A series of songs appear this Tuesday outside the Billboard Hot 100 by surprise. Until now, the influential American list eliminated songs that exceeded 20 weeks and appeared below position 50. That rule remains, but new ones are added.
With the aim of encouraging the entry of new songs and avoiding the ostracism of radio stations, which increasingly play only established hits, they will now be eliminated weekly:
-songs below the top 5 that have been playing for more than 78 weeks
-songs below the top 10 that have been playing for more than 52 weeks
-songs below the top 25 that have been playing for more than 26 weeks
-songs below the top 50 that have been playing for more than 20 weeks
The rules, which will not apply to carols that reach above the top 50, have been applied immediately. Who are the first victims?
‘Lose Control’ by Teddy Swims disappears from the chart after a record 112 weeks, that is, 2 years. ‘Beautiful Things’ by Benson Boone leaves the top after 89 weeks and ‘Die With a Smile’ by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars leaves the Hot 100 after 60 weeks.
It is commendable that Billboard fights against the ostracism of its own lists in times of streaming and the only thing left is for them to put an end to the mess they have been making for a decade on the Billboard 200. On the album list, no one is preventing the reproduction of single songs through playlists from counting towards the creation of the top, causing the Billboard 200 to be an endless accumulation of “greatest hits” and the most boring hit records.
