Rap is now American radio's most popular form of music
According to a Yahoo article : Rap, an underground phenomenon since the '70s, is now American radio's most popular form of music. More than a quarter of the most-heard radio songs of 2003 so far are by rappers. Even more telling: 40% of the year's top 30 are rap hits. And those figures don't count guest appearances by rap artists on several big R&B hits.
Rap's radio popularity eclipses its sales inflence. Although albums by 50 Cent, 2003's airplay champ, and others have topped the sales chart, rap accounted for only 13% of 2002 album sales, well below rock's 31%, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
But hits by 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Ja Rule and dancehall reggae rappers Sean Paul and Wayne Wonder helped propel hip-hop to the top of radio playlists.
Since last year, USA TODAY has been publishing a unique radio airplay list each week. The list combines airplay data from top 40, R&B, adult contemporary, rock and country radio stations to rank songs by their total listening audience. It provides the most comprehensive overview of the styles of music Americans choose to hear on the radio.
According to a Yahoo article : Rap, an underground phenomenon since the '70s, is now American radio's most popular form of music. More than a quarter of the most-heard radio songs of 2003 so far are by rappers. Even more telling: 40% of the year's top 30 are rap hits. And those figures don't count guest appearances by rap artists on several big R&B hits.
Rap's radio popularity eclipses its sales inflence. Although albums by 50 Cent, 2003's airplay champ, and others have topped the sales chart, rap accounted for only 13% of 2002 album sales, well below rock's 31%, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
But hits by 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Ja Rule and dancehall reggae rappers Sean Paul and Wayne Wonder helped propel hip-hop to the top of radio playlists.
Since last year, USA TODAY has been publishing a unique radio airplay list each week. The list combines airplay data from top 40, R&B, adult contemporary, rock and country radio stations to rank songs by their total listening audience. It provides the most comprehensive overview of the styles of music Americans choose to hear on the radio.
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