Mainstream Rock is a music chart in Billboard magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in March 1981 as Rock Albums & Top Tracks, after which the name changed first to Top Rock Tracks, then to Album Rock Tracks, and finally to its current Mainstream Rock in 1996.

History

The Rock Albums & Top Tracks charts were introduced in the March 21, 1981, issue of Billboard.[1] The 50- and 60-position charts ranked airplay on album rock radio stations in the United States.[2] Because album-oriented rock stations focused on playing tracks from albums rather than specifically released singles, these charts were designed to measure the airplay of any and all tracks from an album. Rock Albums was a survey of the top albums on American rock radio, while Top Tracks listed the top individual songs being played. Mike Harrison of Billboard explained that when major artists release albums, more than one song from the album can become popular at the same time.[2] The first number-one song on the Top Tracks chart was "I Can't Stand It" by Eric Clapton.[2]

On September 15, 1984, the Rock Albums chart was discontinued and Top Tracks was renamed Top Rock Tracks.[1][3] It reduced from a 60-song tally to 50 songs on October 20, 1984,[1] following a major revamp to the magazine. Coinciding with an increase in its reporting panel of album rock stations in the United States, the name of the chart was changed again with the issue dated April 12, 1986, to Album Rock Tracks.[4]

On November 23, 1991, instead of reporting panels, Billboard changed its methodology of measuring airplay by using monitored airplay as provided by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems to compile many of its charts.[1] As a result, this data showed that many songs could spend months to over a year on the Album Rock Tracks chart. Billboard decided to drop to a 40-position chart on the week of June 27, 1992 (still its current format), and songs that fell out of the top 20 and after spending 20 weeks on the chart were moved to a new 10-position recurrent chart.[5][1] The recurrent chart was scrapped two years later, but not the methodology.

To differentiate between classic and alternative album rock radio formats, Billboard changed the name of the chart to Mainstream Rock Tracks beginning with issue dated April 13, 1996.[1][6] The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart did not appear in the print edition of Billboard from its issue dated August 2, 2003,[7] being accessible only through the magazine's subscription-based website, Billboard.biz. In late 2013, the chart was reintroduced to its primary website and magazine.

When R&R ceased publication in June 2009, Billboard incorporated its rock charts, Active Rock and Heritage Rock into its own publication. The radio station reporters of the two charts combine to make up the Mainstream Rock chart.[8] In the United States, Active rock stations concentrate on current hits over classic rock standards while heritage rock stations put a greater emphasis on classic rock with a few newer tracks mixed in.[9] The individual Active Rock and Heritage Rock components were discontinued by Billboard at the end of November 2013 due to a growing lack of difference between the two charts.[10]

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the chart, in June 2021, Billboard released two charts ranking the top songs and artists in the history of the chart. "Touch, Peel and Stand" by Days of the New was the number-one song on the Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs and Shinedown was named the number-one artist on the ranking of Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists.[11] The current number-one song on the chart is "A Symptom of Being Human" by Shinedown.[12]

Chart achievements

Artists with the most number-one songs

These are the artists with at least 8 songs that topped the Mainstream Rock chart.

SongsArtistReferences
19Shinedown[13][12]
17Three Days Grace[14]
14Five Finger Death Punch[15]
13 Foo Fighters[16] [17]
Van Halen[18] [19]
Metallica[20]
12 Disturbed[18] [21]
Godsmack[22]
10 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers[18] [23]
Volbeat[16][24]
9Aerosmith[18] [25]
Linkin Park[16] [26]
Papa Roach[27]
Seether[16] [28]
8 Nickelback[16] [29]
Pop Evil[30]
Green Day[31]

Artists with the most consecutive number-one songs

SongsArtistReference
10Five Finger Death Punch[32]
8Shinedown[13]
7Disturbed[21]

Artists with the most cumulative weeks at number one

ArtistTotal cumulative weeksReference
Three Days Grace92[14]
Shinedown83[33][12]
Metallica67[20]
Foo Fighters60[17]
Disturbed59[21]
3 Doors Down53[34]
Nickelback51[29]
Seether48[35]
Collective Soul47[36]
Godsmack46[22]

Artists with the most top-ten songs

SongsArtistReference
31 Foo Fighters[17]
Shinedown[33]
29 Five Finger Death Punch[37]
28 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers[38]
Godsmack[22]
27 Metallica[20]
26 Disturbed[21]
Van Halen[38]
25 Papa Roach[27]
24Aerosmith[38]
Seether[39]
Three Days Grace[40]
23 John Mellencamp[38]
Pearl Jam[41]

Artists with the most charted songs

SongsArtistReference
50U2[42]
48Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers[43]
47Van Halen[44]
46John Mellencamp[45]
45Pearl Jam[41]
44Aerosmith[46]
43Metallica[20]
42 Rush[47]
39 Foo Fighters[17]
38 Ozzy Osbourne[48]
36 AC/DC[49]
The Rolling Stones[50]
Papa Roach[27]
35 Korn[51]
R.E.M.[52]
34Godsmack[22]
31 Disturbed[21]
Five Finger Death Punch[37]
Green Day[31]
Shinedown[33]
30 Nickelback[29]
Stone Temple Pilots[53]

Songs with the most weeks on the chart

These are the songs that have spent at least one year (52 weeks) on the Mainstream Rock chart.

Number of weeksSongArtistReference
62"So Cold"Breaking Benjamin[54]
56"Cold"Crossfade[55]
"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)"Fuel[56]
55"Headstrong"Trapt[57]
53"Loser"3 Doors Down[58]
"Awake"Godsmack[59]
52"Wasteland"10 Years[60]
"Paralyzer"Finger Eleven[61]
"Remedy"Seether[62]
"Life Is Beautiful"Sixx: A.M.[63]

Songs with ten or more weeks at number one

Number of weeksSongArtistYearsReference
21"Loser"3 Doors Down2000–2001[64]
20"It's Been Awhile"Staind2001[65]
17 "Higher" Creed 1999–2000 [66]
"When I'm Gone" 3 Doors Down 2002–2003 [67]
16 "Touch, Peel and Stand" Days of the New 1997 [68]
15 "Interstate Love Song" Stone Temple Pilots 1994 [69]
"Heavy" Collective Soul 1999 [70]
14 "So Far Away" Staind 2003 [71]
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" Green Day 2005 [72]
"Fake It" Seether 2007–2008 [73]
"Inside the Fire" Disturbed 2008 [74]
13 "Start Me Up" The Rolling Stones 1981 [75]
"How You Remind Me" Nickelback 2001 [76]
"Figured You Out" 2004 [77]
"Pain" Three Days Grace 2006–2007 [78]
"Chalk Outline" 2012 [14]
"Something from Nothing" Foo Fighters 2014–2015 [17]
12 "Mysterious Ways" U2 1991–1992 [79]
"Like a Stone" Audioslave 2003 [80]
"Save Me" Shinedown 2005–2006 [81]
"Dani California" Red Hot Chili Peppers 2006 [82]
"Face to the Floor" Chevelle 2011–2012 [83]
"Bully" Shinedown 2012 [84]
11 "Remedy" The Black Crowes 1992 [85]
"Turn the Page" Metallica 1999 [86]
"Fall to Pieces" Velvet Revolver 2004 [87]
"Break" Three Days Grace 2009–2010 [14]
"Hail to the King" Avenged Sevenfold 2013 [88]
"Lux Æterna" Metallica 2022–2023 [89]
10 "Lightning Crashes" Live 1995 [90]
"The Down Town" Days of the New 1998 [91]
"Scar Tissue" Red Hot Chili Peppers 1999 [92]
"Blurry" Puddle of Mudd 2002 [93]
"Second Chance" Shinedown 2008–2009 [94]
"Country Song" Seether 2011 [95]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Joel Whitburn. Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981–2008. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2008. p. 6 Archived August 3, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. ISBN 9780898201741
  2. 1 2 3 Trust, Gary (March 23, 2010). "Album, Rock Charts Celebrate Anniversaries". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Rock Tracks. p. 9. ISBN 0-89820-153-5.
  4. ↑ "Billboard Announces Expanded Album Rock Chart Panel". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 15. April 12, 1986. pp. 10, 16. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Album Rock Chart Changes". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 26. June 27, 1992. p. 67. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Name Changed on Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 15. April 13, 1996. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ Girard, Keith (August 2, 2003). "The Evolution Continues". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 31. p. 10. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  8. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (June 20, 2009). "Dave Matthews Band Rolls Ahead of Rock Parade". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 24. p. 41. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  9. ↑ Cole, Brian (July 15, 2012). "The Metamorphosis and Splitting of the Rock Music Format". Examiner.com. Clarity Digital Group.
  10. ↑ Trust, Gary (November 29, 2013). "Chart Moves: A Great Big Jump for a Great Big World, Christina Aguilera; Volbeat's Victorious at Rock; Howard Jones Notches First Top 10 in 21 Years". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
  11. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin. "Shinedown & Days of the New Rule Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 Rutherford, Kevin (January 12, 2024). "Shinedown Adds to Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 Record With 'A Symptom of Being Human'". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Chart History Shinedown". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Three Days Grace Mainstream Rock Chart History". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Five Finger Death Punch Ties Record With Seventh Straight Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "Foo Fighters Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Rutherford, Kevin (September 4, 2019). "Disturbed Earns Record-Extending Seventh Straight No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Songs". billboard.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Van Halen Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Metallica Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "Disturbed Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Godsmack Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Volbeat Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Aerosmith Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  27. 1 2 3 "Papa Roach Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Seether Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  29. 1 2 3 "Nickelback Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Pop Evil Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Green Day Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  33. 1 2 3 "Shinedown Mainstream Rock Chart History". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Shinedown Mainstream Rock Chart History". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Seether Mainstream Rock Chart History". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Collective Soul Mainstream Rock Chart History". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  37. 1 2 "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History Mainstream Rock". billboard.com. Billboard Magazine. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  38. 1 2 3 4 Rutherford, Kevin (June 15, 2018). "Foo Fighters Score 25th Mainstream Rock Songs Top 10 With 'The Line'". billboard.com. Billboard Music. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Seether Chart History Mainstream Rock". billboard.com. Billboard Magazine. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Three Days Grace Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  41. 1 2 "Pearl Jam Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  42. ↑ "U2 Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017.
  43. ↑ "Tom Petty and the Heatbreakers Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Van Halen Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  45. ↑ "John Mellencamp Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Aerosmith Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Rush Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Ozzy Osbourne Chart History Mainstream Rock". billboard.com. Billboard Magazine. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  49. ↑ "AC/DC Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  50. ↑ "The Rolling Stones Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017.
  51. ↑ "Korn Chart History Mainstream Rock". billboard.com. Billboard Magazine. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  52. ↑ "R.E.M. Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  53. ↑ "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  54. ↑ "Breaking Benjamin So Cold Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Crossfade Cold Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  56. ↑ "Fuel Hemorrhage (In My Hands) Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  57. ↑ "Trapt Headstrong Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  58. ↑ "3 Doors Down Loser Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  59. ↑ "Godsmack Awake Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  60. ↑ "10 Years Wasteland Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  61. ↑ "Finger Eleven Paralyzer Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  62. ↑ "Seether Remedy Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  63. ↑ "Sixx: A.M. Life Is Beautiful Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  64. ↑ "3 Doors Down Loser Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  65. ↑ "Staind It's Been Awhile Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  66. ↑ "Creed Higher Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  67. ↑ "3 Doors Down When I'm Gone Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  68. ↑ "Days of the New Touch, Peel and Stand Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  69. ↑ "Stone Temple Pilots Interstate Love Song Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  70. ↑ "Collective Soul Heavy Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  71. ↑ "Staind So Far Away Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  72. ↑ "Green Day Boulevard of Broken Dreams Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  73. ↑ "Seether Fake It Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  74. ↑ "Disturbed Inside the Fire Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  75. ↑ "The Rolling Stones Start Me Up Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  76. ↑ "Nickelback How You Remind Me Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  77. ↑ "Nickelback Figured You Out Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  78. ↑ "Three Days Grace Pain Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  79. ↑ "U2 Mysterious Ways Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  80. ↑ "Audioslave Like a Stone Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  81. ↑ "Shinedown Save Me Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  82. ↑ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Dani California Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  83. ↑ "Chevelle Face to the Floor Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  84. ↑ "Shinedown Bully Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  85. ↑ "The Black Crowes Remedy Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  86. ↑ "Metallica Turn the Page Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  87. ↑ "Velvet Revolver Fall to Pieces Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  88. ↑ "Avenged Sevenfold Hail to the King Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  89. ↑ "Metallica Lux Æterna Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  90. ↑ "Live Lightning Crashes Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  91. ↑ "Days of the New The Down Town Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  92. ↑ "Red Hot Chili Peppers Scar Tissue Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  93. ↑ "Puddle of Mudd Blurry Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  94. ↑ "Shinedown Second Chance Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
  95. ↑ "Seether Country Song Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2018.
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