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introduced the chart in response to demand within the music industry for consistent information on the commercial performance of alternative music. During the decade, it was known as the Modern Rock Tracks chart and tabulated based on weighted reports from twenty-nine radio stations: eighteen
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101:" spent the longest period atop the chart during the decade, staying at number one for eight consecutive weeks from November 1988 to January 1989. The final number one of the 1980s was "
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each scored two number-one songs on the Modern Rock Tracks chart during the 1980s, the most for any artist within the decade. The R.E.M. song "
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on rock radio in the late 1980s. As less-established alternative acts were receiving minimal exposure on
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established standard-bearer commercial stations and eleven non-commercial college stations.
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89:. By the end of the decade, twenty-two songs had topped the chart. The American bands
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857:"Billboard Has A New Top 10 List: 'Modern Rock' Is Meant To Chart Up-and-coming Acts"
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205:
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20:
937:"Celebrating 20 Years Of Modern-Rock Countdowns, From Siouxsie To Staind"
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The Modern Rock Tracks chart debuted in the
September 10, 1988, issue of
61:
radio stations, their labels turned to modern rock stations for airplay.
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374:
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90:
216:
81:. Upon its debut, several publications noted the presence of more
1198:
1096:. Vol. 101, no. 51. December 23, 1989. p. Y-58.
85:
artists on Modern Rock Tracks compared to its companion chart,
1065:. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. Y-22
352:
53:, it was created in the midst of the growing popularity of
1395:
Lists of number-one modern rock songs in the United States
1127:
Are We Not New Wave?: Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s
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972:
970:
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966:
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47:
radio stations. Published by the music industry magazine
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32:
was the first song to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
850:
848:
892:"'Billboard' Answers Call For Alternative Music Data"
211:
each attained two number-one hits during the decade.
1361:
1328:
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1234:
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992:"The B-52s Chart History (Alternative Airplay)"
224:spent seven weeks atop the chart in 1989 with "
1210:
886:
884:
43:that ranks the most-played songs on American
8:
1024:"R.E.M. Chart History (Alternative Airplay)"
73:, with the inaugural number-one song being "
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1203:
1195:
231:
922:
1048:
1046:
978:
839:
19:
829:
1004:from the original on November 17, 2021
7:
900:. September 19, 1988. Archived from
1103:from the original on March 22, 2022
855:Milward, John (November 24, 1988).
949:from the original on June 16, 2013
935:Shipley, Al (September 10, 2008).
14:
1155:(1st ed.). Record Research.
1236:Hot Rock & Alternative Songs
188:
177:
137:– Return of a song to number one
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250:
1:
1131:University of Michigan Press
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719:Pictures of Matchstick Men
1330:Adult Alternative Airplay
862:The Philadelphia Inquirer
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303:Siouxsie and the Banshees
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259:Siouxsie and the Banshees
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234:
157:
152:
79:Siouxsie and the Banshees
59:album-oriented rock (AOR)
30:Siouxsie and the Banshees
1225:Lists of number ones on
1125:Cateforis, Theo (2011).
1085:"Top Modern Rock Tracks"
1054:"Top Modern Rock Tracks"
806:The Jesus and Mary Chain
697:Sowing the Seeds of Love
107:The Jesus and Mary Chain
1292:Mainstream Rock Airplay
105:" by the Scottish band
28:" by English rock band
897:Los Angeles Daily News
229:
77:" by the English band
33:
220:
23:
725:Camper Van Beethoven
328:The Psychedelic Furs
319:All That Money Wants
1400:1980s record charts
1254:Alternative Airplay
1244:List of number ones
1177:Alternative Airplay
241:Reached number one
37:Alternative Airplay
1182:2021-07-10 at the
686:September 16, 1989
547:Fascination Street
525:Mayor of Simpleton
308:September 24, 1988
286:September 17, 1988
281:Big Audio Dynamite
264:September 10, 1988
230:
226:Fascination Street
34:
1382:
1381:
1162:978-0-8982-0114-7
1140:978-0-4720-3470-3
822:
821:
814:December 30, 1989
758:November 11, 1989
458:February 11, 1989
380:November 26, 1988
171:
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87:Album Rock Tracks
55:alternative music
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904:on March 4, 2016
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869:on March 3, 2016
865:. Archived from
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843:
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797:Blues from a Gun
787:
786:December 9, 1989
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730:October 21, 1989
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275:Just Play Music!
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113:Number-one songs
103:Blues from a Gun
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1184:Wayback Machine
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703:Tears for Fears
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131:number-one song
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1171:External links
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1149:Whitburn, Joel
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981:, p. 248.
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923:Cateforis 2011
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769:Love and Anger
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506:Elvis Costello
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979:Whitburn 1996
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840:Whitburn 1996
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750:Ian McCulloch
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741:Proud to Fall
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608:July 29, 1989
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586:June 24, 1989
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536:April 1, 1989
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1119:Bibliography
1105:. Retrieved
1091:
1079:
1067:. Retrieved
1060:
1033:. Retrieved
1027:
1018:
1006:. Retrieved
995:
986:
951:. Retrieved
940:
930:
918:
906:. Retrieved
902:the original
895:
871:. Retrieved
867:the original
860:
842:, p. 8.
653:Hoodoo Gurus
647:Come Anytime
597:Disappointed
369:Orange Crush
208:
201:
126:
99:Orange Crush
70:
68:
62:
48:
41:record chart
35:
17:
15:
1369:Alternative
1229:rock charts
1153:Rock Tracks
564:May 6, 1989
469:I'll Be You
441:Dirty Blvd.
400:Julian Cope
246:number one
83:independent
45:modern rock
1389:Categories
825:References
678:The B-52's
669:Love Shack
628:The B-52's
297:Peek-a-Boo
253:Peek-a-Boo
206:The B-52's
95:The B-52's
75:Peek-a-Boo
26:Peek-a-Boo
1227:Billboard
1189:Billboard
1093:Billboard
1062:Billboard
1029:Billboard
997:Billboard
778:Kate Bush
619:Channel Z
144:Contents
127:Billboard
71:Billboard
63:Billboard
50:Billboard
1180:Archived
1151:(1996).
1098:Archived
1002:Archived
953:June 13,
947:Archived
942:Idolator
908:June 13,
873:June 13,
575:So Alive
556:The Cure
497:Veronica
450:Lou Reed
244:Weeks at
222:The Cure
209:(bottom)
129:year-end
1362:Artists
238:Artist
163:1990s →
1159:
1137:
1107:May 8,
1069:May 8,
1035:May 8,
1008:May 8,
425:R.E.M.
375:R.E.M.
347:Desire
299:" ↑ †
199:R.E.M.
91:R.E.M.
1353:2020s
1348:2010s
1343:2000s
1338:1990s
1320:2020s
1315:2010s
1310:2000s
1305:1990s
1300:1980s
1282:2020s
1277:2010s
1272:2000s
1267:1990s
1262:1980s
1101:(PDF)
1088:(PDF)
1057:(PDF)
419:Stand
235:Song
202:(top)
39:is a
1157:ISBN
1135:ISBN
1109:2020
1071:2020
1037:2020
1010:2020
955:2013
910:2013
875:2013
577:" †
255:" †
204:and
158:1989
153:1988
93:and
1186:at
531:XTC
118:Key
1391::
1133:.
1129:.
1090:.
1059:.
1045:^
1026:.
1000:.
994:.
963:^
945:.
939:.
894:.
883:^
859:.
847:^
832:^
818:3
799:"
790:3
771:"
762:4
743:"
734:3
721:"
712:1
699:"
690:4
671:"
662:3
649:"
640:3
621:"
612:1
599:"
590:5
568:7
549:"
540:5
527:"
518:2
499:"
490:1
471:"
462:4
443:"
434:2
421:"
412:1
393:"
384:8
371:"
362:5
353:U2
349:"
340:3
321:"
312:1
290:1
277:"
268:1
228:".
124:–
109:.
1218:e
1211:t
1204:v
1165:.
1143:.
1111:.
1073:.
1039:.
1012:.
957:.
912:.
877:.
795:"
767:"
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595:"
573:"
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523:"
495:"
467:"
439:"
417:"
389:"
367:"
345:"
317:"
295:"
273:"
251:"
135:↑
122:†
24:"
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