What were some of the most notable trends on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart in the first half of 2024?
Hit Songs Deconstructedwhich provides lineup breakdowns for the top 10 100 hits, released Mid-Year 2024 State of the Hot 100 Top 10 Report.
Here are three takeaways from Hit Songs Deconstructed's latest in-depth investigation.
Hip-Hop Tops Pop
In the first six months of 2024, hip-hop was the most common core genre in the Hot 100's top 10, contributing 33% of all top 10 hits. Pop followed closely at 31%, with third country at 16%.
“The popularity of hip-hop/rap has gone up and down over the past five years,” notes the Hit Songs Deconstructed report. “After falling to 23% in 2023, its lowest level since 2016, it has recovered to a level on par with 2021” by mid-2024.
Meanwhile, “pop is in decline from 2021, until it stabilizes in the first half of 2024.”
Topping hip-hop by mid-year were the Hot 100 No. 1 by Jack Harlow (“Lovin On Me”) and Kendrick Lamar, who scored two (“Like That” featuring Future and Metro Boomin and “Not Like Us”).
Additionally, “the country's presence in the top 10 remains stable after the number of genre hits nearly quadrupled last year,” according to the report. The country's 16% mid-year share follows the country's 15% share for 2023 — after showings of 4-5% in 2020-22. “Specifically, several artists outside of the traditional country space have released genre crossover hits,” in the first half of 2024, including Hot 100 toppers “Texas Hold 'Em” by Beyoncé and “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan . Wallen.
Synths Lead, Acoustics Ascend
“Twenty-four prominent instruments shaped the sound of the top 10 hits in the first half of 2024,” on the Hot 100, according to Hit Songs Deconstructed. Synth (non-bass) was the most represented, heard in 73% of entries.
Additionally, acoustic drum/percussion staples continued to trend upward in the Hot 100's top 10 in the first half of 2024, claiming their “highest level in nearly a decade,” the report reveals. “This is due in part to R&B/soul songs, where usage jumped from 22% to 50% by 2023,” highlighted in part by SZA's 'Snooze' and 'Saturn'.
“Bells and chimes saw their first rise in four years, jumping from 1% to 9% in the first half of 2024,” according to interim findings, with such hits as Taylor Swift's “Fortnight” featuring “Too Sweet” by Post Malone and Hozier.”
Furthermore, “despite a slight drop in the first half of the year, acoustic guitar usage continues to be strong in 31% of songs, largely by country.”
(Less) Teamwork makes…
A quarter of the Hot 100 top 10 in the first half of 2024 were created by five or more recognized songwriters. However, “this number is significantly down compared to previous years,” according to Hit Songs Deconstructed.
“In contrast, top 10 hits written by a single songwriter have more than doubled since last year,” according to the interim review. Among the solo writers are Swift and Lamar, who scored two such Hot 100 top 10s each in the first six months of 2024 — “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” and “Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?” of the first. and the latter's “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” — and Dolly Parton and Tracy Chapman, respectively, thanks to remakes of Beyoncé's “Jolene” and Luke Combs' “Fast Car.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/hip-hop-pop-billboard-hot-100-top-10-trends-mid-year-2024/