A&M RECORDS ON MUSIC CHARTS

A&M RECORDS ON BILLBOARD: CHART HISTORY

The number of singles and albums that charted is not only attributable to the artist's studio and tour work, but reflects the size of A&M Records sales, marketing and promotion staff through the years. In 1963, A&M had only four or five employees, including founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. By November 1966, when A&M Records moved to the old Charlie Chaplin Studios, it had 32 employees. Two years later, the staff had doubled. By 1976, A&M's staff supporting the artists grew to nearly 350 people. In that light, it understandable that the number of singles that charted jumped from a previous high of five in 1965 to 15 in 1966 and then hit an average of 20 singles. Similarly, the number of albums to chart grew from 8 to 13 in 1966 and 1967, 18 the next year, 39 in 1969 and then hit an average of 30 albums per year. A&M released the number of albums and singles that it could work successfully.

Chart success for A&M Records was not just getting a record on the chart, there was emphasis placed on getting the record into the Top 10. A full 25% of singles and 12% of albums were Top 10. A&M had 70 Top 10 albums and 122 Top 10 singles in 30 years. They had singles on the charts every year from 1962 through 1990 and albums on the charts in 1962 and then from 1964 through 1990.

A&M Records often acknowledged that some of their artists were singles artists and others were album artists. They meant that both in terms of top chart position the artists attained and in terms of which artists had records on each chart. Nazareth was the artist that was the third highest artist for total albums that it charted, but it is not among the top artists to have a single on the charts.

BILLBOARD POP SINGLES CHART

In August 1962, A&M Records released its first single and, "The Lonely Bull" broke into the Billboard Top 100. Over the next 30 years, A&M issued 2,430 singles, and nearly 500 of them charted. Remarkably, 20% of A&M singles made it into Billboard chart every year from 1962 through 1990.

A&M's philosophy on working its singles also shows in the charts. If a single charted, it had a 60% chance of being in the Top 40 and a 25% chance of making the Top 10. Often, Top 10 was not the goal as A&M continued to promote its product placing 15% of singles in the Top 5 and 5% at number one.

Two of A&M's best years for singles were 1973 and 1975 when A&M had eight singles in the Top 10 and averaging 20 singles per year in the Top 100. In 1976 and 1977, A&M had seven Top 10 hits. The 1970's were a boom time for A&M as 58 singles--over 30%--were Top 10. The 1980's were almost as good years with 51 Top 10 singles. In each decade, the number of Top 100 singles increased to over 200 in the 1980s.

A&M's most prolific chart year was 1983. It was their best year for total number of singles to chart with 31, and a record eight singles in the Top 10. An average year for A&M was about 20 singles on the chart and three that were Top 10.

The Top Artists in A&M History chart shows the artists who charted most often for A&M Records. They account for almost half of the chart singles from A&M but are a handful of the 139 artists who placed a record on the Pop Chart. Top artists by year and by decade are also portrayed.

BILLBOARD POP ALBUM CHART

Billboard's Pop Album Charts ranks albums through 200 positions. It would seem to be easier to make this chart rather than the Pop Singles Chart's Top 100. The first album released by A&M Records made the Top 10. Between 1964 and 1990, A&M had at least one album on the chart every year. Its best year for total albums on the chart was 1969 with 39 albums followed by 1975 and 1979 when A&M had 34 albums on the charts. Nearly one-third of the albums to chart were released in only six years.

Between 1962 and 1990 A&M released over 1,650 albums, and almost 600 of them charted. The number of artists who had at least one album on the charts was 168. Album information excludes 12" promotional and commercial extended plays and reissues.

Information excludes reentry into either the album or singles chart.

Pop charts do not show the successes of artists like Amy Grant and Janet Jackson, who were consistently on the Contemporary Christian and R&B charts, respectively, and on those charts, charted more frequently and in a higher position than they did on the pop chart.

Twenty-nine artists had six or more albums that were on the Pop Album Chart. These artists accounted for about half of the chart activity.

For albums that charted, 60% were Top 100 or better; 12% were Top 10 and 8% were in the Top 5. In its best years, 1977 and 1987, A&M had five albums in the Top 10. In 1969, 1972, 1980 and 1982, there were four albums to make the Top 10, and there were 10 years when A&M had three albums in the Top 10. A total of 70 albums were Top 10.

A&M's consistency in releasing only product it could work successfully, become apparent in the 1970s and 1980s when it had 500 albums on the charts and maintained 12% of them in the Top 10. They averaged 22 albums on the charts each year and averaged three of them in the Top 10.

Since many people think of the Creed Taylor series independently of A&M Records, 12 of those records charted.

The Top Artists in A&M History chart shows the artists who charted most often for A&M Records. They account for almost half of the chart singles from A&M but are a handful of the 139 artists who placed a record on the Pop Chart. Top artists by year and by decade are also portrayed.

NOTES:
1. Album information excludes 12" promotional and commercial extended plays and reissues.
2. Information excludes reentry into either the album or singles chart.
3. Pop charts do not show the successes of artists like Amy Grant and Janet Jackson, who were consistently on the Contemporary Christian and R&B charts, respectively, and on those charts, charted more frequently and in a higher position than they did on the pop chart.

SOURCES:
1. Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955 - 1996. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc., 1996.
2. Whitburn, Joel. Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1999. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc., 2000.

BILLBOARD CHARTS

A&M Records chart performance on the Hot 100 Singles Chart (popular), Hot 200 Album Chart (popular), Adult Contemporary (formerly Easy Listening Chart), and the combined R&B and Hip Hop Chart.

Also included are A&M Records artists who charted most often with album and singles both by decade and all years.

CASH BOX CHARTS

A&M Records artists with singles that made the Cash Box chart. See the chart performance by all-time best artists, top artists by decade and the 50 singles with the highest peak positions.

RADIO & RECORDS CHARTS

Radio & Records was an American chart that tracked singles performance. 

A&M RECORDS RIAA GOLD & PLATINUM

The Recording Industry Association Of America audits the sales of albums then awards a gold, platinum, multi-platinum or diamond award. To receive a gold record, minimum sales of 500,000 unites; platinum 1,000,000 units; multi-platinum increments of 1,000,000 above the initial million units, and diamond 10,000,000 units with increements of 1,000,000 after the initial count.

A&M RECORDS ON CANADA'S MUSIC CHARTS

OFFICIAL BRITISH MUSIC CHARTS

COMPARE U.S., BRITAiN AND CANADA MUSIC CHARTS

AUSTRALiA POP ALBUMS AND SINGLES