Q1 2018 Trend Report
Below are highlights from the Hit Songs Deconstructed Q1 2018 Trend Report. This report details the compositional and industry trends relating to the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 during Q1 2018.
To download a PDF of the full report, please click here.
Most Popular
Songs:
- Number of Top 10 Songs: 26
- Number of #1 Songs: 3
- Number of New Songs: 15
- Songs with a Featured Artist: 35% of songs (9 songs)
- Songs with a Single Artist: 46% of songs (12 songs)
- Songs with Multiple Artists: 54% of songs (14 songs)
- Most popular Primary Genre: Hip Hop/Rap (46% of songs, 12 songs)
- Most popular Influence: Hip Hop/Rap (85% of songs, 22 songs)
- Most Popular Lead Vocal Gender: Exclusively Male (54% of songs, 14 songs)
Artists:
- Number of Credited Performing Artists (Primary & Featured): 34
- Number of Credited Primary Artists: 26
- Number of Credited Featured Artists: 10
- Artist/Group with the Most Top 10 Songs (excludes featured artists): Cardi B (12% of songs, 3 songs)
- Artist/Group with the Most Weeks in the Top 10 (excludes featured artists): Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Ed Sheeran (14 weeks each)
- Artist/Group with the Most #1 Songs (excludes featured artists): Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran, Drake (4% of songs, 1 song each)
- Artist/Group with the Most Weeks at #1 (excludes featured artists): Drake (9 weeks)
- Featured Artist with the Most Top 10 Songs: 21 Savage, Young Thug, Beyonce, A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, Chris Stapleton, Drake, Ty Dolla $ign, Chris Brown, Florida Georgia Line (4% of songs, 1 song)
- Featured Artist with the Most Weeks in the Top 10: Beyonce, Young Thug (14 weeks each)
- Featured Artist with the Most #1 Songs (excludes featured artists): Young Thug, Beyonce (4% of songs, 1 song each)
- Featured Artist with the Most Weeks at #1 (excludes featured artists): Beyonce (4 weeks)
Songwriters
- Number of Credited Songwriters: 99
- Songwriter with the Most Top 10 Songs: Cardi B, Boi-1da, Drake, Louis Bell (12% of songs, 3 songs each)
- Songwriter with the Most Weeks in the Top 10: Louis Bell, Brian Lee, Matthew Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Ali Tamposi, Ed Sheeran, Starrah, Andrew Watt, Frank Dukes, Pharrell Williams, Boi-1da, Post Malone, Brandon Perry, Jeffrey Williams (14 weeks each)
- Songwriter with the Most #1 Songs: Frank Dukes, Daveon Jackson, Starrah, Pharrell Williams, Brian Lee, Louis Bell, Ali Tamposi, Andrew Watt, Camila Cabello, Jeffrey Williams, Brandon Perry, Ed Sheeran, Matthew Sheeran, Drake, 40, Boi-1da, Cardo (4% of songs, 1 song each)
- Songwriter with the Most Weeks at #1: 40, Boi-1da, Cardo, Daveon Jackson, Drake (9 weeks each)
- Most Popular Songwriting Team Size: 5+ (38% of songs, 10 songs)
Producers
- Number of Credited Producers: 44
- Producer with the Most Top 10 Songs: Boi-1da (12% of songs, 3 songs)
- Producer with the Most Weeks in the Top 10: Louis Bell, Boi-1da, Will Hicks, Ed Sheeran, Frank Dukes (14 weeks each)
- Producer with the Most #1 Songs: Frank Dukes, Ed Sheeran, Will Hicks, Yung Exclusive, Boi-1da, Cardo (4% of songs, 1 song each)
- Producer with the Most Weeks at #1: Boi-1da, Cardo, Yung Exclusive (9 weeks each)
Record Labels
- Number of Credited Record Labels: 11
- Record Label with the Most Top 10 Songs: Republic (19% of songs, 5 songs)
- Record Label with the Most Weeks in the Top 10: Atlantic, Epic, Interscope, Republic (14 weeks each)
- Record Label with the Most #1 Songs: Atlantic, Epic, Republic (4% of songs, 1 song each)
- Record Label with the Most Weeks at #1: Republic (9 weeks)
Most Popular Compositional Trends
Genres & Influences:
- Primary Genre: Hip Hop/Rap (46% of songs, 12 songs)
- Influence: Hip Hop/Rap (85% of songs, 22 songs)
- Influence Count: 2 (23% of songs, 6 songs)
Lead Vocals & Lyrical Themes:
- Lead Vocal Gender: Exclusively Male (54% of songs, 14 songs)
- Lead Vocal Delivery: Sung / Rapped (46% of songs, 12 songs)
- Lyrical Theme: Lifestyle (50% of songs, 13 songs)
- Song Title Word Count: 2 (42% of songs, 11 songs)
- Song Title Appearances: 1 – 5 Times (27% of songs, 7 songs)
Instruments, Tempo & Key:
- Major vs. Minor: Minor (65% of songs, 17 songs)
- Tempo Range: 70 – 79 (23% of songs, 6 songs)
Structure:
- Song Length Range: 3:30 – 3:59 (31% of songs, 8 songs)
- First Section: Intro (92% of songs, 24 songs)
- Intro Length Range: 0:10 – 0:19 (42% of songs, 11 songs)
- Use Of A Pre-Chorus: Yes (50% of songs, 13 songs)
- First Chorus: Time Into Song Range: 0:01 – 0:19 (31% of songs, 8 songs)
- First Chorus: Percent Into Song Range: 10% – 19% (31% of songs, 8 songs)
- Use Of A Bridge Or Bridge Surrogate: Yes (58% of songs, 15 songs)
- Last Section: Outro (81% of songs, 21 songs)
- Outro Length Range: 0:10 – 0:19 (50% of songs, 13 songs)
