The Mainstream Top 40 airplay-based chart debuted in Billboard magazine in its issue dated October 3, 1992, with rankings determined by monitored airplay from data compiled by Broadcast Data Systems, a then-new technology which can detect when and how often songs are being played on radio stations. The 40-position chart was published in the print edition of Billboard through May 1995, after which it only appeared in Billboards sister publication, Airplay Monitor, and the Billboard.com website, returning to the print edition in 2003. During the 1990s, the chart was called Top 40/Mainstream alongside a second Top 40 Airplay chart, Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover. The first number-one song on both of these charts was "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men.
Mainstream Top 40 is compiled from airplay on radio stations which play a wide variety of music, not just "pure pop", which Billboard defines as "melodic, often synth-driven, uptempo fare". During the 1990s, mainstream top 40 went from R&B dominating the airwaves (and thus the charts) in the early 1990s to rock and alternative music becoming the choice of program directors in the latter part of the decade. The mid-1990s also witnessed a drastic difference between what reached the top of the Mainstream Top 40 chart and the Hot 100, when songs started being promoted to radio and receiving significant airplay without the release of a commercially available single, a requirement for a song to reach the Hot 100. Thus, number-one songs on the Mainstream Top 40 such as "I'll Be There for You", "Fly", "Don't Speak", "Lovefool", "Torn", "Uninvited", and "Iris" failed to reach or have a similar impact on the Hot 100. Hot 100 rules changed allowing airplay-only songs to chart in late 1998.
Number-one pop songs of the 1990s +KeyIndicates best-performing pop song of the year
Issue dateSongArtist(s)Weeks atnumber oneRef.1992 October 3 "End of the Road" Boyz II Men 1"End of the World" October 3, 1992: October 10 "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" Patty Smyth and Don Henley 3"Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" October 10–24, 1992: October 31 "How Do You Talk to an Angel" The Heights 6"How Do You Talk to an Angel" October 31 – December 5, 1992: December 12 "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 9"I Will Always Love You" December 12, 1992 – February 6, 1993:1993 February 13 "Ordinary World" Duran Duran 2"Ordinary World" February 13–20, March 6 – April 3, 1993: February 27 "A Whole New World" Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle 1"A Whole New World" February 27, 1993: March 6 "Ordinary World" Duran Duran 5 April 10 "Two Princes" Spin Doctors 7"Two Princes" April 10 – May 22, 1993: May 29 "That's the Way Love Goes" Janet Jackson 9"That's The Way Love Goes" May 29 – July 24, 1993: July 31 "Can't Help Falling in Love" UB40 5"Can't Help Falling in Love" July 31 – August 28, 1993: September 4 "Dreamlover" Mariah Carey 8"Dreamlover" September 4 – October 23, 1993: October 30 "All That She Wants" Ace of Base 9"All That She Wants" October 30 – December 25, 1993:1994 January 1 "Hero" Mariah Carey 5"Hero" January 1–29, 1994: February 5 "All for Love" Bryan Adams / Rod Stewart / Sting 1"All for Love" February 5, 1994: February 12 "The Sign" Ace of Base 14"The Sign" February 12 – May 14, 1994: May 21 "Baby, I Love Your Way" Big Mountain 1"Baby, I Love Your Way" May 21, 1994: May 28 "I Swear" All-4-One 6"I Swear" May 28 – July 2, 1994: July 9 "Don't Turn Around" Ace of Base 6"Don't Turn Around" July 9 – August 13, 1994: August 20 "Stay (I Missed You)" Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories 3"Stay (I Missed You)" August 20 – September 3, 1994: September 10 "I'll Make Love to You" Boyz II Men 4"I'll Make Love to You" September 10 – October 1, 1994: October 8 "All I Wanna Do" Sheryl Crow 7"All I Wanna Do" October 8 – November 19, 1994: November 26 "Another Night" Real McCoy 4"Another Night" November 26 – December 17, December 31, 1994; January 14, 1995: December 24 "On Bended Knee" Boyz II Men 1"On Bended Knee" December 24, 1994; January 7, January 21 – February 18, 1995: December 31 "Another Night" Real McCoy 11995 January 7 "On Bended Knee" Boyz II Men 1 January 14 "Another Night" Real McCoy 1 January 21 "On Bended Knee" Boyz II Men 5 February 25 "Take a Bow" Madonna 5"Take a Bow" February 25 – March 25, 1995: April 1 "I Know" Dionne Farris 10"I Know" April 1 – June 3, 1995: June 10 "Total Eclipse of the Heart" Nicki French 1"Total Eclipse of the Heart" June 10, 1995: June 17 "I'll Be There for You" The Rembrandts 8"I'll Be There for You" June 17 – August 5, 1995: August 12 "Kiss from a Rose" Seal 9"Kiss from a Rose" August 12 – October 7, 1995: October 14 "Only Wanna Be with You" Hootie & the Blowfish 2"Only Wanna Be with You" October 14–21, 1995: October 28 "Fantasy" Mariah Carey 6"Fantasy" October 28 – December 2, 1995: December 9 "One Sweet Day" Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 11"One Sweet Day" December 9, 1995 – February 17, 1996:1996 February 24 "Missing" Everything but the Girl 5"Missing" February 24 – March 23, 1996: March 30"Ironic" Alanis Morissette 7"Ironic" March 30 – May 11, 1996: May 18 "Because You Loved Me" Celine Dion 5"Because You Loved Me" May 18 – June 15, 1996: June 22 "Killing Me Softly" Fugees 3"Killing Me Softly" June 22 – July 6, 1996: July 13 "You Learn" Alanis Morissette 7"You Learn" July 13 – August 24, 1996: August 31 "I Love You Always Forever" Donna Lewis 11"I Love You Always Forever" August 31 – November 9, 1996: November 16 "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" Celine Dion 1"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" November 16, 1996: November 23 "Head Over Feet" Alanis Morissette 3"Head Over Feet" November 23 – December 7, 1996: December 14 "Don't Speak" (1997) No Doubt 10"Don't Speak" December 14, 1996 – February 15, 1997:1997 February 22 "Lovefool" The Cardigans 7"Lovefool" February 22 – April 5, 1997: April 12 "You Were Meant for Me" Jewel 4"You Were Meant for Me" April 12 – May 3, 1997: May 10 "I Want You" Savage Garden 2"I Want You" May 10–17, 1997: May 24 "MMMBop" Hanson 8"MMMBop" May 24 – July 12, 1997: July 19 "Bitch" Meredith Brooks 4"Bitch" July 19 – August 9, 1997: August 16 "How Bizarre" OMC 1"How Bizarre" August 16, 1997: August 23 "Semi-Charmed Life" Third Eye Blind 6"Semi-Charmed Life" August 23 – September 27, 1997: October 4 "Foolish Games" Jewel 3"Foolish Games" October 4–18, 1997: October 25 "Fly" Sugar Ray 5"Fly" October 25 – November 22, 1997: November 29 "Tubthumping" Chumbawamba 9"Tubthumping" November 29, 1997 – January 24, 1998:1998 January 31 "Truly Madly Deeply" Savage Garden 1"Truly Madly Deeply" January 31 & April 18, 1998: February 7 "My Heart Will Go On" Celine Dion 10"My Heart Will Go On" February 7 – April 11, 1998: April 18 "Truly Madly Deeply" Savage Garden 1 April 25 "Torn" Natalie Imbruglia 11"Torn" April 25 – July 4, 1998: July 11 "Uninvited" Alanis Morissette 2"Uninvited" July 11–18, 1998: July 25"Iris" Goo Goo Dolls 4"Iris" July 25 – August 15, 1998: August 22 "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" Aerosmith 8"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" August 22 – October 10, 1998: October 17 "One Week" Barenaked Ladies 7"One Week" October 17 – November 28, 1998: December 5 "Lullaby" Shawn Mullins 8"Lullaby" December 5, 1998 – January 23, 1999:1999 January 30 "Save Tonight" Eagle-Eye Cherry 1"Save Tonight" January 30, 1999: February 6"Slide" Goo Goo Dolls 2"Slide" February 6–13, 1999: February 20 "...Baby One More Time" Britney Spears 5"Slide" February 20 – March 20, 1999: March 27 "Every Morning" Sugar Ray 7"Every Morning" March 27 – May 8, 1999: May 15 "Kiss Me" Sixpence None The Richer 1"Kiss Me" May 15, 1999: May 22 "No Scrubs" TLC 1"No Scrubs" May 22, 1999: May 29 "Livin' la Vida Loca" Ricky Martin 7"Livin' la Vida Loca" May 29 – July 10, 1999: July 17 "I Want It That Way" Backstreet Boys 2"I Want It That Way" July 17–24, 1999: July 31 "All Star" Smash Mouth 6"All Star" July 31 – September 4, 1999: September 11 "Genie in a Bottle" Christina Aguilera 4"Genie in a Bottle" September 11 – October 2, 1999: October 9 "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)" Lou Bega 5"Mambo No. 5" October 9 – November 6, 1999: November 13 "Smooth" Santana featuring Rob Thomas 8"Smooth" November 13, 1999 – January 1, 2000:
See also 1990s in music List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 1990s List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart
References
External links Current Billboard Pop Songs chart, Billboard.com. Billboard Charts Legend, Billboard.com.