Billboard top 100

[Deleted]

I always follow the Billboard USA top 100 chart but have never listened to a show, i was wondering what station it's on and what day also do they just countdown the top 40 songs like the UK or play new entry's within the top 100?  

[Earl Purple]

If you have Spotify you can get it on a Spotify playlist from billboard's own site. It may be the case that a few songs are not available, or not available in this country, but you can enjoy the rest.

[Robbie]

I don't think the US has a specific programme that counts down the Billboard Hot 100 (or at least the top 40 part of it). There used to be a syndicated programme, American Top 40, that was hosted by the late Casey Kasem but he left the programme in 1988 after a contract dispute and the Billboard charts were dropped in 1992 (for the actual Singles chart which was replaced by an airplay only chart) and then altogether in 1994. The programme is now presented by Ryan Seacrest with the chart being compiled by Mediabase

The other main chart show in the US is The Weekly Top 40 which is hosted by Rick Dees (he of 'Disco Duck' fame from 1976). The chart counted down used to be the Radio & Records chart but I'm not sure who compiles it now since Radio & Records closed as a publication in 2009 and was subsumed into Billboard. I do know it's not any of the Billboard charts though.

Both the Seacrest and Dees charts are available in two formats, one for Top 40 radio and another for Adult Contemporary and both are airplay only based from what I recall.

It seems like only chart fans know anything these days about the Billboard charts given that they have virtually no visibility outside of the music industry and among posters at various message boards plus the fact that they aren't widely heard on US radio.

There have been rumours doing the rounds for a while that Billboard may itself bite the dust at some point. The magazine had a circulation of tens of thousands in its heyday (I once read it was about 60,000 per year in the 1970s). Last year this was down to less than 15,000 and some weeks there isn't even a print edition published. From producing 51 issues a year this has now dropped to 42 per year and most of the staff who had been there for many years were just about all laid off a few years ago and were replaced by interns and staff on short contracts who are being paid relatively low wages. At the very least it looks like the print edition could go at some point as the magazine is struggling to attract revenue in the form of paid advertising.

[Laurence]

Wasn't there an American top 10 show shown on UK TV late at night in the 90s? Or was that a British show featuring the U.S. charts. I remember something like that from my student days!

[ManicKangaroo]

There was indeed a late night US top 10 show again presented by Casey Kasem

[Laurence]

Thanks - still not sure it was the show Im thinking of which I'm not sure if Casey Kasem presented. The one I'm thinking of it counted down the U.S. top 10 albums as well as singles and featured Pink Floyd's Division Bell on one show so it was definitely on during 1994...

[Deleted]

Thanks for the information, i do now remember listening to the Ryan Seacrest show once before but as you said it's not the official top 100. I just presumed every country that had a music chart also had a chart show like ours.