" |No. 16
|June 22, 1996 |
| Maroon 5
|"Maps" |July 5, 2014 |
| Taylor Swift
|September 9, 2017 |
| Pink
|"Never Gonna Not Dance Again" |November 19, 2022 |
Artist records
=Most number-one songs=
=Most cumulative weeks at number one=
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Number of weeks | Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" |101 | Maroon 5 | |
| style="text-align:center;" |67 | Taylor Swift | | |
| style="text-align:center;" |54 | Matchbox Twenty | | |
| style="text-align:center;" |51 | Ed Sheeran | |
| style="text-align:center;" |47 | Santana | |
| style="text-align:center;" |45 | Adele | |
| style="text-align:center;" |40 | Rob Thomas | {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rob-thomas/chart-history/atf/|title=Rob Thomas Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=August 8, 2018}} |
| style="text-align:center;" |38 | Pink | |
| style="text-align:center;" |35 | Nickelback | |
| style="text-align:center;" |34 | Katy Perry |
=Most top-ten songs=
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Number of singles | Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" |32 | Taylor Swift | |
| style="text-align:center;" |27 | Maroon 5 | |
| style="text-align:center;" |20 | Pink | |
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|17 | Kelly Clarkson | {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/kelly-clarkson/chart-history/atf/|title=Kelly Clarkson Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 21, 2017}} |
| | Ed Sheeran | ||
| style="text-align:center;" | 16 | Katy Perry | |
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="4" |14 | Goo Goo Dolls | |
| | Train | ||
| Justin Bieber | ||
| Bruno Mars | {{cite magazine |title=Bruno Mars Chart History (Adult Pop Songs) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bruno-mars/chart-history/atf/ |access-date=November 15, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}} |
=Most chart entries=
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Number of entries | Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" |48 | Taylor Swift | |
| style="text-align:center;" |34 | Pink | |
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |32 | Maroon 5 | |
| | Ariana Grande | {{cite magazine |title=Ariana Grande Chart History (Adult Pop Songs) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ariana-grande/chart-history/atf/ |access-date=December 4, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}} | |
| style="text-align:center;" |30 | Kelly Clarkson | |
| style="text-align:center;" |29 | Katy Perry | |
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |28 | Rihanna | {{cite magazine |title=Rihanna Chart History (Adult Pop Songs) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/rihanna/chart-history/atf/ |access-date=November 15, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}} |
| | Train | ||
| style="text-align:center;" |27 | Justin Bieber | |
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |26 | Coldplay | {{cite magazine |title=Coldplay Chart History (Adult Pop Songs) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/coldplay/chart-history/atf/ |access-date=November 15, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}} |
| | Ed Sheeran |
=Longest break between number ones=
| class="wikitable" |
| Artist
!Length of break !Preceding hit !Succeeding hit !Source |
|---|
| Bruno Mars
|9 years, 8 months and 3 weeks |"Uptown Funk" |"Die with a Smile" |
| Hozier
|9 years, 4 months and 2 weeks |"Take Me to Church" |"Too Sweet" |
| OneRepublic
|8 years and 9 months |"Counting Stars" |"I Ain't Worried" |
| Coldplay
|8 years and 8 months |"Viva la Vida" |"Something Just Like This" |
| Train
|6 years, 4 months and 1 week |"Calling All Angels" |"Hey, Soul Sister" | |
| Maroon 5
|5 years, 10 months and 1 week |"She Will Be Loved" |"Misery" | |
=Additional achievements=
- Shawn Mendes is the first artist to have four songs hit number one on the chart before age 20.{{cite news |last1=Trust |first1=Gary |title=Shawn Mendes Is the First Artist to Land Four No. 1s on the Adult Pop Songs Chart Before Age 20 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8467895/shawn-mendes-first-artist-to-have-four-no-1s-adult-pop-songs |access-date=1 August 2018 |work=billboard.com |publisher=Billboard Music |date=31 July 2018}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-pop-songs Current Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart]
{{AdultTop40Tracks}}
{{Billboard charts}}