Pop Music Chart Day Date in the current year: January 4, 2025

Record charts, also known as music charts, are rankings of recorded music (usually singles or albums) according to certain criteria over a given period of time, such as a week or a month. Criteria used in music charts include radio airplay, record sales and, more recently, the number of downloads and the amount of streaming activity.

Before the advent of charts based on record sales, a song’s popularity was measured by sheet music sales. The first list of best-selling sheet music was published in 1913 by Billboard magazine, a U.S. music industry publication. Billboard was also the first to publish a pop chart based on record sales on January 4, 1936. Titled “Ten Best Records for Week Ending”, it listed the top ten best-selling records from three leading record companies as reported by the companies themselves. The date of its publication is widely regarded as the birthday of the modern pop music charts.

The first music chart in the UK was introduced by Percy Dickens of the New Musical Express, who was inspired by Billboard’s chart. To compile the chart, he called about 20 record stores, asked them for a list of their ten best-selling songs, and then compiled the results into a Top 12 chart that was published in the New Musical Express on November 14, 1952.

In 1958, Billboard introduced its iconic Hot 100 chart. It was unique in that integrated the most played and best-selling pop singles. Until 1991, the chart was based on surveys of record stores and other retail outlets, as well as playlists reported by radio stations. Since 1991, Billboard has based its chart rankings on physical and digital sales, radio airplay in the United States, and online streaming. Published weekly, the Billboard Hot 100 is the American music industry’s standard record chart.

The origins of Pop Music Chart Day are unclear, but the date of this unofficial holiday apparently commemorates the release of Billboard’s first music chart in 1936. It should be noted that the term “pop music chart” can be interpreted in different ways. Since the term “pop music” is short for “popular music”, some people consider all music that appears on the music charts to be pop music, since the charts reflect just that – popularity. However, it is generally accepted that pop music is a distinct genre of music with its own characteristics, such as short to medium length songs, repeated choruses and hooks, and tempos or rhythms that are easy to dance to.

You can celebrate Pop Music Chart Day by listening to this week’s top hits, creating a playlist of your favorite pop songs and sharing it on social media, hosting a music chart-themed party, going for a drive and signing along to pop songs on the radio, and spreading the word about the holiday on social media using the hashtag #PopMusicChartDay.