After months of the same songs on the Hot 100, 'Billboard' tweaks its rules

"Billboard has revised its system of removing songs from the Hot 100 singles chart once they've gotten too old to qualify as contemporary hits. The measure, intended to shorten the amount of time successful songs spend on the Hot 100, knocks 10 tracks off this week's chart including Swims' "Lose Control," which spent more than two years on the Hot 100 and in the process cements a record that could take a decade to surpass."

"Billboard has long had a problem with streaming as well as with radio stations' growing reluctance to pull hit songs from heavy rotation after many, many months. When you look at the list of the songs with the longest-ever runs on the Hot 100 (a chart whose history dates back to 1958), they're all from the streaming era. Streaming services use algorithms that feed people songs they've already played, and that's created a doom loop that's allowed recent-vintage songs like The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" (90 weeks on the Hot 100), Glass Animals' "Heat Waves" (91 weeks) and Swims' "Lose Control" (112 weeks) to stay on the chart for absurdly long runs."

"Until this week, Billboard employed a system that seemed reasonable enough: Songs were pulled from the Hot 100 if they'd dropped below No. 25 after 52 weeks, or below No. 50 after 20 weeks. That generally prevented the chart's lower reaches from getting crowded with stubborn-but-declining hits endlessly charting smashes like Post Malone's "I Had Some Help (feat. Morgan Wallen)" and Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" finally dropped off the chart in recent months thanks to this system but didn't have an answer for songs that just weren't descending far enough or quickly enough."

Billboard changed the Hot 100 removal criteria and removed 10 tracks, including Swims' "Lose Control," which spent over two years on the chart. Streaming algorithms and radio stations' reluctance to drop hits have created extended chart runs for recent songs, producing records like "Blinding Lights," "Heat Waves," and "Lose Control." The previous rule removed songs below No. 25 after 52 weeks or below No. 50 after 20 weeks, but it failed for songs that plateaued. Effective immediately, new thresholds remove songs that fall below No. 5 after 78 weeks, shortening future longevity and reshaping chart dynamics.

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