Billboard Announces Rule Change That Will Impact Hip-Hop Sales

Billboard is implementing a brand new rule change that can give streaming extra weight on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts in 2026. One album unit will now be equal to 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription streams generated by songs from an album. Previously, a monitor required 3,750 ad-supported streams or 1,250 paid streams to qualify as an album unit. The change will take impact with the charts dated January 17, which monitor listening habits from January 2 to eight.

In an announcement on Tuesday, Billboard wrote that the transfer will “higher mirror a rise in streaming income and altering shopper behaviors.” The outlet additional defined: “The change means that it’s going to take 33.3% fewer ad-supported on-demand streams of songs from an album, and 20% fewer paid/subscription on-demand streams of songs from an album, to equal an album unit. The ratio between paid/subscription and ad-supported on-demand streaming tiers will moreover be adjusted to 1:2.5 for the Billboard Hot 100, together with corresponding streaming and track consumption charts.”

When Chart Data shared the information on X (previously Twitter), followers had combined reactions. “Billboard lastly admitting streams run the sport now, charts about to look very completely different, argue with the outcomes,” one consumer wrote. Another countered: “To make this rule truthful you gotta work out a cope with Spotify to ban autoplay. It creates pretend numbers.”

In different information, Billboard lately named Kendrick Lamar its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year for 2025. The choice was decided by exercise from the weekly Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts dated Oct. 26, 2024, by way of Oct. 18, 2025.

Lamar’s 2024 project, GNX, performed a significant position in serving to him keep atop the charts all year long. The venture debuted at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and solely fell outdoors of the highest 10 as soon as, which occurred through the week marked Oct. 11, 2025. His collaboration with SZA, “luther,” ended the yr as the preferred rap track.