PCM Charts

1970 Music Hits: Soul, Bubblegum Pop, Early Hard Rock, Singer-Songwriters, AM Radio Favorites, and the Start of the 1970s Sound 1970 music sounded like a decade changing its clothes in public. The Beatles were ending, The Jackson 5 were exploding, The Carpenters were bringing soft-pop polish to radio, hard rock was getting louder, soul and […]

1981 Music Hits: Arena Rock, New Wave, Funk, Soft Rock, Country-Pop, Early MTV, and Radio Classics 1981 music sat right at the edge of the MTV era. Radio was still king, but music was about to become much more visual. Arena rock was huge, post-disco funk still had power, new wave was growing, country-pop crossed

1959 Music Hits: Doo-Wop, Rock and Roll, Teen Idols, R&B, Instrumentals, Pop Ballads, and the Day the Music Died1959 music stood at a turning point in early rock and roll. The first wave of rock stars had already changed pop radio, but the year also carried a sense of loss after the plane crash that

2001 Music Hits: TRL Pop, Dance Songs, Pop-Punk, Nu Metal, Post-Grunge, R&B, and Early-2000s Radio Favorites 2001 music sounded like MTV’s Total Request Live, pop-punk guitars, shiny dance-pop, R&B hooks, nu-metal angst, post-grunge radio, and the last stretch of the CD era, all sharing one oversized entertainment center. The year had bright party records, heavy

1971 Music Hits: Singer-Songwriters, Soul Classics, FM Rock, Bubblegum Pop, Protest Songs, and Early-1970s Radio Favorites 1971 music sounded like the 1970s had officially moved in, unpacked the record collection, and put the lava lamp near the stereo. Singer-songwriters were everywhere, soul music was becoming deeper and more cinematic, FM rock was growing in importance,

1997 Music Hits: Pop Rock, Hip-Hop, Dance Hits, Ska, Bubblegum Pop, Alternative Radio, and Late-1990s Favorites 1997 music sounded like the late ’90s had found its own strange, colorful rhythm. Pop radio had singer-songwriters, ska bands, dance-club crossovers, post-grunge rock, hip-hop blockbusters, teen-pop previews, and novelty hits that were almost impossible to escape. If a

1987 Music Hits: Big ’80s Pop, Dance Hits, Hair Metal, Hip-Hop, Freestyle, Alternative Rock, and MTV Favorites1987 music sounded like the 1980s had reached full neon brightness. Pop radio was huge, MTV still shaped what songs looked like, hair metal and arena rock were loud, freestyle dance records were filling clubs, hip-hop was pushing further

1960 Music Hits: The Twist, Doo-Wop, Teen Idols, Elvis, Instrumentals, Novelty Songs, and Early Soul 1960s music stood at a turning point between the first rock and roll explosion of the 1950s and the massive pop changes still to come in the early 1960s. The Beatles had not yet arrived in America, Motown was still

1989 Music Hits: Dance-Pop, New Jack Swing, Hip-Hop, Hair Metal, Alternative Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Late-1980s Favorites 1989 music sounded like the 1980s were throwing one last oversized party before the 1990s walked in and changed the lighting. MTV still mattered, pop radio was glossy, hip-hop was getting louder and funnier, new jack swing was

1972 Music Hits: Soul, Soft Rock, Glam, FM Album Rock, Bubblegum Pop, Singer-Songwriters, and Early-1970s Radio Favorites 1972 music sounded like the early 1970s settling into its own identity. The singer-songwriter era was strong, soul music was rich and emotional, FM album rock was becoming more important, glam rock was getting louder and flashier, and

1988 Music Hits: Hair Metal, Dance-Pop, Hip-Hop, Freestyle, Alternative Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Late-1980s Favorites 1988 music sounded like the late 1980s operating at full brightness. Hair metal was huge, dance-pop was everywhere, hip-hop was pushing harder into the mainstream, freestyle and club records were crossing over to radio, and MTV still had enough power

2005 Music Hits: Pop-Punk, R&B Club Songs, Viral Hits, Dance-Pop, Emo Rock, Country Crossover, and Mid-2000s Favorites2005 music sounded like the middle of the decade had found its full personality: ringtone-ready hooks, iTunes downloads, TRL leftovers, pop-punk choruses, emo eyeliner, crunk club records, country crossover, adult-pop ballads, and early viral internet songs all competing for

1976 Music Hits: Disco, Funk, FM Rock, Soft Rock, Soul, Bubblegum Pop, and Mid-1970s Favorites 1976 music sounded like the middle of the 1970s had found several grooves at once. Disco was no longer sneaking in through the side door; it was on the dance floor, under the lights, and asking for better shoes. Funk

1973 Music Hits: Soul, FM Album Rock, Glam, Funk, Singer-Songwriters, AM Pop, and Early-1970s Favorites 1973 music was one of the early 1970s’ richest years, with soul, funk, FM album rock, singer-songwriters, glam, soft rock, and AM pop all pushing in different directions. The radio could move from Marvin Gaye to Pink Floyd, from Tony

1978 Music Hits: Disco, Funk, Album Rock, New Wave, Grease, Queen Anthems, and Late-1970s Favorites 1978 music sounded like the disco ball had taken over the ceiling, but the guitar amps were not giving up without a fight. Disco was at full strength, funk was deep and inventive, album rock was still huge, New Wave