Chartology
Thanks to the tireless work of archivist Joel Whitburn, who has published many books on the various Billboard charts, Billboard has come to be recognized as THE authority on American music charts. Today Billboard’s chief rival is Radio & Records, whose chart results and methodology are very similar to those of Billboard. R&R is not generally as widely recognized as Billboard, although artists whose recordings hit #1 on the R&R chart generally celebrate with a #1 party.
When I was a teenager, and for some years prior and thereafter (I have data for 1958-1982, but Cashbox was a force long before 1958) , Billboard had a real rival, one whose aura of authority was at least that of Billboard. Again the two charts often achieved similar results - a record that was #1 on one chart would typically be at least top three on the other chart.
Because Billboard and Cashbox measured and weighted differently the various aspects of song popularity (sales, airplay, jukebox play), occasionally there were some major differences. For instance, Billboard has Leroy Van Dyke’s “Walk On By” sitting at #1 for 19 weeks, the longest post-1960 run at #1. Meanwhile Cashbox had the song reach #1 for but one week. Another startling difference was the case of the song “Groovy Grubworm” by Harlow Wilcox and the Oakies. Billboard apparently regarded the song as a rock record as it only reached #42 on the Country chart but placed it at #30 on the Pop chart (it was also huge in Canada, being a top 15 Pop record up there). Meanwhile, Cashbox detected it as a Country record, and had it reach #1 for two weeks. Those are the two most startling examples I’ve located.
Streaks of #1records are another area where the differences in the charts can create some interesting situations. Billboard does not include Christmas records or duets as affecting a string of #1 hits (unless the record extends the string). I feel that gospel and promotional records should be treated the same manner.
According to Billboard, the group Alabama has the record for most consecutive #1s with 21 (no Alabama non-#1 ever reached #1 on Cashbox). Counting both Billboard and Cashbox #1s (songs that reached #1 on either or both charts), Sonny James had 21 consecutive #1s.
Both are pikers compared to the streak put together by Charley Pride. Starting with 1969’s “Kaw-Liga” and ending with 1980’s “You Almost Slipped My Mind”, every Charley Pride single (except the 1972 two-side gospel record “Let Me Live”/”Did You Think To Pray” and the 1979 “Dallas Cowboys” NFL special souvenir edition) reached #1, a total of 35 singles that reached #1 on either or both the Billboard or Cashbox charts! After the streak ended , Charley would have another 6 songs that were #1 on either Billboard and/or Cashbox
More later
Tags: News
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September 2, 2006 at 12:34 am
Just so you know, Billboard bought out R & R earlier this year, though I’m not sure how that will affect their separate charts.
September 2, 2006 at 11:56 am
I remember reading that. I’ve never really had access to much aggregate R&R data, but what I saw on a weekly basis was that the charts were nearly mirrors of each other anyway.
I think Cashbox was more sales- oriented than Billboard.