List of Billboard Adult Top 40 number-one songs of the 1990s explained

The Adult Top 40 chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen BDS."[1] The chart was first published in the March 16, 1996, issue of Billboard; however, historically, the chart's introduction was in October 1995, when it began as a test chart.[2]

The Adult Top 40 chart was formed following a split of the "Hot Adult Contemporary" chart due to the growing emergence of Adult Top 40 radio stations in the 1990s. These stations played a wider variety of artists and saw a faster turnover of songs compared to traditional adult contemporary radio. Songs by modern rock, dance, and R&B artists were mixed in with acts more closely associated with adult contemporary. According to Billboard, splitting the chart "better reflect[s] the music being played on adult contemporary and adult/top 40 stations."[2]

Chart history

– Year-end number-one single
Issue dateSongArtistWeeks at
number one		Ref.
1995
October 7 "Kiss from a Rose" Seal6[3]
November 18 "As I Lay Me Down"Sophie B. Hawkins3[4]
December 9 "Roll to Me" Del Amitri1[5]
December 16 "As I Lay Me Down" Sophie B. Hawkins4
1996
January 13 "One Sweet Day" 10 [6]
March 23 "Time" Hootie & the Blowfish2[7]
April 6 "Because You Loved Me" Celine Dion12[8]
June 29 "Give Me One Reason" [9] Tracy Chapman8[10]
August 24 "Change the World" Eric Clapton6[11]
October 5 "I Love You Always Forever" Donna Lewis1[12]
October 12 "Change the World" Eric Clapton 1
October 19 "I Love You Always Forever" Donna Lewis7
December 7 "Head Over Feet" Alanis Morissette3[13]
December 28 "Don't Speak"No Doubt15[14]
1997
April 12"You Were Meant for Me" Jewel6[15]
May 24"One Headlight"The Wallflowers5[16]
June 28"Sunny Came Home"Shawn Colvin7[17]
August 16 "All for You"Sister Hazel7[18]
October 4"Foolish Games"Jewel5[19]
November 8 "I Don't Want to Wait" Paula Cole6[20]
December 20"Tubthumping" Chumbawamba5[21]
1998
January 24"Walkin' on the Sun"Smash Mouth3[22]
February 14"3 a.m."Matchbox Twenty10[23]
April 25"Torn" [24] Natalie Imbruglia14[25]
August 1"Iris"Goo Goo Dolls17[26]
November 28"Thank U"Alanis Morissette2[27]
December 12"Lullaby" Shawn Mullins8[28]
1999
February 6"Angel"Sarah McLachlan7[29]
March 27"Slide" [30] Goo Goo Dolls2[31]
April 10"Every Morning"Sugar Ray10[32]
June 19 "Livin' La Vida Loca"Ricky Martin6[33]
July 31"All Star"Smash Mouth8[34]
September 25"She's So High"Tal Bachman1[35]
October 2"All Star"Smash Mouth1
October 9"She's So High" Tal Bachman2
October 23"Smooth"Santana featuring Rob Thomas25[36]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Current Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart. . February 9, 2013.
  2. March 16, 1996 . Updated Charts: Heatseekers, AC . . 108 . 11 . 109 . February 9, 2013 .
  3. "Kiss from a Rose" October 7 – November 11, 1995:
  4. "As I Lay Me Down" November 18 – December 2, 1995; December 16, 1995 – January 6, 1996:
  5. "Roll to Me" December 9, 1995:
  6. "One Sweet Day" January 13 – March 16, 1996:
  7. "Time" March 23–30, 1996:
  8. "Because You Loved Me" April 6 – June 22, 1996:
  9. The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks . Billboard . 108 . 52 . December 28, 1996 . August 29, 2013 .
  10. "Give Me One Reason" June 29 – August 17, 1996:
  11. "Change the World" August 24 – September 28, 1996; October 12, 1996:
  12. "I Love You Always Forever" October 5, 1996; October 19 – November 30, 1996:
  13. "Head Over Feet" December 7–21, 1996:
  14. "Don't Speak" December 28, 1996 – April 5, 1997:
  15. "You Were Meant for Me" April 12 – May 17, 1997
  16. "One Headlight" May 24 – June 21, 1997
  17. "Sunny Came Home" June 28 – August 9, 1997
  18. "All for You" August 16 – September 27, 1997
  19. "Foolish Games" October 4 – November 1, 1997
  20. "I Don't Want to Wait" November 8 – December 13, 1997
  21. "Tubthumping" December 20, 1997 – January 17, 1998
  22. "Walking on the Sun" January 24 – February 7, 1998
  23. "3 a.m." February 14 – April 18, 1998
  24. The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks . Billboard . 110 . 52 . December 26, 1998 . August 29, 2013 .
  25. "Torn" April 25 – July 25, 1998
  26. "Iris" August 1 – November 21, 1998
  27. "Thank U" November 28 – December 5, 1998
  28. "Lullaby" December 12, 1998 – January 30, 1999
  29. "Angel" February 6 – March 20, 1999
  30. 1999: The Year in Music: Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks . Billboard . 111 . 52 . December 25, 1999 . August 29, 2013 .
  31. "Slide" March 27 – April 3, 1999
  32. "Every Morning" April 10 – June 12, 1999
  33. "Livin' La Vida Loca" June 19 – July 24, 1999
  34. "All Star" July 31 – September 18, 1999; October 2, 1999
  35. "She's So High" September 25, 1999; October 9–16, 1999
  36. "Smooth" October 23 – April, 2000

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Billboard Adult Top 40 number-one songs of the 1990s".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.