Top 100 Hot AC Songs 1994-2023

Based on Radio and Records/Mediabase 24/7 Hot AC Chart*

Quick Links:

 Top 50

Bottom 50

 

Explanation

For each song that charted from the first Hot AC chart in April 1994 to the final chart week of December 2023, points were calculated based on the song's position on each individual chart. (Chart Purists will say that this chart is meaningless, but it's just for fun!).

Due to several recurrent rule changes by Mediabase, comparing simple points between songs of different years almost meaningless. Also, the previous method did not weight #1 songs any more than other songs. Thus songs with longevity would regularly beat number ones. To account for these issues, yet another new method was used.


The current (2023) recurrent rules were applied retroactively back to 1994. 

Finally, a song's points are divided by the average points for the top 20 songs of the year in which the song debuted. This gives a value of how much the song dominated over the other songs during its time. These new values are then compared to see how songs rank with other songs across the years. Note: Values are calculated to several decimal places, but the chart below rounds to the nearest one-hundredth.

It should be noted that R&R changed the Hot AC chart from a 30 position chart to a 40 position chart in 2002. Thus, to be fair, points were calculated for all years as if the charts had 40 positions. Data from August 2006 through the present is from the Published Mediabase 24/7 Hot AC chart.


The Chart!

The Top 50:

Top 100 Songs from 1994-2023

#

Title

Artist

Peak(wks), Year

 Score

1

Blinding Lights

The Weeknd

1 (20), 2020

 3.79
2 Smooth Santana f/ Rob Thomas 1 (23), 1999 3.75
3 Wherever You Will Go  The Calling  1 (20), 2001  3.37
4 Unwell  Matchbox Twenty 1 (20), 2003 3.05
5 Flowers Miley Cyrus 1 (16), 2023 3.02
6 Bubbly Colbie Caillat  1 (17), 2007 2.44
7 Stay The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber 1 (6), 2021 2.41
8 Complicated  Avril Lavigne 1 (16), 2002 2.36

9

Girls Like You

Maroon 5 f/ Cardi B

1 (14), 2018

 2.33

10

Iris

 Goo Goo Dolls

1 (15), 1998

 2.30

11

How to Save a Life

Fray

1 (12), 2006

 2.22
12 Cruel Summer Taylor Swift 1 (16+), 2023 2.21
13 High Hopes Panic! At the Disco 1 (14), 2018 2.17

14

Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)

Train 

1 (11), 2001

 2.14
15 You and Me Lifehouse 1 (10), 2005 2.14
16 Everything You Want Vertical Horizon 1 (13), 2000 2.12
17 Bent Matchbox Twenty 1 (13), 2000 2.11
18 Here without You 3 Doors Down 1 (14), 2003 2.08
19 This Love Maroon 5 1 (13), 2004 2.08
20 Rolling in the Deep Adele 1 (13), 2011 2.05

21

3 AM 

Matchbox 20

1 (11), 1998

 2.03
22 Torn Natalie Imbruglia 1 (14), 1998 2.03
23 I'm Yours Jason Mraz 1 (11), 2008 2.00
24 Levitating Dua Lipa 1 (7), 2020 2.00
25 Shape of You Ed Sheeran 1 (12), 2017 1.99
26 Anti-Hero Taylor Swift 1 (9), 2022 1.97
27 Bad Habits Ed Sheeran 1 (7), 2021 1.97
28 The Reason Hoobastank 1 (11), 2004 1.94
29 As It Was Harry Styles 1 (8), 2022 1.92
30 Because You Loved Me Celine Dion 1 (12), 1996 1.88
31 Memories Maroon 5 1(13), 2019 1.87
32 She Will Be Loved Maroon 5 1 (12), 2004 1.86
33 Can You Feel the Love Tonight Elton John 1 (12), 1994 1.85
34 Kiss from a Rose Seal 1 (11), 1995 1.85
35 Bad Day Daniel Powter 1 (13), 2005  1.84
36 Photograph Nickelback 1 (13), 2005 1.84
37 Use Somebody Kings of Leon 1 (11), 2009 1.83

38

Hanging by a Moment

Lifehouse

1 (6), 2001

 1.83
39 You Found Me Fray 1 (12), 2009 1.83
40 If You're Gone Matchbox 20 1 (10), 2000 1.81
41 All for You Sister Hazel 1 (8), 1997 1.81
42 Perfect  Ed Sheeran 1 (10), 2018 1.79
43 Circles Post Malone 1 (4), 2020 1.77
44 Shut Up and Dance WALK THE MOON 1 (7), 2015 1.76
45 Just Give Me a Reason P!nk  1 (12), 2013 1.74
46 Heat Waves Glass Animals 1 (2), 2022 1.72
47 Love Song Sara Bareilles 1 (10), 2008 1.72
48 Breakeven The Script 1 (7), 2010 1.68
49 Why Don't You and I? Santana f/ Alex Band 1 (9), 2003 1.67
50 As I Lay Me Down Sophie B. Hawkins 1 (7), 1995 1.62

The Bottom 50:

(#, Title, Artist, Peak position, year, Points)

#

Title

Artist

Peak(wks),Year

 Score
51 Lonely No More Rob Thomas 1 (10), 2005 1.62
52 Hey Soul Sister Train 1 (6), 2010 1.62
53 Someone You Loved Lewis Capaldi 1 (5), 2019 1.62
54 Boulevard of Broken Dreams Green Day 1 (10), 2005 1.60
55 Unstoppable Sia 1 (4), 2022 1.60
56 Don't Speak No Doubt 1 (9) 1997 1.58
57 F**kin' Perfect (Perfect) P!nk 1 (7), 2011 1.56
58 Chasing Cars Snow Patrol 1 (4), 2006 1.53
59 Counting Stars OneRepublic 1 (4), 2013 1.52
60 Ho Hey Lumineers 1 (8), 2012 1.52
61 The Game of Love Santana f/ Michelle Branch 1 (11), 2002 1.52
62 Soak Up the Sun Sheryl Crow 1 (9), 2002 1.51
63 Can't Stop the Feeling Justin Timberlake 1 (7), 2016 1.50
64 Thankyou Dido 1 (7), 2001 1.49
65 Slide Goo Goo Dolls 1 (1), 1999 1.49
66 Every Morning Sugar Ray 1 (11), 1999 1.49
67 Cheap Thrills Sia 1 (7), 2016  1.49
68 If You Go Jon Secada 2 (5), 1994 1.49
69 You Were Meant for Me Jewel 1 (8), 1997 1.48
70 Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5 f/ Christina Aguilera 1 (4), 2011 1.48
71 One Headlight Wallflowers 1 (7), 1997 1.48
72 With Arms Wide Open Creed 1 (9), 2000  1.47
73 Sunroof Nicky Your f/ Dazy 1 (6), 2022 1.46
74 Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran 1 (6), 2005 1.45
75 Home Daughtry 1 (11), 2007 1.43
76 Calm Down Rema & Selena Gomez 1 (3), 2023 1.43
77 Give Me One Reason Tracy Chapman 1 (7), 1996 1.42
78 Someone Like You Adele 1 (8), 2011 1.41
79 Raise Your Glass P!nk 1 (8), 2010 1.41
80 Good Life OneRepublic 1 (3), 2011 1.41
81 I Don't Want to Wait Paula Cole 1 (6), 1997 1.40
82 I'm with You Avril Lavigne 1 (10), 2003 1.40
83 Shake It Off Taylor Swift 1 (8), 2014 1.39
84 Sucker Jonas Brothers 1 (8), 2019 1.38
85 It's Not Over Daughtry 1 (9), 2007 1.37
86 Don't Wanna Know Maroon 5 f/ K. Lemar 1 (9), 2016 1.37
87 Ghost Justin Bieber 1 (2), 2022 1.37
88 Change the World Eric Clapton 1 (6), 1996 1.36
89 Kings & Queens Ava Max 1 (8), 2020 1.36
90 Waiting for the World to Change John Mayer 2 (4), 2006 1.35
91 I Love You Always Forever Donna Lewis 1 (6), 1996 1.35
92 Take a Bow Madonna 1 (8), 1995 1.33
93 Over My Head (Cable Car) Fray 3 (4), 2006 1.33
94 Bleeding Love Leona Lewis 1 (10), 2008 1.32
95 Easy on Me Adele 1 (10), 2021 1.32
96 Sunny Came Home Shawn Colvin 1 (4), 1997 1.32
97 Wild Night John Mellencamp f/ Me'shell Ndegiocello 1 (4), 1994 1.32
98 In the House of Stone and Light Martin Paige 1 (1), 1995 1.32
99 One Sweet Day Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men 1 (9), 1995 1.31
100 Thunder  Imagine Dragons  1 (7), 2018  1.31