Adult Pop Airplay
Music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine
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 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 "Dracula" by Tame Impala and Jennie.
01History
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 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. 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.
02Chart 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 Date | Criteria | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| March 16, 1996 , Jun 29, 2002 | Records below the top 20 are removed from the chart after 26 weeks. | |
| July 6, 2002 , November 26, 2005 | Records below the top 15 are removed from the chart after 26 weeks. | |
| December 3, 2005 , April 18, 2009 | Songs are removed from the chart if they have been on the chart for
|
|
| April 25, 2009 , Present | Descending songs are removed from the chart if they have been on the chart for
|
03All-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)
| Rank | Single | Year released | Artist(s) | Peak and duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Smooth" | 1999 | Santana featuring Rob Thomas | #1 for 25 weeks |
| 2. | "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" | 2000 | Train | #1 for 14 weeks |
| 3. | "Wherever You Will Go" | 2001 | The Calling | #1 for 23 weeks |
| 4. | "How to Save a Life" | 2006 | The Fray | #1 for 15 weeks |
| 5. | "Counting Stars" | 2013 | OneRepublic | #1 for 7 weeks |
| 6. | "Unwell" | 2003 | Matchbox Twenty | #1 for 18 weeks |
| 7. | "I'm Yours" | 2008 | Jason Mraz | #1 for 9 weeks |
| 8. | "You and Me" | 2005 | Lifehouse | #1 for 9 weeks |
| 9. | "All for You" | 1997 | Sister Hazel | #1 for 7 weeks |
| 10. | "Hanging by a Moment" | 2000 | Lifehouse | #1 for 5 weeks |
Source:
Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs Artists (1996, 2016)
| Rank | Artist |
|---|---|
| 1. | Maroon 5 |
| 2. | Matchbox Twenty |
| 3. | Train |
| 4. | Nickelback |
| 5. | Pink |
| 6. | Kelly Clarkson |
| 7. | Katy Perry |
| 8. | Goo Goo Dolls |
| 9. | Daughtry |
| 10. | Taylor Swift |
Source:
04Song records
Most weeks at number one
| Number of weeks |
Artist(s) | Song | Year(s) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Alex Warren | "Ordinary" | 2025-26 | |
| 25 | Santana featuring Rob Thomas | "Smooth" | 1999, 2000 | |
| 23 | The Calling | "Wherever You Will Go" | 2001, 02 | |
| Taylor Swift | "Cruel Summer" | 2023, 24 | ||
| 20 | The Weeknd | "Blinding Lights" | 2020 | |
| 18 | Matchbox Twenty | "Unwell" | 2003 | |
| Nickelback | "Photograph" | 2005, 06 | ||
| 17 | Goo Goo Dolls | "Iris" | 1998 | |
| Miley Cyrus | "Flowers" | 2023 | ||
| 16 | Avril Lavigne | "Complicated" | 2002 |
Most weeks on the chart
| Number of weeks |
Artist(s) | Song | Year* | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | Train | "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" | 2002 | |
| 73 | Lifehouse | "Hanging by a Moment" | 2002 | |
| 72 | Santana featuring Rob Thomas | "Smooth" | 2000 | |
| 71 | The Calling | "Wherever You Will Go" | 2003 | |
| 69 | Sister Hazel | "All for You" | 1998 | |
| 67 | Alex Warren | "Ordinary" | 2026 | |
| 65 | Goo Goo Dolls | "Slide" | 1999 | |
| The Weeknd | "Blinding Lights" | 2021 | ||
| 63 | Vertical Horizon | "Everything You Want" | 2001 | |
| 62 | Edwin McCain | "I'll Be" | 1999 | |
| Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars | "Die with a Smile" | 2025 |
*Year when the songs ended their respective chart runs.
Highest debut
| Debut Position |
Artist(s) | Song | Debut Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 | Taylor Swift | "The Fate of Ophelia" | October 18, 2025 | |
| No. 9 | "Shake It Off" | September 6, 2014 | ||
| Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone | "Fortnight" | May 4, 2024 | ||
| No. 10 | Bruno Mars | "I Just Might" | January 24, 2026 | |
| No. 12 | Ed Sheeran | "Eyes Closed" | April 8, 2023 | |
| NSYNC | "Better Place" | October 14, 2023 | ||
| No. 13 | Alanis Morissette | "Thank U" | October 10, 1998 | |
| Ed Sheeran | "Afterglow" | January 2, 2021 | ||
| Taylor Swift | "I Knew It, I Knew You" | June 20, 2026 | ||
| 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 |
Shortest climbs to number one
| Week reached number one |
Artist | Song | Date reached number one |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th week | Adele | "Hello" | December 5, 2015 | |
| Justin Timberlake | "Can't Stop the Feeling!" | June 18, 2016 | ||
| 6th week | Celine Dion | "Because You Loved Me" | April 6, 1996 | |
| Taylor Swift | "Shake It Off" | October 11, 2014 | ||
| Adele | "Easy on Me" | November 27, 2021 | ||
| Taylor Swift | "Anti-Hero" | December 3, 2022 | ||
| Miley Cyrus | "Flowers" | April 3, 2023 | ||
| 7th week | Katy Perry | "Roar" | October 5, 2013 | |
| Taylor Swift | "The Fate of Ophelia" | November 29, 2025 |
Longest climbs to number one
| Week reached number one |
Artist | Song | Date reached number one |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45th week | Maren Morris | "The Bones" | April 11, 2020 | |
| 43rd week | AJR | "Bang!" | February 27, 2021 | |
| 36th week | The Script | "Breakeven" | May 29, 2010 | |
| Tame Impala and Jennie | "Dracula" | July 25, 2026 | ||
| 35th week | Snow Patrol | "Chasing Cars" | February 17, 2007 | |
| Dua Lipa | "Levitating" | June 19, 2021 | ||
| Glass Animals | "Heat Waves" | February 19, 2022 | ||
| 34th week | Lewis Capaldi | "Before You Go" | August 15, 2020 | |
| 32nd week | Teddy Swims | "Lose Control" | March 23, 2024 | |
| 30th week | Gavin DeGraw | "Not Over You" | February 4, 2012 | |
| Passenger | "Let Her Go" | February 15, 2014 | ||
| Billie Eilish | "What Was I Made For?" | March 2, 2024 |
Shortest climbs to the top 10
| Week reached top 10 |
Artist(s) | Song | Date reached top 10 |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st week | Taylor Swift | "Shake It Off" | September 6, 2014 | |
| Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone | "Fortnight" | May 4, 2024 | ||
| Taylor Swift | "The Fate of Ophelia" | October 18, 2025 | ||
| Bruno Mars | "I Just Might" | January 24, 2026 | ||
| 2nd week | Eric Clapton | "Change the World" | June 29, 1996 | |
| Alanis Morissette | "Thank U" | October 17, 1998 | ||
| Adele | "Hello" | November 14, 2015 | ||
| Justin Timberlake | "Can't Stop the Feeling!" | May 28, 2016 | ||
| Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie | "Me!" | May 11, 2019 | ||
| Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber | "I Don't Care" | May 25, 2019 | ||
| Adele | "Easy on Me" | October 30, 2021 |
Longest climbs to the top 10
| Week reached top 10 |
Artist(s) | Song | Date reached top 10 |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35th week | Parmalee | "Take My Name" | May 13, 2023 | |
| 34th week | Ed Sheeran | "The A Team" | December 29, 2012 | |
| 32nd week | Augustana | "Boston" | January 27, 2007 | |
| 30th week | Tame Impala & Jennie | "Dracula" | June 13, 2026 | |
| 29th week | Mat Kearney | "Nothing Left to Lose" | November 25, 2006 | |
| 28th week | Jet | "Look What You've Done" | May 21, 2005 | |
| OneRepublic | "All the Right Moves" | April 24, 2010 | ||
| Ellie Goulding | "Lights" | August 18, 2012 | ||
| 27th week | JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels | "If the World Was Ending" | July 11, 2020 | |
| Dasha | "Austin" | October 19, 2024 |
05Artist records
Most number-one songs
| Number of singles | Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Taylor Swift | |
| 15 | Maroon 5 | |
| 10 | Pink | |
| 8 | Ed Sheeran | |
| Katy Perry | ||
| 6 | Adele | |
| Shawn Mendes | ||
| 5 | Bruno Mars | |
| Justin Bieber | ||
| Nickelback |
Most cumulative weeks at number one
| Number of weeks | Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Maroon 5 | |
| 75 | Taylor Swift | |
| 54 | Matchbox Twenty | |
| 51 | Ed Sheeran | |
| 47 | Santana | |
| 45 | Adele | |
| 40 | Rob Thomas | |
| 38 | Pink | |
| 35 | Nickelback | |
| 34 | Katy Perry |
Most top 10 songs
| Number of singles | Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Taylor Swift | |
| 28 | Maroon 5 | |
| 20 | Pink | |
| 18 | Ed Sheeran | |
| 17 | Kelly Clarkson | |
| 16 | Bruno Mars | |
| Katy Perry | ||
| 15 | Justin Bieber | |
| 14 | Goo Goo Dolls | |
| Lady Gaga | ||
| OneRepublic | ||
| Train |
Most chart entries
| Number of entries | Artist | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | Taylor Swift | |
| 34 | Ariana Grande | |
| Maroon 5 | ||
| Pink | ||
| 31 | Katy Perry | |
| 30 | Justin Bieber | |
| Kelly Clarkson | ||
| 29 | Ed Sheeran | |
| Rihanna | ||
| 28 | Goo Goo Dolls | |
| Train |
Additional artist achievements
- Shawn Mendes is the first artist to have four songs hit number one on the chart before age 20.
- Bruno Mars holds the record for longest break between number ones, with 9 years, 8 months and 3 weeks between Uptown Funk and Die with a Smile.
- Taylor Swift is the first artist to have three songs in the chart's top 10 simultaneously, with "Opalite", "The Fate of Ophelia", and "Elizabeth Taylor" at numbers 8, 9, and 10, respectively.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Adult Pop Airplay”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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