Mainstream Rock (chart)

History

The "Rock Albums & Top Tracks" charts were introduced in the issue of Billboard that the parent company published on March 21, 1981. The 50-slot based and 60-slot based positional charts ranked airplay on album rock type radio stations in the United States. Because album-oriented rock stations often focused on playing tracks from entire albums rather than specifically released singles, these charts were designed to measure the airplay of any and all tracks from an album, regardless of context. 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.

On September 15, 1984, the Rock Albums chart was discontinued and Top Tracks was renamed Top Rock Tracks. It reduced from a 60-song tally to 50 songs on October 20, 1984, 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.

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. 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.

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. The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart did not appear in the print edition of Billboard from its issue dated August 2, 2003, 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. 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. 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.

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. The current number-one song on the chart is "Dark Thoughts" by The Funeral Portrait.

Chart achievements

Artists

Artists with the most number-one songs

These are the artists with the most songs that topped the Mainstream Rock chart.

Artists with the most charted songs

Bands who have scored the most charted songs on the Mainstream Rock chart.

Artists with the most top-ten songs

Acts who have reached number one in at least three decades

Four decades

Source: :Metallica (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Three decades

Source: :AC/DC (1990s, 2000s, 2020s) :Aerosmith (1980s, 1990s, 2000s) :Alice in Chains (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) :Breaking Benjamin (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Chevelle (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Disturbed (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Foo Fighters (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Godsmack (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Green Day (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Linkin Park (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :The Offspring (1990s, 2010s, 2020s) :Ozzy Osbourne (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Papa Roach (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Red Hot Chili Peppers (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) :Seether (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Shinedown (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Staind (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Theory of a Deadman (2000s, 2010s, 2020s) :Three Days Grace (2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Artists with the most consecutive number-one songs

Artists with the most cumulative weeks at number one

Albums/Songs

Albums With the Most Weeks at #1

Albums whose singles have spent at least 15 weeks at #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts

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.

Songs with ten or more weeks at number one

References

References

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3. The first number-one song on the Top Tracks chart was "[[I Can't Stand It (Eric Clapton song). I Can't Stand It]]" by [[Eric Clapton]]. "I Can't Stand It" was from Clapton's album ''[[Another Ticket]]'' with its single having the track "Black Rose" on [[A-side and B-side
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34. "Breaking Benjamin Chart History".
35. "U2 Chart History".
36. "Pearl Jam Chart History".
37. "Tom Petty and the Heatbreakers Chart History".
38. "Van Halen Chart History".
39. "John Mellencamp Chart History".
40. "Aerosmith Chart History".
41. "Rush Chart History".
42. "Ozzy Osbourne Chart History Mainstream Rock".
43. "The Rolling Stones Chart History".
44. "AC/DC Chart History".
45. "Korn Chart History Mainstream Rock".
46. "R.E.M. Chart History".
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48. "Motley Crue Mainstream Rock Chart History".
49. "Stone Temple Pilots Chart History".
50. "Bush Mainstream Rock Chart History".
51. "Chevelle Mainstream Rock Chart History".
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53. "Seether Chart History Mainstream Rock".
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55. "Linkin Park Chart History".
56. "AC/DC Chart History".
57. "Aerosmith Chart History".
58. "Alice in Chains Chart History".
59. "Breaking Benjamin Chart History".
60. "Chevelle Chart History".
61. "Disturbed Chart History".
62. "Foo Fighters Chart History".
63. "Godsmack Chart History".
64. "Green Day Chart History".
65. "Linkin Park Chart History".
66. "The Offspring Chart History".
67. "Ozzy Osbourne Chart History".
68. "Papa Roach Chart History".
69. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Chart History".
70. "Seether Chart History".
71. "Shinedown Chart History".
72. "Staind Chart History".
73. "Theory of a Deadman Chart History".
74. "Three Days Grace Chart History".
75. "3 Doors Down Chart History (Mainstream Rock Airplay)".
76. "Seether Chart History (Mainstream Rock Airplay)".
77. "Collective Soul Chart History (Mainstream Rock Airplay)".
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80. "3 Doors Down Kryptonite Chart History".
81. "3 Doors Down Duck and Run Chart History".
82. "Three Days Grace Animal I Have Become Mainstream Rock Chart History".
83. "Three Days Grace Never Too Late Mainstream Rock Chart History".
84. "The Black Crowes Sting Me Chart History".
85. "The Black Crowes Thorn in My Pride Chart History".
86. "The Black Crowes Hotel Illness Chart History".
87. "Three Days Grace The Good Life Mainstream Rock Chart History".
88. "Three Days Grace World So Cold Mainstream Rock Chart History".
89. "Godsmack Bulletproof Mainstream Rock Chart History".
90. "Godsmack When Legends Rise Mainstream Rock Chart History".
91. "Godsmack Under Your Scars Mainstream Rock Chart History".
92. "Godsmack Unforgettable Mainstream Rock Chart History".
93. "Puddle of Mudd Drift and Die Chart History".
94. "Puddle of Mudd She Hates Me Chart History".
95. "Stone Temple Pilots Vasoline Chart History".
96. "Alice in Chains Check My Brain Chart History".
97. "Alice in Chains Your Decision Chart History".
98. "Three Days Grace The High Road Mainstream Rock Chart History".
99. "Three Days Grace Misery Loves My Company Mainstream Rock Chart History".
100. "Breaking Benjamin So Cold Chart History".
101. "Crossfade Cold Chart History".
102. "Fuel Hemorrhage (In My Hands) Chart History".
103. "Trapt Headstrong Chart History".
104. "3 Doors Down Loser Chart History".
105. "Godsmack Awake Chart History".
106. "10 Years Wasteland Chart History".
107. "Finger Eleven Paralyzer Chart History".
108. "Seether Remedy Chart History".
109. "Sixx: A.M. Life Is Beautiful Chart History".
110. "3 Doors Down Loser Chart History".
111. "Staind It's Been Awhile Chart History".
112. "Creed Higher Chart History".
113. "3 Doors Down When I'm Gone Chart History".
114. "Days of the New Touch, Peel and Stand Chart History".
115. "Stone Temple Pilots Interstate Love Song Chart History".
116. "Collective Soul Heavy Chart History".
117. "Staind So Far Away Chart History".
118. "Green Day Boulevard of Broken Dreams Chart History".
119. "Seether Fake It Chart History".
120. "Disturbed Inside the Fire Chart History".
121. "The Rolling Stones Start Me Up Chart History".
122. "Nickelback How You Remind Me Chart History".
123. "Nickelback Figured You Out Chart History".
124. "Three Days Grace Pain Chart History".
125. "U2 Mysterious Ways Chart History".
126. "Audioslave Like a Stone Chart History".
127. "Shinedown Save Me Chart History".
128. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Dani California Chart History".
129. "Chevelle Face to the Floor Chart History".
130. "Shinedown Bully Chart History".
131. "The Black Crowes Remedy Chart History".
132. "Metallica Turn the Page Chart History".
133. "Velvet Revolver Fall to Pieces Chart History".
134. "Avenged Sevenfold Hail to the King Chart History".
135. "Metallica Lux Æterna Song Chart History".
136. "Live Lightning Crashes Chart History".
137. "Days of the New The Down Town Chart History".
138. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Scar Tissue Chart History".
139. "Puddle of Mudd Blurry Chart History".
140. "Seether Country Song Chart History".