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This study attempts to measure how much success non-mainstream genres and artists have had in crossing over onto the mainstream "pop" charts. The author examines Billboard magazine's year-end album charts and determines how well country, Latin, metal/hard rock, rhythm and blues, rap/hip-hop, and other genres outside of pop have fared. The author also looks at how changes in Billboard's chart compilation methods have affected the rankings.
Introduction
Although the popular music industry has tended to cater to certain sounds that fit into the mainstream, divergent genres have managed to "cross over" on to the pop charts from narrower charts. These genres include, among others, rhythm and blues (R&B); disco, which came to dominate the pop charts during the late 1970s; country; Latin; and rap. Until the early 1990s, a few artists from these genres-such as country singers Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers-had found consistent mainstream success, but, as a whole, the music dominating the charts tended to be generic "pop." By the early '90s, however, it became clear that many artists from non-mainstream genres were reaching gold and platinum status.1 This study attempts to measure how much success these non-mainstream artists have had in crossing over onto the mainstream "pop" charts.
In May 1991, Billboard, the popular music industry's most influential trade journal, began using SoundScan to track album sales." Instead of relying on reports from retailers, rack-jobbers, and wholesalers, Billboard began monitoring exact unit counts using technology similar to the barcoding used in grocery stores. Only four months later, on 28 September 1991, Garth Brooks's third album, Ropin' the Wind, debuted at No. 1 on the "Billboard 200" album chart to become the first country album to reach No. 1 since Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits in 1980 (Grein, "Chartbeat," 28 Sept. 1991: 12). Brooks's No. 1 debut was surprising not only because no country artist had ever debuted at No. 1, but also because new releases by mega-selling rockers U2 and Guns N' Roses were eligible to chart during the same week and came in behind Ropin' the Wind, which would remain at No. 1 for 16 weeks. In June 1992, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus's debut album, Some Gave All, began a 17-week run at No. 1, only to be replaced at...