Getting your song onto a Billboard chart is the epitome of success for a musician. Whether you make pop, rap, r&b, dance music, or whatever else: Billboard is the golden goose of the music industry.

However, that leads to the question of how these charts work.

Is there a magic way to land your song into the top 100 of Billboard’s most valuable tabulation? Do artists or their labels have secrets to getting top-ten hits that the regular musician doesn’t know?

How are these numbers calculated?

Well, we’re here to clear things up, so keep reading!

How Do Billboard Charts Work? How Are They Calculated?

The Billboard charts are put together by calculating song sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming in the United States.

With these numbers, the experts at Billboard can create this list of popular songs, leading from 100 to number one. Of course, as times change, there have been different ways to make the charts, but at the end of the day: you need to have sales.

Another thing to remember about the Billboard charts, like the Hot 100, is that they are tabulated weekly.

One week there may be a jump in album sales; the next, it could be much lower and result in a lower ranking.

We’ve all seen songs rise to the top of the various Billboard music charts, and at the same time: we’ve also watched them fall. This entire process is strictly based on data.

However, the exact data types that impact the chart occasionally change and send shockwaves into the music industry.

Big wigs get upset, and artists pretend they don’t notice.

For example, in 2013, Billboard started including streaming numbers from YouTube to determine chart positioning. Understandably, many artists, labels, and fans were shocked: some excited and others reeling.

One reason for the controversy was that some people suspected that including the streaming giant could invite malicious chart manipulation (botting or “Payola”) and essentially score a number one for undeserving music.

Again, this is top-tier hater behavior, but it has been done before. Unfortunately, some labels and artists go to the very ends of the earth to secure a top ten or even number one Billboard ranking.

We won’t point fingers, but we can all guess who has done this...

When Did Streaming Count Towards Billboard Charts?

Streaming wasn’t always what it currently is, so naturally, the Billboard charts did not count it for a long time.

However, in 2013, streaming officially began counting toward Billboard chart positioning. As we said, YouTube was the catalyst for this, followed by other giants like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, etc.

Without this change, songs like ‘Gangnam Stye‘ (lol) would not have been as successful on the charts because of their colossal streaming numbers.

Thanks to PSY and his South Korean-inspired track, Billboard was forced to consider streaming as a form of sales. Ah, history.

Nowadays, we all get to watch the numbers rise across platforms and anticipate a top ten or even top five Billboard Hot 100 debut. Before YouTube’s 2013 introduction: none of this would be happening.

Well, it probably would have, just without the drama.

Regardless, allowing streaming numbers to influence the charts is good for smaller artists, as it opens the door to alternative methods of “selling” records.

It’s a win for the indie musicians unless labels use Payola. Then it is not a win, and everyone loses. For label executives reading this: please stop cheating the system 🙂

What Was The 1998 Billboard Rule Change?

Going even farther back in Billboard’s history, the 1998 decision to allow songs that weren’t initially released as commercial singles to enter the Hot 100 changed the chart as we know it.

This was one of the most radical changes to the chart, opening the floodgates for all types of music.

The ruling gave artists more possibility of a number one track. For example, if you released an album and one of the non-singles went viral, the pre-1998 Billboard charts would not have counted that success.

One of the main reasons for this decision was to showcase the United States’ most popular songs: however, they came about.

Billboard has published articles detailing why this went down, but to summarize: labels and artists wanted a fair shot at number one.

The reason behind all of the changes to these charts is that coveted number one position, which will likely also be the downfall of society.

Dramatic? Of course, you’re on Inside The Industry, baby 😉

How Many Sales Do You Need To Make The Billboard Hot 100?

An artist generally needs between 450 and 500 album sales (pure) to make the Hot 100 or Billboard singles chart. For streaming, a musician needs much more: between 562,500 and 1,687,500 streams.

Because streams count less than pure sales (i.e., iTunes), you want to focus on getting your fans to spend the 69 cents or whatever you listed your music as.

The RIAA describes this as one album sale equals ten song downloads or 1,500 song streams.

Vinyls also count towards the Billboard charts, so if you make a super cute, affordable “merch” style record: you could score a chart debut. This has happened before, and we’re optimistic you can make it happen again.

Four hundred fifty sales may seem like a mountain to climb, but it’s not too hard if your fans are ride or die.

Your supporters want to see you shine. If you set your mind on getting enough sales to crack the top 100 songs in the US for a week or two, that’s an incredible accomplishment.

Does anyone remember when Justin Bieber begged people to get ‘Yummy’ to number one via Instagram story?

We do.

Pull a Justin and grovel for a bit to get what you want. We won’t judge.

What Makes A Song Go Number One On Billboard?

Although this depends on who you ask, a song’s “replay-ability ” will determine its positioning or inclusion in a Billboard chart.

As we said, these charts work strictly on number data from streaming, pure sales, radio play, or a mix of the three.

Many artists that have scored number one did well on the radio.

Radio plays are more impactful than streams, often changing the landscape of the charts once a radio-friendly song hits the air.

For example, if you have ever walked into a department store and listened to what they play: it is all chart-topping music. Most of the time, this will be bubblegum garbage, but let’s ignore that.

A group of artists that come to mind for consistent radio airplay and chart-topping hits is Maroon 5.

Are some of their songs amazing? Of course. However, the ones that make it to the top ten, five, or even go number one are all some of their more generic tunes.

That is the weirdest part of the Billboard Hot 100 and other related charts that listeners are baffled by. Why aren’t amazing songs from people’s albums reaching number one?

We’ll tell you: they aren’t being promoted.

Without HEAVY promotion, a song won’t make the number-one spot.

Every time this happens, you’ll see an artist go from morning until evening on social media, talk shows, news networks, or wherever else a camera is flashing.

It’s like clockwork. Every time a chartable song drops, the artist behind it is forced into a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week media frenzy.

Again, that’s not to say some amazing tracks haven’t topped the Hot 100. Mariah Carey has 19 number ones, all of which are vocally incredible.

Beyonce and Whitney Houston are also right up there, alongside Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, and the countless icons of our time.

Talent does sometimes win. However, we wish this was more frequent.

The moral of the story is: do not give up on the Billboard charts. Instead, make amazing tunes and promote the living sh*t out of them.

You got this. <3

Here are a few other articles to keep you warm and cozy:

Can Artists Sell Their Beats Online? [How Much Money Can You Make?]

How Do Artists Get Signed To Record Labels? [Is It Hard?]

How Much Money Do Musicians Make On Tour?