From chart-topper to gold record: The effects of Billboard chart popularity on RIAA gold or platinum certification of #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singles in the Pre-SoundScan and SoundScan eras, 1977–2008
This paper examined the effects of genre-specific and mainstream Billboard chart popularity on RIAA gold or platinum certification of #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singles in the Pre-SoundScan (1977–1992) and SoundScan (1993–2008) eras. Findings indicate that Gold or platinum certified #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singl...
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| Published in: | Poetics (Amsterdam) 2024-02, Vol.102, p.101858, Article 101858 |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | This paper examined the effects of genre-specific and mainstream Billboard chart popularity on RIAA gold or platinum certification of #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singles in the Pre-SoundScan (1977–1992) and SoundScan (1993–2008) eras. Findings indicate that Gold or platinum certified #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singles had a significantly higher peak position on the mainstream Pop charts than those not certified gold or platinum in both the Pre-SoundScan and SoundScan eras. When observing genre-specific popularity, gold or platinum singles spent significantly more total weeks on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts than non-gold or platinum singles in the Pre-SoundScan era. In contrast, the reverse was observed in the SoundScan era. Mainstream popularity, as measured by peak position on the Pop charts, and genre-specific popularity, as measured by total weeks on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts, were good predictors of gold or platinum certification in both the Pre-SoundScan and SoundScan eras. The model was a better predictor of RIAA gold or platinum certification in the Pre-SoundScan era, suggesting that the Billboard chart methodology in the earlier era was more aligned with the RIAA auditing process than the SoundScan era methodology. Findings also raise questions about whether the initial exclusion of several African American independent retailers, who were generally the primary source for sales data in the Pre-SoundScan era, casts doubt on validity of SoundScan sales data. Future research should examine how the transition to SoundScan may have contributed to redefining the target audience for R&B/Hip-Hop music, impacted the quantity and quality of R&B/Hip-Hop music available to the public, and the effects of those outcomes on the broader culture and society.
The purpose of this paper was to examine the effects of genre-specific and mainstream Billboard chart popularity on RIAA gold or platinum certification of #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singles in the Pre-SoundScan (1977–1992) and SoundScan (1993–2008) eras. The first aim was to determine if there were any statistically significant differences in genre-specific and mainstream popularity between singles that achieved RIAA gold or platinum certification and those that did not reach that pinnacle in both eras. The second aim assessed the relative predictive power of genre-specific and mainstream popularity on RIAA gold or platinum certification of #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singles in the Pre-SoundScan and SoundScan eras while controlling for established brand.
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| ISSN: | 0304-422X 1872-7514 |