What is Billboard?
Billboard is an American entertainment media brand owned by the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group, a division of MRC Media & Info. The company is best known for its music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200, and the Billboard Global 200, as well as its music-related media properties, including its online presence, billboard.com.
History of Billboard
The Billboard publishing organization was founded in 1894 by William H. Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegan’s interest in 1900 for $500. In the early years of the 20th century, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs, and burlesque shows. It also created a mail service for traveling entertainers. Billboard began focusing more on the music industry as the jukebox, phonograph, and radio became commonplace.
How Does Billboard Work?
Billboard publishes weekly music charts, which track the most popular songs in the U.S. and around the world. The Billboard Hot 100 is the most prominent chart and ranks the top 100 songs based on radio airplay, streaming, and sales data. The Billboard 200 ranks the top 200 albums based on combined album sales, track equivalent album sales, and streaming equivalent album sales.
Billboard’s Impact on the Music Industry
The Billboard charts are the industry standard for measuring the success of music. They are a major factor in determining the success of a song or album, and they can influence the direction of an artist’s career. For example, a high ranking on the Hot 100 can lead to more radio airplay, more promotion, and more concert bookings.
Conclusion
Billboard is an iconic brand in the entertainment industry and has been a major influence on the music industry for over a century. It is one of the most important sources of data for measuring the success of music and has a major impact on the direction of an artist’s career.
References
- Sisario, Ben. “William H. Donaldson, Co-Founder of Billboard Magazine, Dies at 98.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Nov. 2003, www.nytimes.com/2003/11/07/arts/william-h-donaldson-co-founder-of-billboard-magazine-dies-at-98.html.
- “How Does Billboard Work?” Billboard, Billboard, www.billboard.com/business/how-does-billboard-work.
- “The Billboard Music Charts.” Billboard Charts, Billboard, www.billboard.com/charts.