the charts

Weekly song rankings

The charts refers to ranked lists tracking the popularity of music—singles, albums, or streaming numbers—typically compiled weekly: Her new song debuted at number one on the charts.

To top the charts or climb the charts is to achieve commercial success.

The term usually implies mainstream pop music metrics like Billboard in the U.S. or the Official Charts in the U.K.

Related

weekly rankings · climb · countdown · bar graph · Top 40 · peak · number · gold · streak · rank · hot streak · trend · histogram · single · heat map · topographic map · radio · debut

Opposites
commercial success/visibility

the chartsobscurity

State of being unknown

flop · flops · out of print · anonymity · nowhere

mainstream vs. underground

the chartscult following

Passionate niche audience

subculture · college radio · off the grid · independent music · basement shows

quantified popularity vs. critical/artistic merit

the chartscritical acclaim

Praise from reviewers

prestige · street cred · authenticity · artistic integrity

Family

chart, charts, charter, charting, charted, uncharted, pie chart, chartered, chartering

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G