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From Wikipedia ("Top 40"):

"The term "Top 40" for a radio format appeared in 1951.[1]

The Top 40, whether surveyed by a radio station or a publication, was a list of songs that shared only the common characteristic of being newly released. Its popularity coincided with the rapid changes in recording technology in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, the recording industry agreed upon a standard recording format for higher fidelity music, so any new record player could play any new record. Also in that year, new single records were released on 45 rpm records, and the Top 40 thereafter became a survey of the popularity of these records (and their airplay on the radio). Tape recording had become perfected, allowing artists more freedom as they composed songs, especially novelty songs.

Other lists of hit songs may include a different number of entries, such as a "Top 50" or Hot 100 (Billboard magazine). By the late 1980s and the early 1990s, the 45 rpm record would decrease in popularity and other means would be used to evaluate the popularity of new songs, such as cassette-single, CD single, and digital MP3/AAC sales (plus radio airplay)."

The article does not say why 40 was selected as the number. My understanding while listening to "American Top 40" in the '70s and '80s was that radio stations, not wanting to play every new release or even everything in the Hot 100, focused on the Top 40 because those were surefire hits. (This, of course, means that circular logic was involved: In order to get radio airplay, a record had to be in the Top 40, but a record couldn't be in the Top 40 unless it had already received sufficient airplay and/or sales.) Of course, I could be wrong.

Could it be cause of the song length? If a song is roughly 3-5 minutes long, then 40 songs would take about 120 to 200 minutes or 2 to 3 1/3 hours. Would that have been just about enough time for one radio show during that time period?

The Top 40 format preceded the "American Top 40" radio program, which began in 1970. In fact, I remember that AT40 expanded from a three-hour format to a four-hour format in the late '70s because song length had increased.

In fact, you raise an interesting point. During the '60s and into the '70s, two and a half to three minutes was considered the norm for most pop songs. (Some records, such as "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers, which clocks in at about 4 minutes, "lied" about their length on their labels.)

From The Beatles onward, though, the length of pop records gradually increased. "Hey Jude" clocks in at 7:11, IIRC, and Don McLean's "American Pie" lasts approximately 8:40 (I have the single version; the song takes up both the A and B sides of the vinyl disc.) Ironically, as I was drafting this response, I was listening to "Green-Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf (1970), which clocks in at 7:26, on YouTube. By then, the length of songs no longer served as a barrier to whether or not they gained radio airplay and/or became hits.

So, no, the length of records had nothing to do with 40 being the number of significance.

Well, I would have figured it was related to time allotted to play them all. Curious. The hunt begins.

My favorite theory is that it was based of the number of singles in an old juke box.

"Top 40" is also the name of a common radio format, and I'll bet that's what use the number 40 first. They probably came up with 40 as the number of hits that gives the best return. That is, keeps most listerners listening. Doing more out of the top 100 meant the bigger hits didn't get as much airplay, and some would tune out to other channels looking for them. Doing less means people are tuning out searching for the new ones they heard last week on Bandstand at #35.

Top 40 was probably the sweet spot for the teenage rock audience.

SS' theory sounds good, being related to attention span.

But all the nuggets you've been writing about are highly interesting and informative too HWW!

Wow, I have learned so much about music from this thread.

I'm glad you like them, Ibby. One of the most fascinating aspects of "AT40" was the historical tidbits and trivia that would be used to introduce the songs. Who knew listening to pop music would be good training for scholarship?

April 1, 2013

What the numbers on the left mean:
This Month-Last Month-Chart Appearances-Highest Position

1-2-6-1 Power Boy—274
2-1-6-1 Invisible Brainiac—227
3-4-6-3 Quislet, Esq.—164
4-5-6-4 Fat Cramer—145
5-(--)-5-5 Viridis Lament—145 <<re-entry>>
6-3-6-2 Eryk Davis Ester—127
7-7-6-5 Cobalt Kid—106
8-12-3-8 Conjure Lass—76
9-18-6-9 rickshaw1—71
10-6-6-2 Paladin—56

11-32-6-11 Exnihil—52 **biggest mover**
12-15-4-12 Klar Ken T5477—52
13-10-6-9 Reboot—47
14-8-6-6 Set—42
15-11-6-6 MLLASH—41
16-21-6-13 Rockhopper Lad—39
17-13-6-13 Blockade Boy—37
18-9-5-9 Dave Hackett—36
19-19-6-16 Chaim Mattis Keller—35
20-22-5-3 Kent Shakespeare—32

21-23-6-6 He Who Wanders—29
22-27-2-22 Kinetix (Zoe Saugin)—29
23-20-6-20 Sarcasm Kid—23
24-36-5-22 razsolo—22
25-38-3-25 stuorstew—21
26-17-2-17 Omni—19
27-16-6-16 Harbinger—18
28-31-5-24 Blacula—18
29-24-6-21 Emily Sivana—16
30-(--)-4-26 SharkLad—12 <<re-entry>>

31-35-2-31 Kid Quislet—11
32-25-5-3 cleome46—11
33-(--)-4-22 Shining Son—11 <<re-entry>>
34-30-5-19 Malvolio—10
35-NEW-1-35 Ken Arromdee—8 **hot-shot debut**
36-39-4-11 Nightcrawler—7
37-29-3-25 Pov—6
38-NEW-1-38 kenaustin—6 **debut**
39-(--)-2-36 Mystery Lad—5 <<re-entry>>
40-14-6-7 Legion Tracker—5 >>biggest drop<<

Yes, it's true! We have a brand new Number One. Congrats, Peebz.

How the hell did this happen?

IB where u at????

April fools!


Nah, It is Archives month ... anything is possible.

lol, and to think I was thinking at the first part of the month that my posting would be near non-existant

I feel like George Jefferson.

Movin' on up!

Peebs takes the top spot and is nailing awesome post after awesome post so far in the Archives review! April may be his best month yet! All others must bask in his turbulence!

Congrats, Peebz! And drat, there goes my streak. Blaze and I went on a nice vacation to the beach where we met lots of like-minded guys, if you know what I mean!

Holy crap! Lookit me in the top ten! Surely everyone else was just posting less. XD

You mean guys who like the sun and travelling?

No, guys who like discussing the Legion on beaches!

IB should write his memoirs and then have it published as erotica!

I'D BUY THAT.

~heeeeeeeeeeee~

My memoirs would be considered Error tickles. So many bad choices it'd tickle yer funny bone.

At this rate ... I may make Time Trapper ... eventually.

I've got the moves like Daggle,
I've got the moves like Daggle.