sign in sign up
<<
Home , 30 Roc, 6ix9ine, 7 Summers, Baby Pluto, Billboard Hot 100, Blinding Lights

Q3 2020 THETHE STSTAATETE OFOF THETHE HOTHOT 100100 TOPTOP 1010

SELECT HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT

Compositional and Industry Trends for the Top 10 The State of the Hot 100 Top 10 takes an in-depth look at the compositional and industry-related trends for the Billboard Hot 100

Top 10. What follows are a few select highlights from the 100+ page report.

SONGS...... PAGE 2

PERFORMING ARTISTS...... PAGE 5

SONGWRITERS...... PAGE 9

PRODUCERS...... PAGE 14

RECORD LABELS...... PAGE 18

#1 SPOTLIGHT...... PAGE 21

Data is for songs that charted in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 and excludes holiday songs.

Data related to compositional characteristics are propriety to Hit Songs Deconstructed.

Artist, , producer, label and charting information are aggregated from the PRO’s, Billboard, and streaming platforms.

All credits are from the date songs entered the Top 10.

At times percentages may not add to 100% due to numbers being rounded up or down.

Production teams (.e. The Audibles) are counted as a single producer. Hot 100 Top 10 (Q3 2020)

There were 34 songs that charted in the Hot 100 Top 10 in Q3 2020, 26 of which entered the Top 10 for the first time during Q3 and 5 of which charted at #1. 34 5 Hot 100 Hot 100 Top 10 Songs #1 Hits (Cardigan, Dynamite, Rockstar, WAP, ) 26 NEW SONGS IN THE HOT 100 TOP 10

7 Summers Go Crazy Smile Before You Go Greece The 1 Blueberry Faygo Hate The Other Side WAP Cardigan I Hope Watermelon Sugar Come & Go Conversations Life's A Mess Dynamite Mood Wishing Well Exile My Popstar Love (Laxed - Siren Beat) Hot 100 Top 10 (Q1 - Q3 YTD)

There were 62 songs that charted in the Hot 100 Top 10 between Q1-Q3 2020, 15 of which charted at #1. 62 15 Hot 100 Hot 100 Top 10 Songs #1 Hits

10,000 Hours Go Crazy My Future Smile 7 Summers Godzilla ON Adore You Baby Pluto Popstar Stupid Love Before You Go Greece Rain On Me The 1 Hate The Other Side Rockstar The Bigger Picture Blueberry Faygo Heartless Roses ( The Box Cardigan HIGHEST IN THE Remix) Circles ROOMI Hope Roxanne Come & Go Intentions Savage Trollz Conversations Laugh Now Cry Later Savage Love WAP Dance Monkey Life Is Good (Laxed - Siren Beat) Watermelon Sugar Don't Start Now Life's A Mess Say So We Paid Dynamite Lo Mein Silly Watch Whats Poppin Lose You To Love Me Wishing Well Exile Memories Yummy For The Night Mood Performing Artists Select Report Highlights

(Q1 - Q3 2020) Performing Artists 58 artists charted in the Hot 100 Top 10 during the first three quarters of 2020. 47 were (Q1 - Q3 2020) primary artists and 18 were featured artists.

Seven artists had both primary and featured artist credits on songs: DaBaby, , Juice 58 WRLD, , , , and . Performing Artists Of the 47 primary artists, 17 scored more than one Top 10 hit.

47 18 60% PRIMARY FEATURED ARTISTS ARTISTS MULTIPLE LEAD VOCALISTS

Songs with a Featured Artist 2016 - Q3 2020

100% 17 Primary Artists with 2+ Top 10 Hits 81% Excludes Featured Artists 80% 72% 73% 64% 58% 60% 42% 36% 40% 28% 27% 19% 17 20%

0% 30 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Has No Featured Artist Has A Featured Artist 1 Top 10 Hit 63.8%

2+ Top 10 Hits 36.2% *Some primary artists are also featured artists. Performing Artists (Q1 - Q3 2020) Artists with the most Top 10 Hits:

Songs Come & Go, Conversations, Hate the Other, Side, Life's 6 3 A Mess, Smile, TOP 10 HITS WEEKS IN THE TOP 10 Wishing Well

Songs Yummy, Intentions, 10,000 Hours, Stuck With U 4 27 TOP 10 HITS WEEKS IN THE TOP 10 Performing Artists (Q1 - Q3 2020)

Most #1 Hits Most Weeks at #1

2 2 1 11 #1 HITS WEEKS AT #1 #1 HIT WEEKS AT #1 Roddy Ricch Rain On Me, Stuck With U The Box

18 primary artists had a credit on a #1 hit.

6ix9ine, Trollz , THE SCOTTS

Ariana Grande, Rain On Me, Stuck With U Gaga, Rain On Me

BTS, Dynamite Megan Thee Stallion, Savage (Remix)

Cardi B, WAP Nicki Minaj, Trollz

DaBaby, Rockstar , Circles

Doja Cat, Say So (Remix) Roddy Ricch, The Box

Drake, Toosie Slide , Cardigan

Harry Styles, Watermelon Sugar , Blinding Lights

Justin Bieber, Stuck With U , THE SCOTTS Select Report Highlights

(Q1 - Q3 2020) Songwriters Of the 220 credited songwriters that charted in the Top 10 during the first three quarters of (Q1 - Q3 2020) 2020, 39 scored more than one Top 10 hit (18%).

Songwriting team sizes of five or more 220 continued to be the most popular, while writers who go it alone continued to be scarce. The only Songwriters two solo writers so far this year have been (Dance Monkey) and (Gooba).

Songwriter Team Size 2020 Top 10 Hits Q1-Q3 2020 39 Songwriters with 2+ Top 10 Hits

60% 17.7% 48%

40%

18% 20% 16% 15% 82.3%

3% 0% 5+ 2 3 4 1 1 Top 10 Hit 82.3% 2+ Top 10 Hits 17.7%

5 Year Trends Songwriter Team Size

100%

58% 60% 45% 49% 48% 50%

7% 0% 3% 5% 3% 0% 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

5+ 1 Songwriters (Q1 - Q3 2020)

Songwriters with the most Top 10 Hits:

Songs

Come & Go Conversations Godzilla Hate the Other Side Life's A Mess 7 4 Juice WRLD Smile TOP 10 HITS WEEKS IN THE TOP 10 Wishing Well

Songs Greece Laugh Now Cry Later Life Is Good Pain 1993 6 28 Popstar TOP 10 HITS WEEKS IN THE TOP 10 Toosie Slide Drake Songwriters (Q1 - Q3 2020)

68 Songwriters had a credit on a #1 Hit.

30 Roc, The Box , THE SCOTTS Mitch Rowland, Watermelon Sugar 6ix9ine, Trollz Dr. Luke, Say So (Remix) Nicki Minaj, Say So (Remix), Trollz Aaron Clarke, Trollz Drake, Toosie Slide Nija, Rain On Me Aaron Dessner, Cardigan , Circles , Blinding Lights Andrew Green, Trollz Frank Ski, WAP OZ, Toosie Slide Ariana Grande, Freddy Wexler, Stuck With U Pardison Fontaine, Rain On Me, Stuck With U Gian Stone, Stuck With U Savage (Remix), WAP Ayo the Producer, WAP , Watermelon Sugar , THE SCOTTS , Blinding Lights J. White Did It, Savage (Remix) Post Malone, Circles Beyoncé, Savage (Remix) Jahnei Clarke, Trollz Rami, Rain On Me Billy Walsh, Circles Jay Z, Savage (Remix) Roddy Ricch, Rockstar, The Box Bloodpop, Rain On Me Agombar, Dynamite SADPONY, Trollz Bobby Sessions, Savage (Remix) Justin Bieber, Stuck With U , Stuck With U Boys Noize, Rain On Me KEYZBABY, WAP SethInTheKitchen, Rockstar , Rain On Me Kaan Gunesberk, Circles Skyler Stonestreet, Stuck With U , WAP Kid Cudi, THE SCOTTS Starrah, Savage (Remix) DaBaby, Rockstar , Watermelon Sugar Taylor Swift, Cardigan DaHeala, Blinding Lights , Rain On Me , Rain On Me David Biral, THE SCOTTS , Circles The Weeknd, Blinding Lights David Sprecher, Say So (Remix) Lydia Asrat, Say So (Remix) The-Dream, Savage (Remix) David Stewart, Dynamite , Blinding Lights Travis Scott, THE SCOTTS Denzel Baptiste, THE SCOTTS Megan Thee Stallion, Tyler Johnson, Watermelon Sugar Derrick Milano, Savage (Remix) Savage (Remix), WAP Whitney Phillips, Stuck With U , Say So (Remix) Mike Dean, THE SCOTTS

Producers Select Report Highlights

(Q1 - Q3 2020) In 2020, songs with only one producer Producers surpassed producer teams of two for the first time since 2016, accounting for 44% of songs. (Q1 - Q3 2020) Unlike songwriting teams, which tend to be much larger, only two songs had a producer team of five or more, For The Night and Go Crazy. 98 Of the 98 credited producers in the first three Producers quarters of 2020, 17 scored more than one Top 10 hit.

Producer Team Size 2020 Top 10 Hits 2020 17 Producers with More than One Top 10 Hit

60%

50% 17 44%

40%

32% 30% 81 20% 16%

10% 5% 3% 1 Top 10 Hit 82.7% 0% 2+ Top 10 Hits 17.3% 1 2 3 4 5+

5 Year Trends Producer Team Size

80%

60% 47% 46% 41% 41% 44% 36% 37% 40% 33% 31% 32% 20% 21% 16% 20% 13% 12%

0% 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

1 2 3 Producers (Q1 - Q3 2020)

Producer with the most Top 10 Hits:

Songs Greece Life Is Good Popstar 5 2 Oz Toosie Slide TOP 10 HITS WEEKS IN THE TOP 10

Songs everything i wanted Lose You to Love Me My Future 3 12 FINNEAS TOP 10 HITS WEEKS IN THE TOP 10

Songs Cardigan, Exile The 1 3 2 Aaron Dessner TOP 10 HITS WEEKS IN THE TOP 10 Producers (Q1 - Q3 2020)

27 producers had a credit on a #1 Hit.

30 Roc, The Box Kid Harpoon, Watermelon Sugar Aaron Clarke, Trollz Louis Bell, Circles Aaron Dessner, Cardigan Max Martin, Blinding Lights Ayo N Keys, WAP OZ, Toosie Slide BURNS, Rain On Me Oscar Holter, Blinding Lights Bloodpop, Rain On Me Plain Pat, THE SCOTTS David Stewart, Dynamite Post Malone, Circles Dot Da Genius, THE SCOTTS SADPONY, Trollz Dr. Luke, Say So (Remix) SethInTheKitchen, Rockstar Frank Dukes, Circles , THE SCOTTS Freddy Wexler, Stuck With U Tchami, Rain On Me Gian Stone, Stuck With U The Weeknd, Blinding Lights J. White Did It, Savage (Remix) Tyler Johnson, Watermelon Sugar Jahnei Clarke, Trollz Record Labels Select Report Highlights

(Q1 -Q3 2020) Interscope has had the most Top 10 hits so Top Record Labels far in 2020 with 15, surpassing the runner- (Q1 - Q3 2020) up Republic by two songs.

Record Republic, however, scored the most #1 hits Labels with five: Blinding Lights, Cardigan, Circles, 16 Stuck With U and Toosie Slide.

300 Columbia HITCO ScumGang Records Atlantic Def Jam Interscope Vertigo Records EMG RCA Warner Capitol Epic Republic Warner Music Nashville

Labels with the most Top 10 Hits:

Interscope 2020 Interscope 2019 Genre Breakdown Genre Breakdown Interscope 100% 100% 15 Songs 47% 40% 64% 50% 7% 7% 50% 36% 2 #1 Hits 0% Pop Hip Dance/C Rock 0% Hop/Rap lub/Ele Pop /Rap ctronic

Republic 2020 Republic 2019 Genre Breakdown Genre Breakdown

Republic 100% 100% 74% 46% 38% 50% 15% 50% 13 Songs 16% 5% 5% 0% 5 #1 Hits 0% Hip Hop/Rap Pop R&B/Soul Pop Hip R&B/Soul Rock Hop/Rap

#1 Hit Spotlight Select Report Highlights

(Q1-Q3 2020) #1 Hit Spotlight (Q1 - Q3 2020)

15 songs charted at #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 during the first three quarters of 2020.

Of them, five charted in Q3 2020. Rockstar held the top spot for the most weeks (7), followed by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's WAP (4). Dynamite came in third with two weeks at #1, and Cardigan and Watermelon Sugar topped the chart for one week, each.

The Box Blinding Lights Cardigan Circles Dynamite Roddy Ricch The Weeknd Taylor Swift Post Malone BTS

Rain On Me Rockstar Savage (Remix) Say So (Remix) Stuck With U Lady Gaga, DaBaby Megan Thee Stallion Doja Cat Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande (feat. Roddy Ricch) (feat. Beyoncé) (feat. Nicki Minaj) Ariana Grande

THE SCOTTS Toosie Slide Trollz WAP Watermelon Sugar Travis Scott, Drake 6ix9ine, Cardi B, Harry Styles Kid Cudi Nicki Minaj Megan Thee Stallion #1 Hit Spotlight (Q1 - Q3 2020)

During the first three quarters of 2020, the top performing #1 hit Roddy Ricch's The Box, which held the top spot for 11 weeks

11 Weeks at #1

Primary Performing Artist: Roddy Ricch

Songwriters: 30 Roc, Roddy Ricch

Producer: 30 Roc

Record Label: Atlantic

Key Compositional Characteristics

Primary Genre: Hip Hop Key: Bb Minor Sub-Genres/Influences: Classical, Trap Form: I-B-A-B-A-B-O Lead Vocal Delivery Type: Sung & Rapped First Chorus Appearance: 0:16 / 8% of the Combo way into the song

Lyrical Themes: Boasting, Lifestyle Prominent Instruments: Bass Song Title Placement: Chorus (Synth), Claps, Drums/Perc (Primarily Length: 3:16 Electronic), (Electric), (String Tempo: 58 BPM Section), Synth (Non-Bass) #1 Hit Spotlight Primary Genres #1 Hits (Q1 - Q3 2020) Q1 - Q3 2020

100%

YTD, almost half of the #1 hits were hip hop and one-third were pop. 80%

There were two R&B #1 hits, Say So 60% (Doja Cat featuring Nicki Minaj) and 47%

Stuck With U (Ariana Grande, Justin 40% 33% Bieber), and for the first time since

2016, we saw a dance song charting 20% 13% at #1, Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga's 7% Rain On Me. 0% Hip Hop/Rap Pop R&B/Soul Dance/Club/Elec tronic

Sub-Genres & Influences Across All Primary Genres Featured in 20% of #1 Hits or More

100% 80%

53% 53% 50% 33% 33% 20% 20% 20% 20%

0% Pop Trap Hip Hop/Rap Retro (1970s) R&B/Soul Rock Dance/Club

While the most popular primary genre of #1 hits this year has been Hip Hop's Influence on Non-Hip Hop #1 Hits hip hop, the most popular influence is still pop. Every single non-hip hop #1 100% hit had a pop influence, as well 80% 75% as 57% of hip hop #1 hits. 67%

60% 50% 50% 50% Conversely, the influence of hip hop 40% on non-hip hop #1 hits has fallen to a 22% seven-year low, being present in only 20% 13% 13% 13% of non-hip hop #1 hits so far this year. 0% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 #1 Hit Spotlight (Q1 - Q3 2020)

14 main instruments were used to shape the sound of the Hot 100 #1 hits during the first three quarters of 2020. The most popular after drums/percussion, which were present in 100% of #1 hits, were synth bass, non-bass synth, claps and and electric guitar. Prominent Instruments Hot 100 #1 Hits

100% 87% 73% 67% 47% 50% 27% 27% 27% 27% 20% 13% 7% 7% 7% 0%

Claps Organ Mallets Bass (Synth) Guitar (Electric) Bass (Electric) Piano (Electric) Bass (Acoustic) Drums/Perc (All) Synth (Non-Bass) Piano (Acoustic)Guitar (Acoustic) Wind (Brass Section) Strings (String Section)

Electronic Instrumentation Hot 100 #1 Hits There has been a resurgence of 64% traditional electric instruments, 47% 50% including electric bass, piano, and 33% 33% 27% 27% 18% 20% 13% guitar. Interestingly, almost half of 8% 8% 0% 0% 0% this year's #1 hits feature an electric 0% 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 guitar. Electric Bass Electric Piano

Electric Guitar

Combo Electronic & Acoustic Drums/Perc #1 hits with a combination of Hot 100 #1 Hits both acoustic and electronic

50% 40% drums/percussion spiked in

17% 13% 9% 8% 2020, shaping the rhythm of

0% 40% of this year's #1 hits. 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Combo Electronic & Acoustic Drums/Perc #1 Hit Spotlight (Q1 - Q3 2020) 3:21

After dropping to a six-year low of 3:05 in 2019, average AVERAGE song length for Hot 100 #1 hits shot up to 3:21 in 2020. SONG LENGTH However, this is still nowhere near the 2017 and 2018 averages of 3:58 and 3:44, respectively.

Average Song Length Hot 100 #1 Hit

400

358 349 350 344

Minutes 321 305 300 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Interestingly, when looking at average song length on a quarterly basis, average song length had

actually been increasing quarter over quarter since Q2 2019, but dropped for the first time in Q3

2020 to 3:13.

Average Song Length Hot 100 #1 Hit

350 322 323 307 313 300 257 246

Minutes 250

200 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q3 2020

20% OFF THE FULL REPORT! Use discount code 2020TRENDS.

Today’s hits are changing faster than ever. This 100+ page report will keep you in tune with how today's most successful songs are evolving. Get your copy today!

HitSongsDeconstructed.com/Q32020-TRENDS