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.
History 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.
Chart 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 DateCriteriaRefMarch 16, 1996 – Jun 29, 2002Records below the top 20 are removed from the chart after 26 weeks. July 6, 2002 – November 26, 2005Records below the top 15 are removed from the chart after 26 weeks. December 3, 2005 – April 18, 2009Songs are removed from the chart if they have been on the chart for more than 20 weeks and rank below No. 15, or more than 52 weeks and rank below No. 10 April 25, 2009 – PresentDescending songs are removed from the chart if they have been on the chart for more than 20 weeks and rank below No. 15, or more than 26 weeks and rank below No. 10, or more than 52 weeks and rank below No. 5
All-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) RankSingleYear releasedArtist(s)Peak and duration"Smooth"Santana featuring Rob Thomas#1 for 25 weeks"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"Train#1 for 14 weeks"Wherever You Will Go"The Calling#1 for 23 weeks"How to Save a Life"The Fray#1 for 15 weeks"Counting Stars"OneRepublic#1 for 7 weeks"Unwell"Matchbox Twenty#1 for 18 weeks"I'm Yours"Jason Mraz#1 for 9 weeks"You and Me"Lifehouse#1 for 9 weeks"All for You"Sister Hazel#1 for 7 weeks"Hanging by a Moment"Lifehouse#1 for 5 weeks Source:
Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Pop Songs Artists (1996–2016) RankArtistMaroon 5Matchbox TwentyTrainNickelbackPinkKelly ClarksonKaty PerryGoo Goo DollsDaughtryTaylor Swift Source:
Song records
Most weeks at number one
Number of weeksArtist(s)SongYear(s)Source30Alex Warren"Ordinary"2025–2625Santana featuring Rob Thomas"Smooth"1999–200023The Calling"Wherever You Will Go"2001–02Taylor Swift"Cruel Summer"2023–2420The Weeknd"Blinding Lights"202018Matchbox Twenty"Unwell"2003Nickelback"Photograph"2005–0617Goo Goo Dolls"Iris"1998Miley Cyrus"Flowers"202316Avril Lavigne"Complicated"2002
Most weeks on the chart
Number of weeksArtist(s)SongYear*Source75Train"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"200273Lifehouse"Hanging by a Moment"200272Santana featuring Rob Thomas"Smooth"200071The Calling"Wherever You Will Go"200369Sister Hazel"All for You"199867Alex Warren"Ordinary"202665Goo Goo Dolls"Slide"1999The Weeknd"Blinding Lights"202163Vertical Horizon"Everything You Want"200162Edwin McCain"I'll Be"1999Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars"Die with a Smile"2025
*Year when the songs ended their respective chart runs.
Highest debut
Debut PositionArtist(s)SongDebut DateSourceNo. 8 Taylor Swift"The Fate of Ophelia"October 18, 2025No. 9"Shake It Off"September 6, 2014Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone"Fortnight"May 4, 2024No. 10Bruno Mars"I Just Might"January 24, 2026No. 12Ed Sheeran"Eyes Closed"April 8, 2023NSYNC"Better Place"October 14, 2023Taylor Swift"Patient Zero"October 10, 2026No. 13Alanis Morissette"Thank U"October 10, 1998Ed Sheeran"Afterglow"January 2, 2021Taylor Swift"I Knew It, I Knew You"June 20, 2026
Shortest climbs to number one
Week reached number oneArtistSongDate reached number oneSource5th weekAdele"Hello"December 5, 2015 Justin Timberlake"Can't Stop the Feeling!"June 18, 20166th weekCeline Dion"Because You Loved Me"April 6, 1996Taylor Swift"Shake It Off"October 11, 2014Adele"Easy on Me"November 27, 2021Taylor Swift"Anti-Hero"December 3, 2022Miley Cyrus"Flowers"April 3, 20237th weekKaty Perry"Roar"October 5, 2013Taylor Swift"The Fate of Ophelia"November 29, 2025
Longest climbs to number one
Week reached number oneArtistSongDate reached number oneSource45th weekMaren Morris"The Bones"April 11, 202043rd weekAJR"Bang!"February 27, 202136th weekThe Script"Breakeven"May 29, 2010Tame Impala and Jennie"Dracula"July 25, 2026 35th weekSnow Patrol"Chasing Cars"February 17, 2007Dua Lipa"Levitating"June 19, 2021Glass Animals"Heat Waves"February 19, 2022 34th weekLewis Capaldi"Before You Go"August 15, 202032nd weekTeddy Swims"Lose Control"March 23, 202430th weekGavin DeGraw"Not Over You"February 4, 2012Passenger"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 10Artist(s)SongDate reached top 10Source1st weekTaylor Swift"Shake It Off"September 6, 2014Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone"Fortnight"May 4, 2024Taylor Swift"The Fate of Ophelia"October 18, 2025Bruno Mars"I Just Might"January 24, 20262nd weekEric Clapton"Change the World"June 29, 1996Alanis Morissette"Thank U"October 17, 1998Adele"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 10Artist(s)SongDate reached top 10Source35th weekParmalee"Take My Name"May 13, 202334th weekEd Sheeran"The A Team"December 29, 201232nd weekAugustana"Boston"January 27, 200730th weekTame Impala & Jennie"Dracula"June 13, 202629th weekMat Kearney"Nothing Left to Lose"November 25, 200628th weekJet"Look What You've Done"May 21, 2005OneRepublic"All the Right Moves"April 24, 2010Ellie Goulding"Lights"August 18, 201227th weekJP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels"If the World Was Ending"July 11, 2020Dasha"Austin"October 19, 2024
Artist records
Most number-one songs
Number of singles Artist Source Taylor Swift Maroon 5 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 Source101 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 Source36 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 Source57 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.
See also List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Top 40 chart Adult Contemporary (chart) Pop Airplay
References
External links Current Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart