Beginning with Bill Haley His Comets’ seminal “Rock Aroundthe Clock” all the way up to Lady Gaga and her glammed-out “Pokerface,” this updated and unparalleled resource contains the mostcomplete chart information on every artist and song to hitBillboard’s Top 40 pop singles chart all the way back to 1955.Inside, you’ll find all of the biggest-selling, most-played hitsfor the past six decades. Each alphabetized artist entry includesbiographical info, the date their single reached the Top 40, thesong’s highest position, and the number of weeks on the charts, aswell as the original record label and catalog number. Othersections—such as “Record Holders,” “Top Artists by Decade,” and “#1Singles 1955-2009”—make The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits thehandiest and most indispensable music reference for recordcollectors, trivia enthusiasts, industry professionals and popmusic fans alike.
Did you know?
? Beyoncé’s 2003 hit “Crazy in Love” spent24 weeks in the Top 40 and eight of them in the #1 spot.
The Essential Reference Guide to America’s Most Popular
Songs and Artists Spanning More than Fifty Years of
Musi
Beginning with Bill Haley & His Comets’ seminal “Rock Around
the Clock” all the way up to Lady Gaga and her glammed-out “Poker
face,” this updated and unparalleled resource contains the most
complete chart information on every artist and song to hit
Billboard’s Top 40 pop singles chart all the way back to 1955.
Inside, you’ll find all of the biggest-selling, most-played hits
for the past six decades. Each alphabetized artist entry includes
biographical info, the date their single reached the Top 40, the
song’s highest position, and the number of weeks on the charts, as
well as the original record label and catalog number. Other
sections—such as “Record Holders,” “Top Artists by Decade,” and “#1
Singles 1955-2009”—make The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits the
handiest and most indispensable music reference for record
collectors, trivia enthusiasts, industry professionals and pop
music fans alike.
Did you know?
? Beyoncé’s 2003 hit “Crazy in Love” spent
24 weeks in the Top 40 and eight of them in the #1 spot.
? Billy Idol has had a total of nine Top 40
hits over his career, the last being “Cradle of Love” in
1990.
? Of Madonna’s twelve #1 hits, her 1994
single “Take a Bow” held the spot the longest, for seven weeks—one
week longer than her 1984 smash “Like a Virgin.”
? Marvin Gaye’s song “Sexual Healing” spent
15 weeks at #3 in 1982, while the same song was #1 on the R&B
chart for 10 weeks.
? Male vocal group Boyz II Men had three of
the biggest chart hits of all time during the 1990s.
? The Grateful Dead finally enjoyed a Top 10
single in 1987 after 20 years of touring.
? Janet Jackson has scored an impressive 39
Top 40 hits—one more than her megastar brother Michael!
