Adult Top 40
Introduction 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. "It is a format in which the genre is geared more towards an adult audience who are not into hard rock, hip hop, or adult contemporary fare. The main genres within this format are alternative rock and mainstream pop that is more adult-oriented. It is not to be confused with adult contemporary where rather lesser-known and more ballad-driven songs are played. The current number-one song on the chart is "Cruel Summer" by Taylor Swift.
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.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 reflects 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. 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.
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===Issue DateCriteriaRefMarch 16, 1996 – Jun 29, 2002Records below the top 20 are removed from the chart after 26 weeks. July 6, 2002 – November 26, 2005Records below the top 15 are removed from the chart after 26 weeks. December 3, 2005 – April 18, 2009Songs are removed from the chart if they have been on the chart for*more than 20 weeks and rank below No. 15, or*more than 52 weeks and rank below No. 10 April 25, 2009 – PresentDescending songs are removed from the chart if they have been on the chart for*more than 20 weeks and rank below No. 15, or*more than 26 weeks and rank below No. 10, or*more than 52 weeks and rank below No. 5
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. Listed below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists.===Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs (1996–2016)===RankSingleYear releasedArtist(s)Peak and duration"Smooth"Santana featuring Rob Thomas#1 for 25 weeks"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"Train#1 for 14 weeks"Wherever You Will Go"The Calling#1 for 23 weeks"How to Save a Life"The Fray#1 for 15 weeks"Counting Stars"OneRepublic#1 for 7 weeks"Unwell"Matchbox Twenty#1 for 18 weeks"I'm Yours"Jason Mraz#1 for 9 weeks"You and Me"Lifehouse#1 for 9 weeks"All for You"Sister Hazel#1 for 7 weeks"Hanging by a Moment"Lifehouse#1 for 5 weeksSource:===Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs Artists (1996–2016)===RankArtistMaroon 5Matchbox TwentyTrainNickelbackPinkKelly ClarksonKaty PerryGoo Goo DollsDaughtryTaylor SwiftSource:
Song records ===Most weeks at number one===Number of  weeksArtist(s)SongYear(s)Source25Santana featuring Rob Thomas"Smooth"1999–200023The Calling"Wherever You Will Go"2001–02Taylor Swift"Cruel Summer"2023–2420The Weeknd"Blinding Lights"202018Matchbox Twenty"Unwell"2003Nickelback"Photograph"2005–0617Goo Goo Dolls"Iris"1998Miley Cyrus"Flowers"202316Avril Lavigne"Complicated"200215No Doubt"Don't Speak"1996–97The Fray"How to Save a Life"2006–07Panic! at the Disco"High Hopes"2018–1914Natalie Imbruglia"Torn"1998Vertical Horizon"Everything You Want"2000Train"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"2001Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B"Girls Like You"2018Maroon 5"Memories"2019–20===Most weeks on the chart===Number of  weeksArtist(s)SongYear(s)Source75Train"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"2001–0273Lifehouse"Hanging by a Moment"2001–0272Santana featuring Rob Thomas"Smooth"1999–200071The Calling"Wherever You Will Go"2001–0369Sister Hazel"All for You"1997–9865Goo Goo Dolls"Slide"1998–1999The Weeknd"Blinding Lights"2020–2163Vertical Horizon"Everything You Want"1999–200162Edwin McCain"I'll Be"1998–9961Duncan Sheik"Barely Breathing"1996–97===Highest debut===Debut  PositionArtistSongDebut DateSourceNo. 9Taylor Swift"Shake It Off"September 6, 2014No. 12Ed Sheeran"Eyes Closed"April 8, 2023NSYNC"Better Place"October 14, 2023No. 13Alanis Morissette"Thank U"October 10, 1998Ed Sheeran"Afterglow"January 2, 2021No. 14Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie"ME! "May 4, 2019Adele"Easy on Me"October 23, 2021Miley Cyrus"Flowers"January 28, 2023No. 16Eric Clapton"Change the World"June 22, 1996Maroon 5"Maps"July 5, 2014Taylor Swift"Look What You Made Me Do"September 9, 2017Pink"Never Gonna Not Dance Again"November 19, 2022
Artist records ===Artists with the most number-one songs===Number of  singles  Artist  Source   Maroon 5   Taylor Swift Pink 8 Katy Perry   Ed Sheeran  6 Adele  Shawn Mendes  5 Nickelback   Justin Bieber  === Artists with the most cumulative weeks at number one === Number of weeks  Artist  Source101  Maroon 5  64  Taylor Swift  54  Matchbox Twenty  51  Ed Sheeran  47  Santana  45  Adele  40  Rob Thomas  38  Pink  35  Nickelback  34  Katy Perry   27  Train   Kelly Clarkson  === Artists with the most top-ten songs === Number of singles  Artist  Source30  Taylor Swift 27  Maroon 5 20  Pink 17  Kelly Clarkson  16  Katy Perry  Ed Sheeran  14  Goo Goo Dolls  Train  Justin Bieber  13  Matchbox Twenty ===Longest break between number ones===* Coldplay – eight years and eight months* Train – six years, four months and one week* Maroon 5 – five years, 10 months and one week===Additional achievements===* Shawn Mendes is the first artist to have four songs hit number one on the chart before age 20.
See also *List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Top 40 chart*Adult Contemporary (chart)*Mainstream Top 40
References
External links *  Current ''Billboard'' Adult Pop Songs chart