Alternative Airplay

This article is about the music chart. For the music genre, seeAlternative rock.

Alternative Airplay(formerly known asModern Rock Tracks(1988–2009) andAlternative Songs(2009–2020)) is amusic chartpublished in the American magazineBillboardsince September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played songs onalternativeandmodern rockradio stations. Introduced as Modern Rock Tracks, the chart served as a companion to theMainstream Rockchart (then called Album Rock Tracks), and its creation was prompted by the explosion of alternative music on American radio in the late 1980s. During the first several years of the chart, it regularly featured music that did not receive commercial radio airplay anywhere but on a few modern rock and college rock radio stations. This included manyelectronicandpost-punkartists. Gradually, as alternative rock became more mainstream (spearheaded by thegrungeexplosion in the early 1990s), alternative and mainstream rock radio stations began playing many of the same songs. By the late 2000s, the genres became more fully differentiated with only limited crossover. The Alternative Airplay chart features morealternative rock,indie pop,andpop punkartists while the Mainstream Rock chart leans towards more guitar-tingedblues rock,hard rock,andheavy metal.

The chart is based solely on radio airplay ranked by a calculation of the total number of spins each song receives per week. As of 2012, approximately 80 alternative radio stations across the United States are electronically monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week byNielsen Broadcast Data Systems.The chart had 30 positions when it was introduced in September 1988 and expanded to 40 positions on September 10, 1994.

The chart was renamed to Alternative Songs beginning with the June 20, 2009, issue afterBillboardfully absorbedRadio & Records,whose similar chart was called "Alternative" and to reflect the music industry's more common use of the term.In June 2020,Billboardintroduced the separateHot Alternative Songschart, which uses similar methodology as theBillboardHot 100by measuring the popularity of songs classified as alternative across all radio formats, streaming services, and sales within the United States. To avoid confusion, Alternative Songs was renamed Alternative Airplay.

History

The first alternative chart, called Modern Rock Tracks, appeared in the September 10, 1988, edition ofBillboardmagazine.The first number-one song of the chart wasSiouxsie and the Banshees' "Peek-a-Boo",which topped the charts for two weeks.In the chart's early years, the chart was closely associated withcollege rock,new wave,post-punkandelectronicgenres with a large presence of British, Irish and Australian artists, as only 24 of the chart's first 82 number-one hits were by American acts.Bands includingDepeche Mode,Pixies,the Cure,New OrderandR.E.M.were amongst the most popular acts on Alternative radio in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Many rock artists do not release commercialsinglesin the United States. Several popular songs which were not released as commercial singles did not qualify for the Hot 100 before December 1998, but performed very well on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

In 1991, with the release of "Smells Like Teen Spirit"by Nirvana (which reached No. 1 on November 23, 1991),grunge became a new form of alternative rock to chart. However, grunge did not have a dominating presence on the chart in its heyday; over time, grunge would grow into popularity as a representation of alternative rock in the mainstream. Iconic grunge songs fared decently on the Alternative Songs chart but better on the Mainstream Rock Songs.For example, "Black"byPearl Jampeaked only at No. 20 on the former but No. 3 on the latter.This was because the college rock and new wave of the 1980s remained the dominant styles of the format, while grunge became an alternative rock style that was popular on the Mainstream Rock format.

In the mid-1990s, alternative rock songs began to crossover toPopradio, with acts such asGreen Day,the OffspringandAlanis Morissettebeing played on Pop stations after establishing hits on the Alternative chart.Dominant genres includedpop punkand softer alternative rock, as grunge acts such asSoundgardenandStone Temple Pilotsdid not reach No. 1, whileBritpop,a form of alternative rock from the UK, was represented only byOasis.By the late 1990s, the Alternative Songs chart was ruled by relatively lighter alternative rock bands such asThird Eye Blind,Matchbox TwentyandSugar Rayand a plethora of one-hit wonders.

At the turn of the century, alternative radio embracednu-metal/rap rockwith bands includingKorn,Limp Bizkitand most famously,Linkin Park.Chris Molanphy ofPitchforkstated that "possibly the most loathed period for music of the last half-century, the rap-rock years—when looked through the prism of the Modern Rock chart's evolution—are a logical endpoint to a decade when alt-culture steadily de-wussified itself."Garage rock from the likes ofthe White Stripesandthe Strokesalso became hits in the early 2000s as a counter to the over-aggression of rap rock.

In the mid-2000s, the Alternative charts were ruled at the top by its most dominant members. From 2003 to 2008, the No. 1 song was by eitherFoo Fighters,Green Day,Incubus,Linkin Park orRed Hot Chili Peppers49% of the time – 152 out of 313 weeks.During this time, 1990s alternative groups such asNine Inch NailsandWeezerenjoyed their biggest success, whileemo(Jimmy Eat World), indie rock (Modest Mouse) and pop punk (Fall Out Boy) also were popular.In 2007, "The Kill"byThirty Seconds to Marsset a record for the longest-running hit in the history of the US alternative chart when it remained on the national chart for 52 weeks.Rise Against's "Savior"later broke the record by spending 65 weeks, followed around the same time by"1901"fromPhoenixat 57.In 2009,Billboardrenamed the chart to "Alternative Songs".

In the 2010s, the Alternative charts were led by softerindie popandfolk,and crossed over new acts topop radiofor the first time since the late 1990s, such asFoster the People,Imagine Dragons,Fun,andGotye.The chart also began to diverge from the Mainstream Rock chart, as only 10 of 40 songs were shared between the two in November 2012, compared to 23 of 40 in November 2002.For the chart's 25th anniversary in 2013,Billboardpublished a list of the 100 biggest hits in the history of the Alternative chart. "Uprising"byMusewas listed at No. 1, having spent 17 weeks on the top of the chart and 53 weeks in total. "Savior" by Rise Against was listed at No. 2, peaking at #3 but staying on the chart for a record-breaking 65 weeks.

On October 11, 2018,Billboardreleased its Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs 30th-anniversary recap.Foo Fighterscontinued its reign as the chart's No. 1 act over the list's first 30 years, after leading the 25th-anniversary recap.Muse's "Uprising"retained its standing as the all-time No. 1 song.Rise Against's "Savior"again ranked at No. 2, whilePortugal. The Man's "Feel It Still"entered at No. 3, the highest debut on the 30th anniversary songs list, following its record 20-week reign in 2017.Six bands charted at least once in the first four decades of the chart's existence –Nine Inch Nails,Depeche Mode,Jane's Addiction,Red Hot Chili Peppers,U2andBeastie Boys.As of 2023, only Depeche Mode, Red Hot Chili Peppers and U2 have extended that streak to five decades.Although the Alternative Songs chart "tends to be heavily male-dominated",Billboardreleased a list of the top-performing women in the chart's archives as part of the 30th anniversary of the Alternative Songs chart, withDolores O'Riordanofthe Cranberriestaking the lead spot. The current number-one song on the chart is "Too Sweet"byHozier.

Chart achievements

Artists with the most number-one songs

Source:

Red Hot Chili Peppers(15)

Green Day(13)

Foo Fighters(12)

Linkin Park(12)

Cage the Elephant(11)

Acts who have reached number one in at least three decades

Four decades

Source:

Blink-182(1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Foo Fighters(1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Green Day(1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Red Hot Chili Peppers(1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Three decades

Source:

Beck(1990s, 2000s, 2010s)

Coldplay(2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Linkin Park(2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Modest Mouse(2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

U2(1980s, 1990s, 2000s)

Weezer(2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Artists with the most cumulative weeks at number one

Weeks at No. 1	Artist	Source
95	Foo Fighters
91	Red Hot Chili Peppers
77	Linkin Park
73	Twenty One Pilots
65	Green Day
55	Imagine Dragons
48	Blink-182
46	Muse
46	Cage the Elephant
42	The Black Keys

Number-one debuts

• "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"by R.E.M. (1994)
• "Dani California"by Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)
• "What I've Done"by Linkin Park (2007)

Artists with most chart entries

Entries	Act	Source
43	U2
42	Pearl Jam
41	Foo Fighters
37	Red Hot Chili Peppers
37	Green Day
34	Weezer
30	Coldplay
30	Linkin Park

Artists with the most top-ten songs

Entries	Act	Source
30	Foo Fighters
28	Red Hot Chili Peppers
26	Green Day
23	U2
21	Pearl Jam
21	Weezer
18	The Offspring
18	Linkin Park
17	The Smashing Pumpkins
17	Muse
16	Blink-182
16	Cage the Elephant

Songs with most weeks on the chart

The following songs have charted for more than 52 weeks.

Weeks	Song	Artist	Source
88	"Monsters"	All Time LowfeaturingBlackbear
76	"Broken"	Lovelytheband
65	"Savior"	Rise Against
64	"First"	Cold War Kids
63	"Trampoline"	Shaed
58	"Do I Wanna Know?"	Arctic Monkeys
57	"1901"	Phoenix
56	"Wish I Knew You"	The Revivalists
55	"Sit Next to Me"	Foster the People
54	"Enemy"	Imagine DragonsandJID
53	"Feel It Still"	Portugal. The Man
	"Uprising"	Muse

Songs with most weeks at number one

The songs with 16 or more weeks at number one.

Weeks	Song	Artist	Year	Source
20	"Feel It Still"	Portugal. The Man	2017
	"One More Time"	Blink-182	2023–24
19	"Madness"	Muse	2012–13
18	"The Pretender"	Foo Fighters	2007
	"Monsters"	All Time LowfeaturingBlackbear	2020–21
17	"Uprising"	Muse	2009–10
16	"Scar Tissue"	Red Hot Chili Peppers	1999
	"It's Been Awhile"	Staind	2001
	"Boulevard of Broken Dreams"	Green Day	2004–05
	"High Hopes"	Panic! at the Disco	2018–19

Songs that have taken the longest time to reach number one

Weeks	Song	Artist	Source
42	"Running Up That Hill"	Meg Myers
33	"Out of My League"	Fitz and the Tantrums
	"Novocaine"	The Unlikely Candidates
32	"Just Pretend"	Bad Omens
	"Mountain at My Gates"	Foals
	"Animal"	Neon Trees
31	"Toxic"	BoyWithUke
	"1901"	Phoenix
30	"Dissolve"	Absofacto
29	"Feel Good Drag"	Anberlin
	"Back Against the Wall"	Cage the Elephant
	"Safe and Sound"	Capital Cities
	"Little Talks"	Of Monsters and Men
	"Records"	Weezer

Albums with at least three number ones

Source:

5 songs

Meteora–Linkin Park( "Somewhere I Belong","Faint","Numb","Lying from You","Breaking the Habit",2003–04)

3 songs

Scaled and Icy–Twenty One Pilots( "Shy Away","Saturday","The Outside",2021–22)

Social Cues–Cage the Elephant( "Ready to Let Go","Social Cues "," Skin and Bones ", 2019–21)

Trench– Twenty One Pilots ( "Jumpsuit","Chlorine","The Hype",2018–19)

Evolve–Imagine Dragons( "Believer","Thunder","Whatever It Takes",2017–18)

Only by the Night–Kings of Leon( "Sex on Fire","Use Somebody","Notion",2008–09)

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace–Foo Fighters( "The Pretender","Long Road to Ruin","Let It Die",2007–08)

Stadium Arcadium–Red Hot Chili Peppers( "Dani California","Tell Me Baby","Snow (Hey Oh)",2006–07)

With Teeth–Nine Inch Nails( "The Hand That Feeds","Only","Every Day Is Exactly the Same",2005–06)

American Idiot–Green Day( "American Idiot","Boulevard of Broken Dreams","Holiday",2004–05)

Californication– Red Hot Chili Peppers ( "Scar Tissue","Otherside","Californication",1999–2000)

Jagged Little Pill–Alanis Morissette( "You Oughta Know","Hand in My Pocket","Ironic",1995–96)

Dookie– Green Day ( "Longview","Basket Case","When I Come Around",1994–95)

Achtung Baby–U2( "The Fly","Mysterious Ways","One",1991–92)

Top female performers (1988–2018)

Source:

Position	Artist
1	Dolores O'Riordan(The Cranberries)
2	Meg White(The White Stripes)
3	Siouxsie Sioux(Siouxsie & the Banshees)
4	Shirley Manson(Garbage)
5	Alanis Morissette
6	Kate PiersonandCindy Wilson(The B-52s)
7	Gwen Stefani(No Doubt)
8	Natalie Merchant(10,000 Maniacs)
9	Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir(Of Monsters and Men)
10	Hannah Hooper (Grouplove)

Other chart achievements

• Blink-182's albumOne More Time...has generated songs with the highest total number of weeks spent at number one, with thirty-three weeks total. Red Hot Chili Peppers' albumCalifornicationand Linkin Park's albumMeteoracome next with thirty weeks each.

• Sum 41have had the longest time between number-ones (22 years, 5 months and 3 weeks), with "Fat Lip"(2001) and"Landmines"(2023).The record was previously held byThe Killers,who waited 13 years and 6 months, between "When You Were Young"(2006) and"Caution"(2020) for their next number one.
• Fifteen songs released on anindependent record labelhave reached number one on the chart. The first three were "Come Out and Play"byThe Offspring,"What It's Like"byEverlastand "Panic Switch"bySilversun Pickups.These were followed by "1901"byPhoenix,"Lay Me Down"byThe Dirty HeadsfeaturingRome Ramirez,"Do I Wanna Know?"byArctic Monkeys,"Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)"byAwolnation,"The Sound of Winter"byBush,"First"byCold War Kids,"Bored to Death"byBlink-182,"Take It All Back"byJudah & the Lion,"No Roots"byAlice Merton,"Sober Up"byAJRfeaturingRivers Cuomo,"Trampoline"byShaedand "Running Up That Hill"byMeg Myers.
• AlthoughSoundgarden's "Black Hole Sun"did not hit number one on the chart, peaking at number two on July 2, 1994,it became the Modern Rock Tracks year-end number one single of 1994,the only song to do so without ever being number one on the weekly chart.
• In August 2013,Lordebecame the first woman to top the chart sinceTracy Bonhamin 1996 when her song "Royals"reached number one in August 2013;the next woman to top the chart wasElle Kingwith her song "Ex's & Oh's"which hit the top spot in September 2015.In September 2013, Lorde surpassedAlanis Morissetteto become the woman with the longest-running single at number one when "Royals" spent its sixth week at number one.Since then, four other women have also topped the chart,Alice Merton(2018),Lana Del Rey(2019),Billie Eilish(2019), andMeg Myers(2020), as have female-fronted bandsShaed(2019),Cannons(2021), andParamore(2023).
• Lorde is the youngest solo artist to reach number one, achieving this feat at the age of 16 with "Royals".
• Billie Eilish holds the records for most number ones on the chart for a soloist and most number ones for a female artist or band with female vocals, having topped the chart four times.
• Fall Out Boyhold the record for the longest wait between their first entry and their first number one single on the chart, when "Love from the Other Side"reached the top in March 2023, 17 years and 9 months after they debuted on the chart with"Sugar, We're Goin Down"in June 2005.
• Debbie Harryholds the record for the longest gap between entries on the chart: "Kiss It Better"last appeared on the chart in January 1990 and she did not reappear again until a featured credit on" Soul Train "by Just Loud in December 2018, 29 years later.Kate Bushhas the longest gap between entries for a lead artist: "Rubberband Girl"last appeared on the chart in January 1994, and she did not chart again until a re-release of her 1985 single"Running Up That Hill",which debuted on the chart 28 years later in June 2022.Blurhas the longest gap between entries for a band: "Crazy Beat"last appeared on the chart in May 2003, and they did not chart again until"The Narcissist"debuted on the chart 20 years later in June 2023.

See also

• List ofBillboardnumber-one alternative hits

External links

• Current Alternative Airplay chart,Billboard.com.