Chris Molanphy

Another sulking ballad, another instant hit. But it might not stick.

She’s given The Beatles and Don McLean a 10-minute run for their money.

The DaBaby controversy offered an accidental experiment in what so-called cancellation would do to a very popular song.

Its historic success is less about the song’s greatness than about how the chart works.

It took more than a year for this TikTok hit to break into the mainstream.

Stranger Things gave “Running Up That Hill” the final push, but its unprecedented climb is decades in the making.

In the peak TV era song publishers like Mara Kuge have never had so many venues for their clients’ music—but getting a song placed is complicated.

“About Damn Time” demonstrates a skill that no one else can pull off these days.

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.

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

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

Live in New York City, Chris Molanphy discusses his book Old Town Road with fellow author Dan Charnas.

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

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

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.

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?

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

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

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

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