Follow Billboard. All rights reserved. On July 17, , to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Billboard 's Adult Contemporary chart, we counted down the top songs in the entire history of one of Billboard 's signature and smoothest surveys. Some of the genre's earliest giants infuse the list, including Elton John , Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder , while artists that continue to keep AC a top-rated radio format likewise appear, including Natasha Bedingfield , Enrique Iglesias and matchbox twenty. I feel incredibly proud," said Darren Hayes, formerly one-half of pop duo Savage Garden, when the act claimed the honor of Billboard 's top all-time Adult Contemporary title with its No. Marveled Hayes, "That song changed my life and continues to do so. The 50th anniversary Adult Contemporary songs chart is based on actual performance on the weekly Adult Contemporary chart over its first 50 years, from its inception in the July 17, , issue of Billboard. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from all 50 years, earlier time frames were each weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years. Search term.


Top 100 Songs


Follow Billboard
Updated hourly. Best Sellers in Adult Contemporary. All Of Me. You Raise Me Up.
The truly biggest hits in the format's history.
Gains in performance. KOZ, S. Price C.
I posted a new ranking on my Facebook page that showed the biggest AC hits based solely on weeks at 1. Still not satisfied, I went to my music database and sorted all songs to hit 1 on the adult contemporary charts. The results made for what I consider the most balanced of the three lists and acknowledging some bonafide classics which may not have had longevity at 1 or on the charts, but have had long-lasting impact. One last thing — the pics are for the top-ten ranked AC acts according to Billboard. Click on the photos for the acts DMDB music makers encyclopedia entries. Click here to see other genre-specific song lists. I am a music lover and I have over songs saved in my phone. I am not that choosy when it comes to music genres.