The Hit Songs Deconstructed Trend Report provides an in-depth look at the compositional and industry related trends for the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. What follows are select highlights culled from the Q3 Trend Report. The full Q3 Trend Report will be available to Hit Song Deconstructed Subscribers later this month. To learn more about a Hit Songs Deconstructed subscription visit HitSongsDeconstructed.com. In Q3 2018, 28 songs, 31 credited performing artists, 119 credited songwriters, 48 credited producers, and 11 record labels landed in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. Four songs charted at #1. They include three Hip Hop songs In My Feelings (Drake), Nice for What (Drake), and I Like It (Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny, J Balvin), and one Pop song Girls Like You (Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B). Drake remained the top artist. In Q3 he had the most #1 hits (2), the most Top 10 hits (7), and spent the most time at #1 (11 weeks total). He also had the most credits as a songwriter (8). Year to date, Drake had the most Top 10 and #1 hits (11 and 3, respectively), spent the most weeks at #1 (29 weeks), and had the most Top 10 songwriting credits (13). Post Malone spent the most weeks in the Top 10 (39 weeks), followed by Cardi B and Drake at 35 weeks, each. Q3 2018 Songs... Page 3 Notable Players... Page 4 Compositional Trend Highlights... Page 6 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 2
28 songs charted in the Hot 100 Top 10 during Q3 2018: Better Now: Post Malone Boo'd Up: Ella Mai Don't Matter To Me: Drake featuring Michael Jackson Emotionless: Drake FeFe: 6ix9ine featuring Murda Beatz, Nicki Minaj Girls Like You: Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B God Is A Woman: Ariana Grande God's Plan: Drake I Like It: Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny, J Balvin I Love It: Kanye West, Lil Pump I'm Upset: Drake In My Feelings: Drake Killshot: Eminem Love Lies: Khalid, Normani Lucid Dreams: Juice WRLD Lucky You: Eminem featuring Joyner Lucas Meant To Be: Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line Nice For What: Drake No Brainer: DJ Khaled featuring Chance The Rapper, Justin Bieber, Quavo No Tears Left To Cry: Ariana Grande Nonstop: Drake Psycho: Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign Sad!: XXXTentacion Sicko Mode: Travis Scott Stargazing: Travis Scott Taste: Tyga featuring Offset The Ringer: Eminem Youngblood: 5 Seconds Of Summer 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 3
Primary Artists Primary Artists with #1 Hits (excludes featured artists) Drake Two #1 Hits Cardi B One #1 Hit Maroon 5 One #1 Hit Primary Artist with the Most Top 10 Hits (excludes featured artists) Drake Seven Top 10 Hits Primary Artists with the Most Weeks in the Top 10 (excludes featured artists) Drake 13 Weeks Cardi B 13 Weeks Maroon 5 13 Weeks Record Labels Labels with the Most Top 10 Hits Republic Eleven Top 10 Hits Interscope Six Top 10 Hits Epic Warner Bros. Two Top 10 Hits 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 4
Songwriters Behind the Scenes Writers with the Most Top 10 Hits Louis Bell 40 Ray Fraser Performing Artist Writers with the Most Top 10 Hits Drake Eight Top 10 Hits Eminem Producers Producers with the Most Top 10 Hits Louis Bell Illa Da Producer 40 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 5
Compositional Trends: Q3 at a Glance: Number of Top 10 Hits: 28 Number of #1 Hits: 4 Number of New Songs: 17 Songs with a featured artist: 32% of songs Most Popular Primary Genre: Hip Hop Most Popular Influence: Hip Hop Most Popular Lead Vocal Delivery: Sung/Rapped Combo Most Popular Lead Vocal Gender: Solo Male Most Popular Key: Minor Most Popular Song Length Range: 4:00 + Average Intro Length: 0:17 Primary Genres Hip Hop s prominence continues to reach new heights. As a primary genre it accounted for 71% of the Hot 100 Top 10 in Q3 2018, up from 35% during Q3 2017. Pop, on the other hand, continues to become less and less prominent in the Hot 100 Top 10, accounting for only 14% of songs in Q3 2018. 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 6
Influences As an influence shaping the sound and vibe of songs in the Hot 100 Top 10, Hip Hop played a role in 93% of all hits, up from 78% during the same quarter in 2017. Trap followed at 77% of songs. When looking exclusively at songs outside the Hip Hop primary genre, Hip Hop s influence also continues to increase. It played a role in 75% of songs during Q3 2018, which is up from 67% in Q3 of 2017. Dance/Club, which was present in 43% of the Hot 100 Top 10 in Q3 2017, fell to just 7% in Q3 2018. Tropical, which was present in 30% of the Top 10 in Q3 2017, fell to just 4% in Q3 2018. 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 7
Lead Vocal Gender Men continue to dominate the Top 10. 57% of songs that landed in the Top 10 in Q3 feature exclusively male lead vocals. Just 11% feature exclusively female vocals. However, when you look at songs outside the Hip Hop primary genre, female lead vocals have been on the rise quarter over quarter. 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 8
Lead Vocal Delivery Songs that feature a combination of sung and rapped vocals continue to be the most popular, accounting for 54% of the Top 10 in Q3. Lyrical Themes Lifestyle surpassed love/relationships as the most popular lyrical theme during the first quarter of 2018 and has continued to increase in popularity quarter over quarter, playing a role in 61% of Top 10 hits in Q3. However, when looking exclusively at songs outside the Hip Hop primary genre, love/relationships continues to be the most popular, playing a role in 75%. 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 9
Key Minor keys continued to shape the vibe of the majority of songs in the Top 10 in Q3 (64%). However, half of the songs that charted at #1 in Q3 are in a major key. For the first time in at least 5 years, we also saw a song featuring a combination of both major and minor keys, Sicko Mode. Average Intro Length Average intro length has increased significantly over the past year, from 11 seconds in Q3 2017 up to 17 seconds in Q3 2018. 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 10
Song Length The number of songs that are four minutes or longer shot up from 14% in Q2 to 35% in Q3, making it the most popular song length range of the Hot 100 Top 10. Over the past 5 years, the four minute or longer range has only surpassed the 3:00 3:59 range twice, once in Q1 2014 and once in Q2 2017. 2010-2018 Hit Songs Deconstructed. All rights reserved. 11