The Adult Top 40 chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen BDS."[1] 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.[2]

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."[2]

Chart history

† – Year-end number-one single
Issue date Song Artist Weeks at
number one 		Ref.
1995
October 7 "Kiss from a Rose" Seal 6 [3]
November 18 "As I Lay Me Down" Sophie B. Hawkins 3 [4]
December 9 "Roll to Me" Del Amitri 1 [5]
December 16 "As I Lay Me Down" Sophie B. Hawkins 4 [4]
1996
January 13 "One Sweet Day" Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men 10 [6]
March 23 "Time" Hootie & the Blowfish 2 [7]
April 6 "Because You Loved Me" Celine Dion 12 [8]
June 29 "Give Me One Reason" †[9] Tracy Chapman 8 [10]
August 24 "Change the World" Eric Clapton 6 [11]
October 5 "I Love You Always Forever" Donna Lewis 1 [12]
October 12 "Change the World" Eric Clapton 1 [11]
October 19 "I Love You Always Forever" Donna Lewis 7 [12]
December 7 "Head Over Feet" Alanis Morissette 3 [13]
December 28 "Don't Speak" No Doubt 15 [14]
1997
April 12 "You Were Meant for Me" Jewel 6 [15]
May 24 "One Headlight" The Wallflowers 5 [16]
June 28 "Sunny Came Home" Shawn Colvin 7 [17]
August 16 "All for You" Sister Hazel 7 [18]
October 4 "Foolish Games" Jewel 5 [19]
November 8 "I Don't Want to Wait" Paula Cole 6 [20]
December 20 "Tubthumping" Chumbawamba 5 [21]
1998
January 24 "Walkin' on the Sun" Smash Mouth 3 [22]
February 14 "3 a.m." Matchbox Twenty 10 [23]
April 25 "Torn" †[24] Natalie Imbruglia 14 [25]
August 1 "Iris" Goo Goo Dolls 17 [26]
November 28 "Thank U" Alanis Morissette 2 [27]
December 12 "Lullaby" Shawn Mullins 8 [28]
1999
February 6 "Angel" Sarah McLachlan 7 [29]
March 27 "Slide" †[30] Goo Goo Dolls 2 [31]
April 10 "Every Morning" Sugar Ray 10 [32]
June 19 "Livin' La Vida Loca" Ricky Martin 6 [33]
July 31 "All Star" Smash Mouth 8 [34]
September 25 "She's So High" Tal Bachman 1 [35]
October 2 "All Star" Smash Mouth 1 [34]
October 9 "She's So High" Tal Bachman 2 [35]
October 23 "Smooth" Santana featuring Rob Thomas 25[A] [36]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Current Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Nielsen Business Media, Inc (March 16, 1996). "Updated Charts: Heatseekers, AC". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 11. p. 109. Retrieved February 9, 2013. ((cite magazine)): |last1= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ "Kiss from a Rose" October 7 – November 11, 1995:
  4. ^ a b "As I Lay Me Down" November 18 – December 2, 1995; December 16, 1995 – January 6, 1996:
  5. ^ "Roll to Me" December 9, 1995:
  6. ^ "One Sweet Day" January 13 – March 16, 1996:
  7. ^ "Time" March 23–30, 1996:
  8. ^ "Because You Loved Me" April 6 – June 22, 1996:
  9. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 28, 1996). "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. Retrieved August 29, 2013. ((cite magazine)): |last1= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ "Give Me One Reason" June 29 – August 17, 1996:
  11. ^ a b "Change the World" August 24 – September 28, 1996; October 12, 1996:
  12. ^ a b "I Love You Always Forever" October 5, 1996; October 19 – November 30, 1996:
  13. ^ "Head Over Feet" December 7–21, 1996:
  14. ^ "Don't Speak" December 28, 1996 – April 5, 1997:
  15. ^ "You Were Meant for Me" April 12 – May 17, 1997
  16. ^ "One Headlight" May 24 – June 21, 1997
  17. ^ "Sunny Came Home" June 28 – August 9, 1997
  18. ^ "All for You" August 16 – September 27, 1997
  19. ^ "Foolish Games" October 4 – November 1, 1997
  20. ^ "I Don't Want to Wait" November 8 – December 13, 1997
  21. ^ "Tubthumping" December 20, 1997 – January 17, 1998
  22. ^ "Walking on the Sun" January 24 – February 7, 1998
  23. ^ "3 a.m." February 14 – April 18, 1998
  24. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 26, 1998). "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. Retrieved August 29, 2013. ((cite magazine)): |last1= has generic name (help)
  25. ^ "Torn" April 25 – July 25, 1998
  26. ^ "Iris" August 1 – November 21, 1998
  27. ^ "Thank U" November 28 – December 5, 1998
  28. ^ "Lullaby" December 12, 1998 – January 30, 1999
  29. ^ "Angel" February 6 – March 20, 1999
  30. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 25, 1999). "1999: The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. Retrieved August 29, 2013. ((cite magazine)): |last1= has generic name (help)
  31. ^ "Slide" March 27 – April 3, 1999
  32. ^ "Every Morning" April 10 – June 12, 1999
  33. ^ "Livin' La Vida Loca" June 19 – July 24, 1999
  34. ^ a b "All Star" July 31 – September 18, 1999; October 2, 1999
  35. ^ a b "She's So High" September 25, 1999; October 9–16, 1999
  36. ^ "Smooth" October 23 – April, 2000
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