Adult Alternative Airplay (also known as Triple A or Triple A Airplay, and formerly Adult Alternative Songs and Triple A Songs) is a record chart currently published by Billboard that ranks the most popular songs on adult album alternative radio stations. The 40-position chart is formulated based on each song's weekly radio spins, as measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. The current number-one song on the chart is "Beaches in Tennessee" by Cage the Elephant.
History The earliest incarnation of the chart was first published on February 21, 1992 by a music industry trade publication The Hard Report.
It was included in the January 20, 1996 edition of Billboard, as a feature in Billboard sister publication Airplay Monitor. In 2006, Airplay Monitor ceased publication after Billboard parent company VNU Media's acquisition of rival radio trade magazine Radio & Records, which then subsequently incorporated Airplay Monitors Nielsen-based Triple A chart.
Billboard itself began publishing the Triple A chart in the issue dated July 5, 2008, through their Billboard.biz website, appropriating the same airplay data as Radio & Records. Radio & Records closed in June 2009, leaving Billboard as the sole publisher of the chart. In February 2014, the chart's reporting panel was expanded from 23 to 32 stations, including non-commercial reporters for the first time.
Following a re-design of their website, Billboard officially incorporated the history of the Airplay Monitor/Nielsen chart from 1996 to 2008 into their Adult Alternative Songs chart. The Billboard website and its official chart archive now show the first Adult Alternative Songs chart as having been published on January 20, 1996, with "The World I Know" by Collective Soul as its first number one single. Radio And Records first charted their Adult Alternative chart in the September 22, 1995, issue. It was a 30 position chart, and "Til I Hear It from You" by the Gin Blossoms was the first number one.
All-time achievements In 2021, for the 25th anniversary of the chart, Billboard compiled a ranking of the 50 best-performing songs and artists on the chart over the 25 years. "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers was ranked as the #1 song, while Dave Matthews Band was ranked as the #1 artist. Listed below are the top 10 songs and the top 10 artists.
Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Songs (1996–2021) RankSingleYear releasedArtist(s)Peak and duration"One Headlight"The Wallflowers#1 for 14 weeks"Clocks"Coldplay#1 for 15 weeks"3AM"Matchbox 20#1 for 14 weeks"Feel It Still"Portugal. The Man#1 for 11 weeks"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"Train#1 for 14 weeks"Babylon"David Gray#1 for 2 weeks"It's Time"Imagine Dragons#2 for 5 weeks"See The World"Gomez#1 for 4 weeks"Rolling in the Deep"Adele#1 for 14 weeks"Beautiful Day"U2#1 for 16 weeks
Source:
Top 10 Greatest of All Time Adult Alternative Artists (1996–2021) RankArtistDave Matthews BandU2ColdplayJack JohnsonSheryl CrowJohn MayerMumford & SonsCounting CrowsDeath Cab for CutieSnow Patrol
Source:
Song records
Most weeks at number-one
Number of weeksArtistSongYear(s)Source16U2"Beautiful Day"2000–0115Coldplay"Clocks"2003Kings of Leon"Waste a Moment"2016–1714The Wallflowers"One Headlight"1996–97Matchbox Twenty"3AM"1997–98"Bent"2000Train"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"2001Adele"Rolling in the Deep"201113Santana featuring Rob Thomas"Smooth"1999Jack Johnson"Upside Down"2006Pearl Jam"Just Breathe"2010Gotye featuring Kimbra"Somebody That I Used to Know"2012
Most weeks on the chart
Number of weeksArtistSongYear(s)Source52Kings of Leon"Use Somebody"2009–1051John Mayer"No Such Thing"2001–0248James Morrison"Nothing Ever Hurt Like You"2008–0947Imagine Dragons"It's Time"2012–1346Coldplay"Clocks"2002–03The Head and the Heart"Lost in My Mind"2011–1244David Gray"Babylon"2000–0143Los Lonely Boys"Heaven"2003–0442Fitz and the Tantrums"Out of My League"2013–1441One eskimO"Kandi"2009–10
Highest debut
Debut PositionArtistSongDebut DateSourceNo. 1U2"Get On Your Boots"February 7, 2009No. 2Hootie & the Blowfish"Old Man & Me (When I Get to Heaven)"April 20, 1996Coldplay"Speed of Sound"May 7, 2005No. 3The Rolling Stones"Anybody Seen My Baby?"September 20, 1997No. 4Gin Blossoms"Follow You Down"February 10, 1996Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers"Walls"August 3, 1996Coldplay"Adventure of a Lifetime"November 28, 2015No. 5Natalie Merchant"Kind & Generous"May 16, 1998Coldplay"Violet Hill"May 17, 2008Mumford & Sons"Believe"March 28, 2015
Artist records
Most number-one singles
Number of singles Artist Source14 U2 13 Coldplay 11 Dave Matthews Jack Johnson 9 The Black Keys Death Cab for Cutie 8 John Mayer The Lumineers Hozier Cage the Elephant
Most cumulative weeks at number-one Number of weeks Artist Source72 U2 69 Coldplay 62 Jack Johnson 51 Dave Matthews 49 Death Cab For Cutie 48 The Black Keys 46 The Lumineers 43 Mumford & Sons 36 Hozier 33 Nathaniel Rateliff
Most top 10 singles
Number of singles Artist Source30 U2 26 Dave Matthews 25 Coldplay 19 Jack Johnson John Mayer 17 The Black Keys 16 Counting Crows Mumford & Sons Beck 14 Sheryl Crow Death Cab for Cutie
Most chart entries
Number of entries Artist Source36 Dave Matthews U2 30 Coldplay 27 Jack Johnson 25 John Mayer Sheryl Crow 22 The Black Keys 21 Beck 20 Death Cab For Cutie 19 Counting Crows Mumford & Sons Leon Bridges Kings of Leon
Notes
See also List of Radio & Records number-one adult alternative singles of the 1990s List of Billboard number-one adult alternative singles of the 2000s List of Billboard number-one adult alternative singles of the 2010s List of Billboard number-one adult alternative singles of the 2020s
References
External links Adult Alternative Songs at Billboard