There Are No Rap Songs In The Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 For The First Time In 35 Years

For the first time in thirty-five years, there are no rap songs listed among the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart, representing the most popular singles in America.

This occurred after the track “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA dropped out of the top 40 following a 13-week run at number one.

Currently, the highest-ranking songs in the rap genre are “Shot Callin” by YoungBoy Never Broke Again at number 44, “Safe” by Cardi B at 48, and “Hell at Night” by BigXthaPlug at 49.

The last time there were no rap songs in the Billboard Top 40 was in February 1990, according to Billboard.

Part of the reason for the change is new rules that say descending songs are “recurrent” and removed from the chart if they have appeared for certain durations on the chart while falling below prescribed thresholds. That’s what happened to “Luther,” which dropped to number 38 after being on the chart for 46 weeks. 

Currently, the top song is Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” which has been on the chart since its release three weeks ago. Out of the top 40, twelve of the songs are from the pop star’s “The Life of a Showgirl” album. 

Other top ten songs include “Golden,” featured in the hit Netflix series “KPop Demon Hunters,” and the single “Ordinary” by Alex Warren, along with “Daisies” by Justin Bieber and Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need.”

Billboard noted that many rap artists are in an “in-between” period, with fans eagerly awaiting Drake’s upcoming “Iceman” album and with his rival Kendrick Lamar being “somewhat dormant” after years in the spotlight. But per The San Francisco Chronicle, the market share for hip-hop music was almost 30% in 2020 but slipped to 24% this year. Five years ago, there were 16 rap songs in the top 40, while two years ago, that number decreased to 8 songs.