The Billboard Charts are one of the most influential music industry rankings today. Everyone is always talking about these Charts- but what are they really?
What are the charts?
The charts shaped the music industry and what we listen to today. Music charts are on a scale of 1-100 or 1-200 to show the popularity of a specific artist’s song/album is ranked every week. The charts can show us how music has changed throughout the years when you look at the charts from the past and the charts also benefit the artists on them.
There are two different charts, Billboard Hot100 and 200. Billboard Hot 100 is exclusively for single-hit songs. When artists release a single or an album, Billboard Hot 100 will take the most popular song from an artist and place it numerically on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by popularity. Many artists try to achieve a ranking from 1-10 because it shows that millions of people are listening to the song at any given moment.
Usually, the top 10 songs and the artists that create them will get more fans on social media platforms, the news, and popular music channels. Unlike the Billboard Hot 200, The Billboard Hot 100 has a rule that the song can only be on the board for a certain number of weeks before it is removed, and then other songs will have a chance to be ranked.
Similar to Billboard 100, Billboard 200 has the same ranking system, but it rates artists’ entire albums not just their singles. Billboard 200 does not have the same regulations that Billboard 100 has. Any artist can have their album on Billboard 200 for weeks, even years. Many popular artists like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston have made it for years on Billboard 200. For many new artists, it is considered an accomplishment to be ranked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200 for a long time.
Why do we chart music?
We chart music because it reflects the artist’s music and what is trending in current society. It shows what the music industry deems popular and creates what you are going to hear on your local radio stations, social media platforms, and TV. The charts in turn also help the music industry get an idea of what people want to hear and listen to.
Many companies and organizations create marketing models around the Billboard Hot Charts handing out brand deals to the most popular artists. A numerical ranking of the top songs or albums helps not just the artists grow both artistically and financially, it also helps the companies that promote the artist with their merchandise sell more products and become more recognized.
The Billboard Hot Charts are a gateway to more concerts, deals, press, movies, sponsors, and other opportunities. Many artists receive awards because of the amount of time they spend on the Billboards. The charts provide a tool that artists use in their music careers to gauge their music and how it is affecting the world.
When senior Malaya Zabet was asked if she keeps up with the charts, she said “I don’t personally care too much about music charting since I listen to a good amount of “smaller” artists that don’t usually chart. Although, back in the day I definitely cared more about my favorite artists charting and was proud of them.”
What are the points?
The points are how an artist’s song or album makes it to the top of the charts. The more points an artist has from several sales, downloads, and streams are calculated and added up and then compared with other artists to make the actual list of Billboard Hot 100 and 200. Simply the more points an artist has the higher on the chart they will be. #1 is the best spot an artist can be in.
Chart problems
While the charts are helpful in many ways, people find them to be unethical in some cases. Some people feel as if some people at the top do not deserve it based on how the charts are calculated. For example, streamed songs are counted by how many times a listener listens to that song.
Many people believe one listener should be counted as one point because many people may enjoy a song but will not listen to it repeatedly. This could be seen as unfair to other artists who have a different fan base and have songs that deserve to be at the top but will never make it because of the audience they attract. Teenagers and kids are more likely to listen to a song more often and repeatedly throughout the day than adults will.
Another flaw in the charts is if an artist creates different versions of vinyl the same song or album can take up more than one spot on the charts. Many people believe if it is the same song or album, it should be treated as one.
When 11th student Samuel Douglas was asked, if they think marketing strategies for music are ethical they said, “That artist should be measured by enjoyment of the listeners around the world and a big way to showing that through charts and by influence and manipulation of the charts the artist is not fair to other artists as well as manipulating to the listeners.”
As the music industry changes over the years so will the Billboards. So maybe they will also change the rules in between it too!
