Chris Molanphy

“Summer in the City.” “I Feel the Earth Move.” “Bette Davis Eyes.” “Get Lucky.” “Espresso.” None of these hits was Billboard’s official Song of the Summer.

To understand how Sabrina Carpenter got so big, you have to understand her controversies.

Everyone wanted to work with Quincy Jones, from Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin—all before he even met Michael Jackson.

America’s favorite face-tattooed, billy goat–voiced singer is in the middle of one of history’s most successful rebrands.

With The Tortured Poets Department, she breaks even more sales records. But is a song like “Fortnight” a lasting smash?

The rap beef record is perfectly adapted to the streaming era.

Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends” rides controversy all the way to No. 1.

The evolution of pop-hit covers, from the Beatles to Doja Cat.

Why “Texas Hold ’Em” is No. 1 on the country chart—but not on country radio.

If the Grammys are supposed to be about art, not charts, why do they reward big hits so often? You know, is that such a bad thing?

The Weeknd would have loved for singles from his Dawn FM album to be smash hits, but fans on TikTok told him to go with a six-year-old song instead.

Why a 65-year-old Christmas classic is finally atop the Billboard charts.

2023 saw hip-hop’s longest drought in decades. Is Jack Harlow the man to save it?

Only one Taylor Swift album never spawned a No. 1 hit—until now.

Olivia Rodrigo is back at No. 1, but this time it’s parents who put her there.

The legend of the welfare queen isn’t the only myth that Oliver Anthony is peddling.

And why country artists are suddenly ruling the pop charts.

How Mattel learned to stop worrying and embrace an infamous hit.

Two years ago, Nashville tried to cut ties with Morgan Wallen. Now he’s scored the genre’s first real chart-topper in decades.

McVie could have styled herself as a ’70s singer-songwriter like Carole King, but she gave her songs to Fleetwood Mac, because she thrived in bands.