Billboard

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to only music. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on weekly basis. It’s most famous chart is Billboard Hot 100 ranking the ten top best sold songs regardless of genre and is frequently used as standard measure for assessing songs in the United States. The Billboard 200 is the corresponding chart for music album sales.

Founded in 1894, Billboard was initially a trade paper for bill posting industry. But within a few years, it began to carry news of outdoor amusements and eventually it became a record for circuses, carnivals, amusement parks, fairs and other live entertainments and recreations. The magazine began covering motion pictures in 1909 and radio broadcasts in the 1920s. During 1930s it started publishing music charts for which it ultimately became famous. It continued to carry news of fairs, festivals and the sort till 1961. From 1961 till 2005, Billboard devoted entirely to the music industry. In 2005, the magazine and its web sites were repositioned to provide coverage of all forms of digital and mobile entertainment. The magazine today covers every aspect of the music business, from radio and television to CD, DVD. It also features news stories and opinion articles. Intended for music professionals, the magazine is occasionally found at bookstores.

In 1936 Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade and in 1940, the first Music Popularity Chart was calculated. Since 1958 the Hot 100 has been published combining single sales and radio airplay. The popular acts on the Billboard charts include The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, The Supreme, George Strait, The Bee Gees, Bing Crosby, Shakira and Whitney Houston.