The Rhythmic Airplay chart (previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by Billboard magazine.
The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on US rhythmic radio stations, whose playlist includes mostly hit-driven R&B/hip-hop, rhythmic pop, and some dance tracks. Nielsen Audio sometimes refers to the format as rhythmic contemporary hit radio. The current number-one song on the chart is "Ah Ha" by Cardi B.
History Billboard magazine first took notice of the newly emerged genre on February 27, 1987, when it launched the first crossover chart, Hot Crossover 30. It originally consisted of thirty titles and was based on reporting by eighteen stations, five of which were considered as pure rhythmic. The chart featured a mix of urban contemporary, top 40 and dance hits. In September 1989, Billboard split the Hot Crossover 30 chart in two: Top 40/Dance and Top 40/Rock, the latter of which focused on rock titles which crossed over. By December 1990, Billboard eliminated the chart because more top 40 and R&B stations were becoming identical with the rhythmic-heavy playlist being played at the crossover stations at the time.
Billboard revived the chart in October 1992 as Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover, with the first number one being "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men. On June 25, 1997, it was renamed to Rhythmic Top 40 as a way to distinguish stations that continued to play a broad based rhythmic mix from those whose mix leaned heavily toward R&B and hip-hop. It was changed to Rhythmic Airplay in the February 7, 2004, issue and shortened to Rhythmic on July 12, 2008.
Chart criteria There are forty positions on this chart and it is solely based on radio airplay. 66 rhythmic radio stations are electronically monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. Songs are ranked based on the number of plays that each song received during that week.
Songs receiving the greatest growth will receive a "bullet", although there are tracks that will 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 a song is tied for the most spins in the same week, the one with the biggest increase that previous week will rank higher, but if both songs show the same amount of spins regardless of detection the song that is being played at more stations is ranked higher. Songs that fall below the top 15 and have been on the chart after 20 weeks are removed.
Song records
Most weeks at number one
Number of weeksSongArtistYear(s)Source15"No Scrubs"TLC 199914"Twisted"Keith Sweat199613"Freak Me"Silk 1993"You Make Me Wanna..."Usher1997–9812"I'll Make Love to You"Boyz II Men 1994"Lollipop"Lil Wayne featuring Static Major 2008"Not Like Us"Kendrick Lamar202411"Shoop"Salt-n-Pepa1993–94"Fantasy"Mariah Carey1995"Dilemma"Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland 2002
Most weeks on the chart
Number of weeksSongArtistYear*Source62"Folded"Kehlani 202654"Mutt"Leon Thomas 202652"Too Close"Next 1999"Go Crazy"Chris Brown and Young Thug 202146"Big Energy"Latto 202244"Calm Down"Rema and Selena Gomez202443"Sure Thing"Miguel 2023"Die for You"The Weeknd 202342"Where My Girls At?"702 2000"Whats Poppin"Jack Harlow featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne2021
*Year when the songs ended their respective chart runs.
Highest debut
Debut PositionSongArtistDebut DateSourceNo. 5"Erotica"Madonna October 17, 1992No. 10"Honey"Mariah Carey August 16, 1997No. 11"That's the Way Love Goes"Janet Jackson May 1, 1993"Wild Wild West"Will Smith featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe DeeMay 22, 1999"All for You"Janet JacksonMarch 17, 2001"In My Feelings"DrakeJuly 21, 2018No. 12"Right Here"SWVJuly 17, 1993No. 13"Dreamlover"Mariah CareyAugust 14, 1993"1999"PrinceJanuary 16, 1999No. 14"Suit & Tie"Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-ZFebruary 2, 2013"Wild Thoughts"DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson TillerJuly 8, 2017
Shortest climbs to number one
Week reached number oneSongArtistDate reached number oneSource3rd week"I'll Make Love to You"Boyz II MenAugust 27, 19944th week"I Will Always Love You"Whitney HoustonDecember 5, 1992 "Fantasy"Mariah CareySeptember 30, 1995"No Scrubs"TLCMarch 13, 1999"In My Feelings"DrakeAugust 11, 20185th week13 songsLatest song: "I Just Might" by Bruno Mars (February 21, 2026)
Longest climbs to number one
Week reached number oneSongArtistDate reached number oneSource24th week"Waterfalls"TLCAugust 5, 199520th week"Day 'n' Nite"Kid CudiMay 23, 2009"Sky Walker"Miguel featuring Travis ScottFebruary 3, 2018"Prove It"21 Savage and Summer WalkerNovember 2, 202419th week"Don't Let Go (Love)"En VogueFebruary 15, 1997"Work Out"J. ColeDecember 31, 2011"Soak City"310babiiMarch 30, 202418th week15 songsLatest song: "Is It a Crime" by Mariah the Scientist and Kali Uchis (December 20, 2025)
Biggest jump to number one
Chart movementSongArtist(s)Date reached number oneSource7–1"Barbie World"Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice with AquaAugust 26, 20236–1"I Will Always Love You"Whitney HoustonDecember 5, 1992 "Funkdafied"Da BratAugust 20, 1994"Anxiety"DoechiiMay 3, 20255–111 songsLatest song: "Yukon" by Justin Bieber (September 13, 2025)
Biggest drop from number one
Chart movementSongArtist(s)Date reached number oneSource1–9"Sugar on My Tongue"Tyler, the CreatorDecember 20, 20251–8"Good Flirts"Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar and Momo BoydJune 20, 20261–7"Shining"DJ Khaled featuring Beyoncé and Jay-ZMay 20, 2017"Prove It"21 Savage and Summer WalkerNovember 16, 2024"Denial Is a River"DoechiiApril 26, 20251–68 songsLatest song: "Obvious" by Chris Brown (June 27, 2026)
Shortest climbs to the top 10
Week reached top 10Artist(s)SongDate reached top 10Source1st week"Erotica"Madonna October 17, 1992"Honey"Mariah Carey August 16, 19972nd week30 songsLatest song: "Toosie Slide" by Drake (April 18, 2020)
Longest climbs to the top 10
Week reached top 10SongArtist(s)Date reached top 10Source25th week"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)"Los del Río August 3, 199623rd week"Wild Side"Normani featuring Cardi BJanuary 1, 202221st week"Dip It Low"Christina MilianAugust 28, 200420th week"Die for You"The WeekndDecember 10, 202219th week"24 Hours"TeeFlii featuring 2 ChainzOctober 11, 2014"Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1"Kanye WestNovember 5, 2016"Pussy Fairy (OTW)"Jhené AikoJuly 25, 2020"How We Roll"Ciara and Chris BrownJanuary 6, 202418th week7 songsLatest song: "Pop Out" by Polo G featuring Lil Tjay (August 31, 2019)
Artist records
Most number-one songs
Number of singles Artist Source46 Drake 17 Rihanna 16 Chris Brown The Weeknd 14 Bruno Mars 13 Lil Wayne Usher 12 Beyoncé Cardi B Doja Cat Kendrick Lamar Nicki Minaj
Most cumulative weeks at number one Number of weeks Artist Source149 Drake 99 Rihanna 61 Usher 47 The Weeknd 46 Mariah Carey 45 Chris Brown 44 Nelly 39 Lil Wayne 38 50 Cent 36 Bruno Mars Doja Cat Kendrick Lamar
Most top 10 songs
Number of singles Artist Source81 Drake 58 Chris Brown 44 Lil Wayne 41 Nicki Minaj 39 Rihanna 30 Usher 28 Kanye West 27 The Weeknd 26 Beyoncé Ludacris
Most chart entries
Number of entries Artist Source139 Drake 127 Chris Brown 110 Lil Wayne 97 Nicki Minaj 64 Kanye West 62 Future 59 Jay-Z 58 Snoop Dogg 57 Pitbull 56 Rihanna
Simultaneously four or more songs in the top 10
50 Cent: April 2–16, 2005 "Candy Shop" "Disco Inferno" "Hate It or Love It" (The Game featuring 50 Cent) "How We Do" (The Game featuring 50 Cent) T-Pain: October 20–November 10, 2007 "Shawty" (Plies featuring T-Pain) "Cyclone" (Baby Bash featuring T-Pain) "Good Life" (Kanye West featuring T-Pain) "Kiss Kiss" (Chris Brown featuring T-Pain) T-Pain: November 24–December 29, 2007 "Kiss Kiss" (Chris Brown featuring T-Pain) "Good Life" (Kanye West featuring T-Pain) "Cyclone" (Baby Bash featuring T-Pain) "Low" (Flo Rida featuring T-Pain) Lil Wayne: October 18–November 1, 2008 "Can't Believe It" (T-Pain featuring Lil Wayne) "Got Money" "Mrs. Officer" "My Life" (The Game featuring Lil Wayne) Drake: March 30–April 20, 2013 "Fuckin' Problems" (ASAP Rocky featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar) "Started from the Bottom" "Poetic Justice" (Kendrick Lamar featuring Drake) "Love Me" (Lil Wayne featuring Drake and Future) Drake: August 27–September 3, 2016, September 17–October 1, 2016 "For Free" (DJ Khaled featuring Drake) "Controlla" "Too Good" "One Dance" Drake: June 9, 2018 "Nice for What" "God's Plan" "Look Alive" (BlocBoy JB featuring Drake) "Walk It Talk It" (Migos featuring Drake) Kendrick Lamar: February 1–March 15, April 12, 2025 "Squabble Up" "TV Off" "Luther" "30 for 30" Kendrick Lamar: May 3, 2025 "Luther" "30 for 30" "Peekaboo" "TV Off"
† 50 Cent became the first artist to post four top 10 songs simultaneously.
†† Kendrick Lamar became the first artist to post four top 10 songs simultaneously in a lead role.
Additional artist achievements Kendrick Lamar is the only artist to simultaneously occupy the top four ranks on the chart.
Album records
Most number-one singles from an album Number of singles Artist Album Year(s) Source 4 Drake Views 2015–16 Post Malone Hollywood's Bleeding 2019 Doja Cat Planet Her 2021–22 Kendrick Lamar GNX 2025 Drake Iceman 2025–26 3 SZA SOS † 2022–24
† SZA's SOS Deluxe: Lana, a reissue of the SOS album, featured two additional number-one single, "Saturn" and "30 for 30".
See also Dance/Mix Show Airplay Mainstream Top 40 List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Rhythmic chart
References
External links Current Billboard Rhythmic Songs chart (updated weekly)