January 4th In History: First Billboard Charts Created

Joe Venuti and his band top Billboard charts for the first time (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - On January 4, 1936, Billboard Magazine for the first time released 'Hit Music Parade', the first chart showing the level of popularity of a music album. This was created in line with the emergence of phonograph technology, record players, radio and jukebox that made access to music easier. Meanwhile, the first to top the Billboard charts was Joe Venuti, a jazz violin player, along with his orchestral band.

Born in 1903, in an Italian-American neighborhood in Philadelphia, the Billboard artist's career took off when he played in the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and a regular position on the national radio show Bing Crosby in the early 1950s. According to biographical records by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Venuti continued as a musician until his death from cancer in 1978.

In 1955, the Billboard Hot 100 chart of bestselling songs was introduced. Its success was then followed by the Billboard 200 for the best-selling album chart. To date, the Billboard charts serve as the magazine's "most enduring and influential" achievement.

Quoting the Billboard page, Monday, January 4, 2021, Billboard launched its magazine for the first time on November 1, 1894. This first edition, considered the most different from today's magazines and succeeded in expanding the Billboard platform to date. Billboard's premiere magazine wasn't even focused on the music industry.

Prior to becoming a weekly publication and a 24/7 online Billboard presence, Billboard was launched as Billboard Advertising. Its original mission is to provide a monthly summary of all that is new, potential, and interesting.

For advertising

After its premiere, the eight-page magazine was priced at 10 cents per issue or 99 cents per year. Its main focus is for advertising, poster printing, bill posters, and exhibitions.

The magazine's first cover subject was RC Campbell, then President of the Associated Bill Posters' Association. "No more respect can be paid to Campbell than to declare that he is a man of unlimited resources, of progressive ideas and a tireless industry," wrote Billboard in its premiere issue.

"In selecting his photo for the magazine's number one, the Editor was moved by the fact that he was a recognized leader, first and foremost and foremost in the fields we wanted to cover," wrote.

In recent years, Billboard's chart menu has expanded to include surveys covering social and streaming activity, with streams added to the Hot 100 weekly tab.Billboard has also launched the weekly Billboard Artist 100, expanded tour tally, weekly surveys that rank songwriters and producer.