What did SoundScan introduce in 1991?

Tracking actual sales at registers

Music Chart History Quiz: Places, People and Key Facts

Billboard printed its first music popularity chart in 1940, with Tommy Dorsey's I'll Never Smile Again topping it, and this music chart history quiz explores how hits are counted. Learn about the Hot 100's 1958 debut, the UK Singles Chart, Top of the Pops, Casey Kasem's American Top 40, SoundScan and streaming counts.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

First
Which song topped Billboard's first popularity chart in 1940?
Hot 100
When did the Billboard Hot 100 debut?
UK
When did the UK Singles Chart begin?
TOTP
Which BBC show presented the UK charts from 1964?
Kasem
Who hosted American Top 40?
SoundScan
What did SoundScan introduce in 1991?
Streaming
What began counting on the Hot 100 in 2013?
Longest
Which song spent a record 19 weeks at number one on the Hot 100 (tied)?
Beatles
Which band held the top five Hot 100 spots in April 1964?
Album
What is Billboard's main album chart called?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which song topped Billboard's first popularity chart in 1940?
Answer: I'll Never Smile Again
Tommy Dorsey's orchestra recorded it.
Q2: When did the Billboard Hot 100 debut?
Answer: 1958
Poor Little Fool was first.
Q3: When did the UK Singles Chart begin?
Answer: 1952
It was started by NME.
Q4: Which BBC show presented the UK charts from 1964?
Answer: Top of the Pops
It ran until 2006.
Q5: Who hosted American Top 40?
Answer: Casey Kasem
It began in 1970.
Q6: What did SoundScan introduce in 1991?
Answer: Tracking actual sales at registers
Charts became more accurate.
Q7: What began counting on the Hot 100 in 2013?
Answer: YouTube views
Harlem Shake benefited.
Q8: Which song spent a record 19 weeks at number one on the Hot 100 (tied)?
Answer: Old Town Road
Despacito did 16 weeks.
Q9: Which band held the top five Hot 100 spots in April 1964?
Answer: The Beatles
Can't Buy Me Love led.
Q10: What is Billboard's main album chart called?
Answer: Billboard 200
It ranks albums weekly.

Music Chart History Quiz – Counting the Hits

Music charts rank songs and albums by popularity, shaping careers and pop culture. Billboard printed its first music popularity chart in 1940, and the Hot 100 debuted in 1958 with Ricky Nelson's Poor Little Fool.

In Britain, NME started the UK Singles Chart in 1952, and the BBC's Top of the Pops brought it to television from 1964. Casey Kasem's American Top 40 counted down hits on radio from 1970. In April 1964, the Beatles held the top five Hot 100 positions.

Chart methods kept changing. SoundScan began tracking actual sales in 1991, YouTube views counted from 2013 and streaming now dominates. Lil Nas X's Old Town Road spent a record 19 weeks at number one, and the Billboard 200 ranks albums.

What This Quiz Teaches

Music fans and number lovers will enjoy these questions.

What topped the first chart
When the Hot 100 began
Who hosted American Top 40
What SoundScan changed
Which song spent 19 weeks at number one

Did You Know?

Mariah Carey has many number ones.
Christmas number one is a UK tradition.
Charts exist for many genres.
Japan's Oricon tracks sales.
Year-end charts sum the year.