Billboard has remained a reputable authority in the music industry, establishing the first official record chart in the summer of 1940. Approaching the year 2023, the immense rise and influence of K-pop has caused some to speculate about the prestige of the Billboard charts. Some argue that it is more challenging to chart on the Melon Top 100 — the largest music site in Korea. However, it’s important to note that this in no way undermines the significance and prominence of Billboard charts on a global scale.
Billboard recently released a new chart — the Billboard TikTok Top 50, in response to TikTok‘s increasing role as a popular music discovery platform. This innovation reflects Billboard’s commitment to diversity and its aim to encapsulate global trends in detail.
The restructuring of the Social 50 chart — which had mainly featured K-pop — is another step in this direction. The newly rebranded ‘Billboard Hot Trending Songs Chart by Twitter‘ ranks songs based on mentions in real-time, tracked over the course of the last 24 hours and over a weekly period. This chart effectively highlights the most consumed songs globally, in near real-time.
As Billboard stated upon its announcement on September 14, 2023, the Billboard TikTok Top 50 chart tracks the most popular songs amongst all TikTok users in the U.S and globally. The chart, which is the first of its kind, is based on video views, user engagement, and unique creations on TikTok.
“This chart makes perfect sense as the music discovered by a community of passionate music fans is reflected in this chart. It provides a clear picture of the music listened to through TikTok,” said Ole Oberman, Global Head of Music Business Development at TikTok.
Billboard President Mike Van echoed these sentiments, stating, “We see a clear opportunity to recognize how music discovery on TikTok shapes pop culture…we are proud to provide a new way to communicate on a large scale.”
