Billboard began publishing its Radio Songs chart in 1984, measuring the most popular songs in the United States based solely on radio airplay. The chart is a departure from the more comprehensive Billboard Hot 100, which ranks songs based on sales, streaming activity, and radio airplay.
A song typically hits the airwaves before it is made available for sale or online streaming. Listeners often hear new songs on the radio for the first time, and a song’s popularity in that initial radio push can affect how successful the song is in the long run. Many of the top radio songs of all time have gone on to sell millions of records and be certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
To determine the top radio songs of all time, 24/7 Wall St. ranked songs using data from Billboard’s Radio Songs chart. Songs were ranked based on a song’s peak position, weeks spent at peak position, and total weeks spent on the chart from November 1990 to March 2018.
Click here to see the full list of the top radio songs.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.
50. “End Of The Road” by Boyz II Men
> Entered charts: July 11, 1992
> Weeks on charts: 30
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Boomerang” (soundtrack)
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49. “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran
> Entered charts: December 27, 2014
> Weeks on charts: 48
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “x”
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48. “I’ll Make Love To You” by Boyz II Men
> Entered charts: August 13, 1994
> Weeks on charts: 33
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “II”
47. “Let Me Love You” by Mario
> Entered charts: November 6, 2004
> Weeks on charts: 34
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Turning Point”
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46. “Stressed Out” by twenty one pilots
> Entered charts: December 19, 2015
> Weeks on charts: 42
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “Blurryface”
45. “Missing” by Everything But The Girl
> Entered charts: November 4, 1995
> Weeks on charts: 43
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Amplified Heart”
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44. “Cheap Thrills” by Sia feat. Sean Paul
> Entered charts: June 11, 2016
> Weeks on charts: 38
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “This Is Acting”
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43. “Lovefool” by The Cardigans
> Entered charts: December 14, 1996
> Weeks on charts: 48
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “First Band On The Moon”
42. “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down
> Entered charts: May 13, 2000
> Weeks on charts: 48
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “The Better Life”
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41. “Apologize” by Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
> Entered charts: October 6, 2007
> Weeks on charts: 40
> Peak position: 3
> Album: “Dreaming Out Loud”
40. “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey
> Entered charts: February 24, 1996
> Weeks on charts: 38
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “Daydream”
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39. “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
> Entered charts: August 13, 2011
> Weeks on charts: 44
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Hands All Over”
38. “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
> Entered charts: October 21, 1995
> Weeks on charts: 33
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Daydream”
37. “All Of Me” by John Legend
> Entered charts: February 8, 2014
> Weeks on charts: 44
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Love In The Future”
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36. “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum
> Entered charts: October 17, 2009
> Weeks on charts: 53
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Need You Now”
35. “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye feat. Kimbra
> Entered charts: March 17, 2012
> Weeks on charts: 49
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Making Mirrors”
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34. “I Don’t Want To Wait” by Paula Cole
> Entered charts: August 16, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 60
> Peak position: 5
> Album: “This Fire”
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33. “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo
> Entered charts: December 27, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 47
> Peak position: 3
> Album: “Love Always”
32. “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas
> Entered charts: June 27, 2009
> Weeks on charts: 55
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “The E.N.D.”
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31. “Walkin’ On The Sun” by Smash Mouth
> Entered charts: August 9, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 58
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “Fush Yu Mang”
30. “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith
> Entered charts: June 7, 2014
> Weeks on charts: 48
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “In The Lonely Hour”
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29. “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion
> Entered charts: March 16, 1996
> Weeks on charts: 32
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Falling Into You”
28. “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber
> Entered charts: January 2, 2016
> Weeks on charts: 37
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Purpose”
27. “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic
> Entered charts: October 26, 2013
> Weeks on charts: 52
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Native”
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26. “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
> Entered charts: May 28, 2011
> Weeks on charts: 61
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Sorry For Party Rocking”
25. “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell
> Entered charts: June 8, 2013
> Weeks on charts: 42
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Blurred Lines”
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24. “We Found Love” by Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
> Entered charts: October 15, 2011
> Weeks on charts: 40
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Talk That Talk”
23. “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback
> Entered charts: October 6, 2001
> Weeks on charts: 45
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “Silver Side Up”
22. “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind
> Entered charts: April 19, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 54
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Third Eye Blind”
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21. “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars
> Entered charts: August 21, 2010
> Weeks on charts: 46
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Doo-Wops & Hooligans”
20. “Another Night” by Real McCoy
> Entered charts: September 3, 1994
> Weeks on charts: 44
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “Another Night”
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19. “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake
> Entered charts: May 21, 2016
> Weeks on charts: 53
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Trolls: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”
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18. “Fly” by Sugar Ray
> Entered charts: July 19, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 56
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Floored”
17. “Yeah!” by Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris
> Entered charts: January 10, 2004
> Weeks on charts: 45
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Confessions”
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16. “The Sign” by Ace Of Base
> Entered charts: January 1, 1994
> Weeks on charts: 41
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “The Sign”
15. “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis
> Entered charts: July 6, 1996
> Weeks on charts: 39
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Now In A Minute”
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14. “Smooth” by Santana feat. Rob Thomas
> Entered charts: August 28, 1999
> Weeks on charts: 54
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Supernatural”
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13. “No One” by Alicia Keys
> Entered charts: September 22, 2007
> Weeks on charts: 39
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “As I Am”
12. “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden
> Entered charts: November 29, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 53
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Savage Garden”
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11. “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia
> Entered charts: February 21, 1998
> Weeks on charts: 43
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Left Of The Middle”
10. “One Headlight” by The Wallflowers
> Entered charts: February 1, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 66
> Peak position: 2
> Album: “Bringing Down The House”
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9. “3AM” by Matchbox 20
> Entered charts: November 15, 1997
> Weeks on charts: 55
> Peak position: 3
> Album: “Yourself Or Someone Like You”
8. “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey
> Entered charts: April 23, 2005
> Weeks on charts: 42
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “The Emancipation Of Mimi”
7. “You Were Meant For Me” by Jewel
> Entered charts: December 14, 1996
> Weeks on charts: 60
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Pieces Of You”
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6. “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars
> Entered charts: February 18, 2017
> Weeks on charts: 50
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “24K Magic”
5. “Closer” by The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey
> Entered charts: August 27, 2016
> Weeks on charts: 51
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Collage”
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4. “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
> Entered charts: December 13, 2014
> Weeks on charts: 54
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Uptown Special”
3. “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls
> Entered charts: April 25, 1998
> Weeks on charts: 46
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “City of Angels: Music From The Motion Picture”
2. “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt
> Entered charts: October 26, 1996
> Weeks on charts: 62
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “Tragic Kingdom”
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1. “Shape Of You” by Ed Sheeran
> Entered charts: January 21, 2017
> Weeks on charts: 60
> Peak position: 1
> Album: “÷”
Detailed Findings & Methodology
A number of songs have had more success on the radio than in other listening formats, such as physical and digital sales and streaming. Despite ranking 10th and 11th on this list, “One Headlight” by The Wallflowers and “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia each sold fewer than 500,000 copies as singles in the United States and were not certified gold. The albums containing the songs, however, each went multi-platinum. Other examples of highly ranked radio songs that did not sell 500,000 copies as singles — the minimum threshold of RIAA sales measurement — include “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole.
In some cases, songs that were extremely successful on the radio were never released as commercial singles and were therefore ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100 at the time. Songs like “Lovefool” by The Cardigans, “3AM” by Matchbox 20, and “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt, for example, rank as the 43th, ninth, and second most successful radio songs of all time, respectively, yet were never made available for sale as singles. Had they been commercially available, those songs likely would have had similar success on the Hot 100.
Similarly, the best-selling singles don’t necessarily do well on the radio. “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem featuring Rihanna, which is tied with “Baby” by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris as the best-selling U.S. single of all time with 12 million units sold in the United States, ranks as the 233rd biggest radio hit of all time. “Baby” ranks outside of the top 2,500, spending just 10 weeks on the radio charts and peaking at 24th.
While some songs found success on radio that was unparalleled in streaming and downloads, the artists with the most success on the radio are largely those who dominate the current Hot 100 charts. Ranking by song score — which rewards the most points for a week at No. 1, and the fewest points for a week spent at No. 50 — the most successful radio artists are Rihanna, Drake, Mariah Carey, Usher, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Bruno Mars, Ludacris, Maroon 5, and Taylor Swift.
While Rihanna also holds the record for most weeks spent on the Radio Songs chart with 901 weeks, she is tied with Kenny Chesney as the artist with the fourth most songs to make the radio charts with 46. Rihanna and Chesney are surpassed by Chris Brown, Drake, and Lil Wayne, who each have between 50 and 60 songs that made the radio charts.
To determine the top radio songs of all time, 24/7 Wall St. ranked songs using data from Billboard’s Radio Songs chart. We constructed an index consisting of a song’s peak position, weeks spent at peak position, total weeks spent on the chart, and an aggregate song score that rewards the most points for a week spent at No. 1 and the least points for a week spent at No. 50 with data from November 1990 to March 2018. Weeks spent at peak position and total weeks spent on the chart were each given a half-weighting in the index. Data on sales came from the Recording Industry Association of America.
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