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Billboard's Beat

Charting the Evolution of Dance Music: A comprehensive look at the influential Dance Club Songs chart.

Chart History ๐Ÿ‘‡ Top Artists ๐ŸŽค

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Chart History

Origins and Evolution

The Dance Club Songs chart, initially known by various titles including Disco Action and National Disco Action Top 30, was a weekly publication by Billboard magazine from 1976 to 2020. It tracked the most popular songs in U.S. nightclubs based on disc jockey set lists.[1]

Chart Transformations

Beginning as a regional chart in 1974, it evolved into a national 30-position chart by August 1976. Over the years, its size fluctuated, expanding to 100 positions in the late 1970s before settling back to 80. In 1985, it split, with Hot Dance/Disco Club Play focusing on club play and Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales tracking sales. The introduction of the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart in 2013 integrated club play data.[3]

Suspension and Legacy

The chart's nearly 44-year run concluded when Billboard suspended it on March 31, 2020, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on club closures.[5] The final number-one was Diana Ross's "Love Hangover 2020". Despite club activity resuming, the chart has not been revived.[6]

Chart Statistics

Top Artists (1976-2016)

A comprehensive analysis highlighted the dominance of certain artists on the chart over its history. Madonna consistently ranked at the pinnacle, demonstrating unparalleled success.

Top 10 Artists of All Time (1976โ€“2016)
Rank Artist Name Ref.
1 Madonna [7]
2Janet Jackson
3Rihanna
4Beyoncรฉ
5Pet Shop Boys
6Donna Summer
7Mariah Carey
8Kristine W
9Jennifer Lopez
10Depeche Mode

Most Number Ones

Several artists have achieved remarkable success with multiple chart-topping hits. Madonna leads this category significantly, followed by other prominent figures in dance and pop music.

Fifteen Number-Ones or More
Position Artist Name Tally of Number-Ones
1 Madonna[12] 50
2Rihanna[13]33
3Beyoncรฉ[14]22
4Janet Jackson[15]20
5Katy Perry[16]19
6Jennifer Lopez[17]18
7Mariah Carey[18]17
Kristine W[19]
9Donna Summer[20]161
10Lady Gaga[21]15

Artist Achievements

Consecutive Number Ones

Maintaining momentum with consecutive chart-toppers is a significant feat. Katy Perry holds the record for the longest streak of consecutive number-one songs.

Most Consecutive Number-Ones
Number of songs Artist Name First Hit and Date Last Hit and Date Streak Breaking Song and Date
18 Katy Perry "Waking Up in Vegas"[9]
(August 22, 2009)
"Swish Swish" (feat. Nicki Minaj)
(July 22, 2017)
"Bon Appรฉtit" (feat. Migos)[8]
(#28, April 18, 2017)
11 Jennifer Lopez "Quรฉ Hiciste"[22]
(June 23, 2007)
"Live It Up" (feat. Pitbull)[22]
(July 20, 2013)
"I Luh Ya Papi"
(feat. French Montana)[23][24]
(#5, June 28, 2014)
9 Kristine W "Feel What You Want"[25]
(July 23, 1994)
"The Wonder of It All"[26]
(January 2, 2005)
"I'll Be Your Light"[27][28]
(#2, February 26, 2006)
Beyoncรฉ "Diva"[29]
(March 28, 2009)
"Countdown"[30]
(December 24, 2011)
"End of Time"[31]
(#33, March 3, 2012)
Erika Jayne "Rollercoaster"[32]
(July 28, 2007)
"How Many Fucks"[32]
(August 13, 2016)
Non-breaking streak
8 Kylie Minogue[33] "All The Lovers"
(August 14, 2010)
"Into The Blue"
(April 12, 2014)
"I Was Gonna Cancel"
(#5, August 9, 2014)
7 Janet Jackson "When I Think of You"[34]
(September 20, 1986)
"Alright"[34]
(May 5, 1990)
"Black Cat"[34]
(#17, October 27, 1990)
Madonna "Causing a Commotion"
(October 31, 1987)
"Justify My Love"
(January 19, 1991)
"Rescue Me"
(#6, March 16, 1991)

Calendar Year Dominance

Achieving multiple number-one hits within a single calendar year showcases peak popularity. Rihanna notably achieved five number-ones in 2017, a record for the chart.

Most Number-Ones in a Calendar Year
Number of songs Artist Name Year Charted Name of Songs Ref.
5 Rihanna 2017 "Love on the Brain", "Sex with Me", "Pose", "Wild Thoughts" (DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller), "Desperado" [10]
4 2007 "We Ride", "Umbrella" (ft. Jay-Z), "Don't Stop the Music", "Shut Up and Drive" [36][37]
2010 "Russian Roulette", "Hard" (ft. Jeezy), "Rude Boy", "Only Girl (In the World)"
2011 "Who's That Chick?" (David Guetta ft. Rihanna), "S&M", "California King Bed", "We Found Love" (ft. Calvin Harris)
2016 "Work" (ft. Drake), "This Is What You Came For" (Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna), "Kiss It Better", "Needed Me"
4 Beyoncรฉ 2009 "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Diva", "Halo", "Sweet Dreams"
4 Lady Gaga 2009 "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Paparazzi", "Bad Romance" [38]
4 Katy Perry 2014 "Unconditionally", "Dark Horse" (ft. Juicy J), "Birthday", "This Is How We Do" [39]

Song Achievements

Longest Time to Number One

Spending extended periods at the top of the chart signifies sustained popularity. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album cuts and Change's "A Lover's Holiday" medley are notable examples.

Number of Weeks Artist(s) Song(s) Year(s)
11 Michael Jackson Thriller (all cuts)[42] 1983
9 Change "A Lover's Holiday"/"The Glow Of Love"/"Searching"[43] 1980
8 Chic "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)"/"Everybody Dance"/"You Can Get By"[44] 1977
7 Village People Village People (all cuts)[45] 1977
T-Connection "Do What You Wanna Do"[46] 1977
Chic "Le Freak"/"I Want Your Love"/"Chic Cheer"[47] 1978-79
Donna Summer "Hot Stuff"/"Bad Girls"[48] 1979
Geraldine Hunt "Can't Fake the Feeling"[49] 1980
Chaz Jankel "Glad to Know You"/"3,000,000 Synths"/"Ai No Corrida"[50] 1982

Rapid Ascent to Number One

The speed at which a song climbs to the top position is a testament to its immediate impact. Prince's "When Doves Cry" and ABC's "Be Near Me" are among the fastest climbers.

Number of Weeks Artist(s) Song Year(s)
3 Prince "When Doves Cry"/17 Days[51] 1984
ABC "Be Near Me"[52] 1985
Colonel Abrams "I'm Not Gonna Let (You Get The Best Of Me)"[53] 1986
4 T-Connection "Do What You Wanna Do"[54] 1977
The Trammps "Disco Inferno"/"Starvin'"/"Body Contact Contract"[55] 1977
Daryl Hall & John Oates "Say It Isn't So"[56] 1983
Deniece Williams "Let's Hear It for the Boy"[57] 1984
Madonna "Like A Virgin"[58] 1984
Aretha Franklin "Freeway Of Love"[59] 1985
The Human League "Human"[60] 1986
Company B "Fascinated"[61] 1987
Michael Jackson "Bad"[62] 1987
Madonna "Like A Prayer"[63] 1989
Janet Jackson "Miss You Much"[64] 1989
Black Box ft. Martha Wash "Everybody Everybody"[65] 1990
C+C Music Factory ft. Freedom Williams & Martha Wash "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"[66] 1990
Madonna "Erotica"[67] 1992
Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson "Scream"[68] 1995
Mariah Carey "Honey"[69] 1997
Madonna "Beautiful Stranger"[70] 1999
Madonna "Music"[71] 2000
Madonna "Impressive Instant"[72] 2001
Madonna "Hung Up"[73] 2005
The Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes "Don't Cha"[74] 2005
Beyoncรฉ & Shakira "Beautiful Liar"[75] 2007
Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland "4 Minutes"[76] 2008
Lady Gaga "Bad Romance"[77] 2010

Album Achievements

Multiple Hits from One Album

Certain albums have been exceptionally prolific, spawning numerous chart-topping singles. Rihanna's Anti set a record with eight number-one songs, showcasing remarkable chart longevity for a single release.

Most Number-One Songs from One Album
Artist Name Album Number-ones Titles of Songs Ref.
Rihanna Anti 8 "Work" (ft. Drake), "Kiss It Better", "Needed Me", "Love on the Brain", "Sex with Me", "Pose", "Desperado", "Consideration" (ft. SZA) [88][89]
Kristine W The Power of Music 7 "Walk Away" (Tony Moran ft. Kristine W), "The Boss", "Never", "Love Is the Look", "Be Alright", "The Power of Music", "Fade" [90]
Katy Perry Teenage Dream 7 "California Gurls" (ft. Snoop Dogg), "Teenage Dream", "Peacock", "Firework", "E.T.", "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", "The One That Got Away" [9]
Beyoncรฉ I Am... Sasha Fierce 6 "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Diva", "Halo", "Sweet Dreams", "Why Don't You Love Me", "Video Phone" [31]
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa: Complete Edition 6 "Be the One", "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)", "IDGAF", "New Rules", "One Kiss", "Electricity" [91]
Madonna Music 5 "American Pie", "Music", "Don't Tell Me", "What It Feels Like for a Girl", "Impressive Instant" [citation needed]
Madonna American Life 5 "Die Another Day", "American Life", "Hollywood", "Nothing Fails", "Love Profusion" [92]
Lady Gaga Born This Way 5 "Born This Way", "Judas", "The Edge of Glory", "Yoรผ and I", "Marry the Night" [77]
Katy Perry Prism 5 "Roar", "Unconditionally", "Dark Horse" (ft. Juicy J), "Birthday", "This Is How We Do" [97]

Notable Records

Madonna's Reign

Madonna stands as the chart's most decorated artist, holding records for most chart hits, top-twenty hits, top-ten hits, and the most total weeks at number one (75 weeks). She was also the first to achieve 50 number-one songs on any single Billboard chart.[12]

Speed and Longevity

Lady Gaga holds the record for the quickest accumulation of 10 number-one hits, achieving this in just over two years. Rihanna is the only artist to achieve five number-ones in a single calendar year, a feat she accomplished in 2017.

Chart Dynamics

The chart's methodology evolved, notably shifting to a "song-specific" format in 1991, preventing multiple songs from occupying the same position. This change impacted how artists could chart multiple tracks from a single release simultaneously.

Cross-Genre Success

LeAnn Rimes achieved a unique milestone by becoming the first country music artist to top both the Billboard country chart and the Dance Club Songs chart with remixes of her songs.

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References

References

  1.  Kristine W's "The Power of Music" was the first album to produce seven number-one songs, from 2009รขย€ย“2011, but she was not the lead on one of the songs, "Walk Away", which was credited to Tony Moran featuring Kristine W.
  2.  Hot Dance Club Songs, Billboard.com, issue date August 10, 1996
  3.  "LeAnn Rimes Rules Dance Club Songs With 'Long Live Love'" from Billboard (February 22, 2017)
A full list of references for this article are available at the Dance Club Songs Wikipedia page

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Important Notice

This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.

This is not professional music industry advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional consultation regarding music charting, industry analysis, or historical data verification. Always refer to official Billboard documentation and consult with qualified professionals for specific needs.

The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.