WHTZ
Encyclopedia
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop
/contemporary hit radio
(CHR) radio station licensed to Newark
, New Jersey
serving the New York metropolitan area
. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
. The WHTZ transmitter is located on the Empire State Building
.
The call letters are supposed to represent the word "hits"; indeed, an early advertising campaign
for the station claimed that HTZ was "The New Way to Spell 'Hits' in New York."
Z100's current slogan is "New York's Hit Music Station.", used in tandem on-air with "All The Hits". The long-running "#1" part of the slogan was removed in 2007. The former slogan was "Today's Best Music." Z100 is considered the 2nd largest pop/CHR/Top 40 station in the world after BBC Radio 1
, pulling in an audience of 5 million daily. Additionally, according to the radio industry website, RadioStats.Net, Z100's site is the most visited US CHR
website in the world and, in fact, one of the most frequented radio websites overall.
XM Satellite Radio
currently simulcasts the station on Channel 12.
music which was co-owned with 1050 WMGM (now known as WEPN
). That station shut down in February of 1955 and its owners turned the license over to the FCC.
and would only transmit at 5,000 watts.
The station had an instrumentally based "Easy Listening" music format (also known as Beautiful Music
or, more commonly, "elevator music") consisted of instrumental versions of familiar songs with several soft vocal hits added per hour. The station was known as "WVNJoy".
Licensed to Newark, NJ, its FM transmitter was in West Orange, while its studios and AM transmitter were located on State Route 10 in Livingston, New Jersey
. At the time, the station had an effective power of about 20,000 watts and an actual power of 5,000 watts. This lack of coverage due to lesser power inhibited the station's opportunity to show with competitive strength in ratings estimates in the NY Market. Thus the station's target market concentration was northern New Jersey. Radio listeners in the New York City metropolitan area could listen to WPAT-AM, WPAT-FM
, WRFM
, and WTFM
for easy listening.
In 1980, when WRVR (now WLTW
) changed from jazz to country music, WVNJ began playing jazz music after 8 PM. Its slogan was "VNJoy By Day, VNJazz By Night". In May 1983, plans were made for 100.3 FM to be purchased by Cleveland-based Malrite Communications. Malrite signed on the station from a studio in Secaucus, New Jersey
and moved the transmitter to the top of the Empire State Building
. In addition, new management announced plans for a top 40 format. The sale became final on August 1, 1983, and WVNJ-FM ceased broadcasting on 100.3 that night.
. The first song ever played on the station was "Eye of the Tiger
" by Survivor
followed by America by Neil Diamond
. The station signed on from its new and still-incomplete studio in Secaucus, transmitting from the old FM tower site near Livingston, New Jersey
, as their antenna was not moved to the top of the Empire State Building until later in August. The station did not begin calling itself "Z100" until a few days later. Moving the tower to midtown Manhattan greatly increased the coverage area of the station's signal.
Z100 was the second station that summer to attempt to bring the Top 40 format back to New York, with rock station WPLJ
having begun the evolution to top 40 in June. WHTZ was programmed to remind listeners of one-time AM powerhouse WABC
, which had gone from a tight Top 40 format to leaning Disco in early 1979 to leaning adult rock later in 1979 to leaning adult contemporary in 1980 to evolving to Adult Contemporary/Talk in 1981, before it finally flipped to an all-talk
format on May 10, 1982.
Within 74 days of signing on, WHTZ had climbed from last place to first in the New York Arbitron
ratings book. Over the years, Z100 stayed with a top 40 format, with WPLJ behind them in the ratings. Scott Shannon left Z100 at the end of 1988 to begin "Pirate Radio" in Los Angeles, and Steve Kingston took over as operations manager and Frankie Blue would become assistant programming director. By 1991, however, the Top 40 format was in an identity crisis. A major sign of this crisis came when WPLJ moved to a hot adult contemporary format by 1992. Z100 responded to this by adding some older songs and introducing an evening talk show called "Love Phones." Ratings gradually dropped from 1991 to 1993. In 1993, Z100 dropped the older songs and began mixing in alternative rock music which wasn't normally being played on Top 40 stations. By the end of 1994, the majority of the station's music consisted of alternative rock with only a few non-modern-rock-based songs per hour. The station still played the current big hits by artists such as Madonna
, TLC
, Mariah Carey
, and others. Although, notably, Z100 snubbed several big pop hits at the time such as "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" by Bryan Adams
, You Are Not Alone
by Michael Jackson
, and "I Could Fall In Love
" by Selena
. At this point Z100 was sold to Shamrock Broadcasting. Frankie Blue would leave in 1995 and Sam Milkman would move up to his position.
Ratings, though nowhere near the top anymore, remained steady at the station during much of the mid-1990s, but by March 1996, there was a steep drop after WKTU
signed on 103.5 FM with a dance music format, and WXRK adapted a full alternative rock format. Both stations took listeners from Z100. Steve Kingston and his assistant Sam Milkman left Z100 for K-Rock, while music director Andy Shane left for WKTU, joining another former Z100 music director, Frankie Blue. Airstaff had also gradually begun leaving the station beginning that February. Z100 had even stopped using the name "Morning Zoo" the year before. Morning host John Lander left in November 1995. That January, Steve Cochrane arrived to do mornings but by May he was gone. Z100 was undergoing a crisis at this point. The station was sold in a corporate deal to Chancellor Media.
In April 1996, the station brought in Tom Poleman
as its new programming director. Initially, at that point, Z100 dropped all non-modern rock titles and began playing strictly pop alternative. By May 1996, Z100 began gradually replacing its on-air staff, and the harder alternative songs were phased out. Though initially it seemed that Z100 was becoming a modern AC station, beginning that summer, the station gradually began to move back to a mainstream Top 40 format, as it added pop music from such formats as R&B, rap, and adult contemporary. One of Poleman's biggest moves was to switch DJ Elvis Duran from afternoons to the "Z Morning Zoo" (which was known as "The Morning Show" for the previous several years), Z100's popular morning show. Despite having shared the post with other hosts (such as Elliot Segal
, now at WWDC) through the years, Duran remains the "Head Zookeeper" to this day. By December 1996, Z100 was a full-time Top 40 station again. Chancellor merged with Evergreen in 1997, making WKTU a sister station of Z100. Still, both stations continued on the same courses, occasionally overlapping with music.
In a 1999 merger, Z100's parent company, Chancellor, acquired Capstar, forming AM/FM Inc. Shortly after the merger was finalized, AM/FM was bought by its current owners, Clear Channel Communications
.
The station used to broadcast "mini-mixes" by DJ Spinbad
, a well-known DJ who created a nightly mash-up mix of the day's top songs, playing them all together, mixing, for instance, the lyrics of one with the music of another. This often lasted 15–20 minutes, and was played at seven o'clock and ten o'clock Monday through Friday. Spinbad's mix was also a part of the weekly 5 O'Clock Whistle, a tradition started in 1986 to celebrate the end of the work week.
In early 2006, Z100 launched an HD Radio
station that plays songs by bands who have not gone mainstream, or have very little exposure. Currently, it is the only New York City area HD2 station that features DJs.
In October 2007, after years of hovering near the top, Z100 once again became the highest-rated station in New York City, scoring a 5.1 rating in persons 12+ in the Summer book. This marks the first number-one finish for the station since the 1980s, according to Clear Channel New York programming guru Tom Poleman. It also scored a first-place among the 18-34 demographic in the book, as well as a second place in the 25-54 demo.
In 2008, world-famous remixer Jason Nevins
joined Z100 for the "Remix at 6 with Jason Nevins", where one of Jason's remixes is played every night at 6pm. The programming follows the Z100 playlist and gives listeners a "you heard it here first" mix premiere of projects that come straight from Jason's studio.
, syndicated nationally via Premiere Networks, is heard daily during middays. WHTZ local on air personalities are referred to as "ZJs". Among the station's local weekday personalities: JJ (afternoons), Mo' Bounce (evenings), Trey (nights), and Shelley Wade (overnights). Phill Kross, Sharon Stevens, Mike Klein, DJ Riddler, Nick Parker, Erica Hayden are heard weekends. Station imaging is provided by Dave Foxx, Kelly "Kelly3" Doherty, Dave Kampel, and Mo' Bounce.
format became a widely-employed morning show concept based on its success at Z100 - even to the point of being implemented at Malrite's sister station in Cleveland, rock-formatted WMMS
. Essentially, the Morning Zoo formula was grafted onto their already successful morning show, and lasted until 1994.
The Z Morning Zoo gained rapid popularity when first launched for its use of the character "Mr. Leonard", voiced by radio personality John Carrillo. The current Morning show includes Elvis Duran
, Danielle Monaro, Carolina Bermudez
, Greg T., Skeery Jones, David Brody, TJ the DJ, Garrett, Scotty B., Loren, and Carla Marie. The show also features Froggy
, the Y100 Miami Executive Producer.
The Z100 Morning Show features "Danielle's "Sleaze Report,"
Carolina's "Rage Page," "Phone Taps" (prank calls to an unsuspecting friend or relative of a listener), stunts performed by Greg T, Song Parodies, various contests, news and traffic reports.
The show was simulcast on Max 106.3 WHCY
in New Jersey
from early 2003 until Dec 23, 2008 and as of 10/10 is again carrying the show.
The show began syndication on May 22, 2006, starting with WHYI
Y100 in Miami, Florida
, followed by WIOQ
Q102 in Philadelphia on July 23, 2008, and Cleveland's Kiss FM on Aug 25th 2008.
Until May 2008 the show was known as "Elvis Duran and The (Y/Z) Morning Zoo". By July 2008, the "Zoo" references were later replaced with "Show". In March 2009, Clear Channel subsidiary Premiere Radio Networks
added Elvis Duran and the Morning Show to its blue-ribbon lineup of nationally syndicated radio programs and is now heard coast to coast on about 40 stations.
On Monday, March 22, 2010, John Bell announced that he would be leaving the Morning Show.
in Midtown Manhattan
during the winter holiday season, and Z100's Zootopia
in late Spring. There has been no Zootopia
since 2009.
From 1983-1991 and from 1997–2004, Z100 aired the "24 Hours Of Christmas" from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. Sometimes it began at noon, and other years it would be as late as 2pm. It was one of the first major-market Top 40 stations to play wall-to-wall Christmas music
at the time. The music consisted of Christmas songs by the station's core artists mixed with well-known Christmas music by oldies artists and some traditional easy listening type artists. The station played about 125 songs in total, which were repeated over this 24 hour period. When Scott Shannon arrived at WPLJ, he began the same tradition there in 1991. Z100 discontinued the tradition in 1992 and during the "alternative years". By 1997, more core artists began creating Christmas music. As a result, Z100 reinstated the 24 hours of Christmas that year. It continued until 2004, when it was discontinued due to the desire to counter-program other co-owned stations as well as competitors.
On Christmas Eve
at noon, the station airs a (pre-recorded) countdown show of the top 100 songs for the year, based on the total number of song spins, listener requests, and weekly playlist success (peak position, weeks on). The show is then repeated an average of once a day over the following week, with a final broadcast airing in January. Until 2004, the countdown began at Noon on Christmas Day after the "24 Hours Of Christmas". Until 2005, the countdown was hosted by Elvis Duran and Paul "Cubby" Bryant. In June 2006, Cubby left Z100 to co-host the nationally-syndicated "Wake Up With Whoopi" Goldberg program, heard in NY on Z100's sister station WKTU
. As of 2006, Z100's Top 100 countdown is hosted by Elvis Duran and new afternoon DJ JJ.
Songs that are released in the final quarter of the year can be problematic; if a song is very popular during the last three months of the year and is in high rotation, it will often peak higher than a song that had been in medium rotation for a number of months. However, if a popular song is only in low to medium rotation during the later part of the year, it will often chart very low or not at all on the year end countdown, only to appear very high on the countdown of the following year.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
(CHR) radio station licensed to Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
serving the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. The WHTZ transmitter is located on the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
.
The call letters are supposed to represent the word "hits"; indeed, an early advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
for the station claimed that HTZ was "The New Way to Spell 'Hits' in New York."
Z100's current slogan is "New York's Hit Music Station.", used in tandem on-air with "All The Hits". The long-running "#1" part of the slogan was removed in 2007. The former slogan was "Today's Best Music." Z100 is considered the 2nd largest pop/CHR/Top 40 station in the world after BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, pulling in an audience of 5 million daily. Additionally, according to the radio industry website, RadioStats.Net, Z100's site is the most visited US CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
website in the world and, in fact, one of the most frequented radio websites overall.
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
currently simulcasts the station on Channel 12.
WMGM-FM
100.3 began as WMGM-FM in the late 1940's, which played easy listeningEasy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
music which was co-owned with 1050 WMGM (now known as WEPN
WEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
). That station shut down in February of 1955 and its owners turned the license over to the FCC.
WVNJ-FM
100.3 FM was sold to local owner Herb Saltzman and known as Sabre Broadcasting. The station focused to serve northern New Jersey rather than the New York City Metropolitan area. They already owned AM 620 then known as WVNJ so 100.3 FM would have WVNJ-FM as its call letters. On Thursday July 13, 1961 at about 3 p.m. WVNJ-FM signed on. WVNJ-FM began with 20,000 watts at 330 ft. above average terrain from the AM site in Livingston, N.J. moving a few years according to Chatham, N.J. with 25,000 watts. A few years later the transmitter moved to West Orange, New JerseyWest Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
and would only transmit at 5,000 watts.
The station had an instrumentally based "Easy Listening" music format (also known as Beautiful Music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
or, more commonly, "elevator music") consisted of instrumental versions of familiar songs with several soft vocal hits added per hour. The station was known as "WVNJoy".
Licensed to Newark, NJ, its FM transmitter was in West Orange, while its studios and AM transmitter were located on State Route 10 in Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
. At the time, the station had an effective power of about 20,000 watts and an actual power of 5,000 watts. This lack of coverage due to lesser power inhibited the station's opportunity to show with competitive strength in ratings estimates in the NY Market. Thus the station's target market concentration was northern New Jersey. Radio listeners in the New York City metropolitan area could listen to WPAT-AM, WPAT-FM
WPAT-FM
WPAT-FM, known on-air as "93.1 Amor", is a radio station with a Spanish-language Rhythmic AC format. Located on 93.1 FM, the station, which is licensed to Paterson, New Jersey, serves the New York City Metropolitan area.-History:...
, WRFM
WWPR-FM
WWPR-FM, also known as "Power 105.1", is an urban contemporary radio station that features hip hop and R&B licensed to New York City that serves the Greater New York area....
, and WTFM
WKTU
WKTU is a radio station based in New York City that plays an upbeat, gold-based CHR format. The station's broadcast transmitter is located on the top of the Empire State Building and its city of license is Lake Success, New York, with offices formerly in the "Newport" section of Jersey City, New...
for easy listening.
In 1980, when WRVR (now WLTW
WLTW
WLTW is a radio station with an Adult Contemporary format in New York City.The station is often number one or close to it in Arbitron ratings for New York City. From 2002 to 2004, the station generated more revenue than any other radio station in the New York market...
) changed from jazz to country music, WVNJ began playing jazz music after 8 PM. Its slogan was "VNJoy By Day, VNJazz By Night". In May 1983, plans were made for 100.3 FM to be purchased by Cleveland-based Malrite Communications. Malrite signed on the station from a studio in Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
and moved the transmitter to the top of the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
. In addition, new management announced plans for a top 40 format. The sale became final on August 1, 1983, and WVNJ-FM ceased broadcasting on 100.3 that night.
WHTZ - Z100
The station, which now had the callsign WHTZ, went on the air at 6:08 AM on August 2, 1983 with program director/morning show host Scott ShannonScott Shannon
Michael Scott Shannon is a radio disc jockey, current co-host of the "Scott and Todd in the Morning" show on WPLJ, host of The True Oldies Channel, and the official voice of The Sean Hannity Show.-Early Radio Career:...
. The first song ever played on the station was "Eye of the Tiger
Eye of the Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
" by Survivor
Survivor (band)
Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
followed by America by Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
. The station signed on from its new and still-incomplete studio in Secaucus, transmitting from the old FM tower site near Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
, as their antenna was not moved to the top of the Empire State Building until later in August. The station did not begin calling itself "Z100" until a few days later. Moving the tower to midtown Manhattan greatly increased the coverage area of the station's signal.
Z100 was the second station that summer to attempt to bring the Top 40 format back to New York, with rock station WPLJ
WPLJ
WPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
having begun the evolution to top 40 in June. WHTZ was programmed to remind listeners of one-time AM powerhouse WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
, which had gone from a tight Top 40 format to leaning Disco in early 1979 to leaning adult rock later in 1979 to leaning adult contemporary in 1980 to evolving to Adult Contemporary/Talk in 1981, before it finally flipped to an all-talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format on May 10, 1982.
Within 74 days of signing on, WHTZ had climbed from last place to first in the New York Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings book. Over the years, Z100 stayed with a top 40 format, with WPLJ behind them in the ratings. Scott Shannon left Z100 at the end of 1988 to begin "Pirate Radio" in Los Angeles, and Steve Kingston took over as operations manager and Frankie Blue would become assistant programming director. By 1991, however, the Top 40 format was in an identity crisis. A major sign of this crisis came when WPLJ moved to a hot adult contemporary format by 1992. Z100 responded to this by adding some older songs and introducing an evening talk show called "Love Phones." Ratings gradually dropped from 1991 to 1993. In 1993, Z100 dropped the older songs and began mixing in alternative rock music which wasn't normally being played on Top 40 stations. By the end of 1994, the majority of the station's music consisted of alternative rock with only a few non-modern-rock-based songs per hour. The station still played the current big hits by artists such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, and others. Although, notably, Z100 snubbed several big pop hits at the time such as "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" by Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone
"You Are Not Alone", released on the 10th of August 1995, is the second single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The R&B ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and...
by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, and "I Could Fall In Love
I Could Fall in Love
"I Could Fall in Love" is the first single by American singer Selena from her last studio album Dreaming of You, released in October 1995 by EMI International.-Song information:...
" by Selena
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
. At this point Z100 was sold to Shamrock Broadcasting. Frankie Blue would leave in 1995 and Sam Milkman would move up to his position.
Ratings, though nowhere near the top anymore, remained steady at the station during much of the mid-1990s, but by March 1996, there was a steep drop after WKTU
WKTU
WKTU is a radio station based in New York City that plays an upbeat, gold-based CHR format. The station's broadcast transmitter is located on the top of the Empire State Building and its city of license is Lake Success, New York, with offices formerly in the "Newport" section of Jersey City, New...
signed on 103.5 FM with a dance music format, and WXRK adapted a full alternative rock format. Both stations took listeners from Z100. Steve Kingston and his assistant Sam Milkman left Z100 for K-Rock, while music director Andy Shane left for WKTU, joining another former Z100 music director, Frankie Blue. Airstaff had also gradually begun leaving the station beginning that February. Z100 had even stopped using the name "Morning Zoo" the year before. Morning host John Lander left in November 1995. That January, Steve Cochrane arrived to do mornings but by May he was gone. Z100 was undergoing a crisis at this point. The station was sold in a corporate deal to Chancellor Media.
In April 1996, the station brought in Tom Poleman
Tom Poleman
Tom Poleman is President, National Programming Platforms, for Clear Channel Radio. In his role, Poleman oversees Clear Channel Radio's National Programming Platforms group, which includes music and event marketing, label and artist relations, on-air talent development, digital programming and a...
as its new programming director. Initially, at that point, Z100 dropped all non-modern rock titles and began playing strictly pop alternative. By May 1996, Z100 began gradually replacing its on-air staff, and the harder alternative songs were phased out. Though initially it seemed that Z100 was becoming a modern AC station, beginning that summer, the station gradually began to move back to a mainstream Top 40 format, as it added pop music from such formats as R&B, rap, and adult contemporary. One of Poleman's biggest moves was to switch DJ Elvis Duran from afternoons to the "Z Morning Zoo" (which was known as "The Morning Show" for the previous several years), Z100's popular morning show. Despite having shared the post with other hosts (such as Elliot Segal
Elliot Segal
Elliot Segal is an American talk radio host. His Elliot in the Morning show is broadcast on WWDC in Washington, D.C. and WRXL in Richmond, Virginia.-Personal:...
, now at WWDC) through the years, Duran remains the "Head Zookeeper" to this day. By December 1996, Z100 was a full-time Top 40 station again. Chancellor merged with Evergreen in 1997, making WKTU a sister station of Z100. Still, both stations continued on the same courses, occasionally overlapping with music.
In a 1999 merger, Z100's parent company, Chancellor, acquired Capstar, forming AM/FM Inc. Shortly after the merger was finalized, AM/FM was bought by its current owners, Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.
DJ Spinbad
DJ Spinbad is a radio and club DJ, who formerly mixed on WWPR and WHTZ in New York City.-Career:DJ Spinbad was formerly heard on WHTZ in twenty-minute sets at 7:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on weekdays, Fridays at 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 7:00 p.m. He was also heard on WWPR at 10:00...
, a well-known DJ who created a nightly mash-up mix of the day's top songs, playing them all together, mixing, for instance, the lyrics of one with the music of another. This often lasted 15–20 minutes, and was played at seven o'clock and ten o'clock Monday through Friday. Spinbad's mix was also a part of the weekly 5 O'Clock Whistle, a tradition started in 1986 to celebrate the end of the work week.
In early 2006, Z100 launched an HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
station that plays songs by bands who have not gone mainstream, or have very little exposure. Currently, it is the only New York City area HD2 station that features DJs.
In October 2007, after years of hovering near the top, Z100 once again became the highest-rated station in New York City, scoring a 5.1 rating in persons 12+ in the Summer book. This marks the first number-one finish for the station since the 1980s, according to Clear Channel New York programming guru Tom Poleman. It also scored a first-place among the 18-34 demographic in the book, as well as a second place in the 25-54 demo.
In 2008, world-famous remixer Jason Nevins
Jason Nevins
Jason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
joined Z100 for the "Remix at 6 with Jason Nevins", where one of Jason's remixes is played every night at 6pm. The programming follows the Z100 playlist and gives listeners a "you heard it here first" mix premiere of projects that come straight from Jason's studio.
Z100 Today
Z100 broadcasts a mainstream Top 40 format. A majority of the music played on Z100 tends to be pop, R&B, alternative, and dance. On Air with Ryan SeacrestOn Air with Ryan Seacrest (radio)
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Ryan Seacrest. As of 2010, the daily morning radio show airs on Los Angeles top 40 station KIIS-FM and was launched at the same time as the television show with the same name, although Seacrest had hosted a...
, syndicated nationally via Premiere Networks, is heard daily during middays. WHTZ local on air personalities are referred to as "ZJs". Among the station's local weekday personalities: JJ (afternoons), Mo' Bounce (evenings), Trey (nights), and Shelley Wade (overnights). Phill Kross, Sharon Stevens, Mike Klein, DJ Riddler, Nick Parker, Erica Hayden are heard weekends. Station imaging is provided by Dave Foxx, Kelly "Kelly3" Doherty, Dave Kampel, and Mo' Bounce.
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
While it was not created at WHTZ, the popular morning zooMorning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
format became a widely-employed morning show concept based on its success at Z100 - even to the point of being implemented at Malrite's sister station in Cleveland, rock-formatted WMMS
WMMS
WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
. Essentially, the Morning Zoo formula was grafted onto their already successful morning show, and lasted until 1994.
The Z Morning Zoo gained rapid popularity when first launched for its use of the character "Mr. Leonard", voiced by radio personality John Carrillo. The current Morning show includes Elvis Duran
Elvis Duran
Elvis Duran is the host of the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in New York on Z100 and in syndication on Premiere Radio Networks.Duran's show is now heard live in over 40 markets including New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Cleveland, Tampa, Syracuse, Atlanta, & Des Moines.Before his current job at...
, Danielle Monaro, Carolina Bermudez
Carolina Bermudez
Carolina Bermudez is a radio personality on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in New York on WHTZ , which is also simulcast in Miami on Y100 , in Philadelphia on Q102 , and in various other markets around the country...
, Greg T., Skeery Jones, David Brody, TJ the DJ, Garrett, Scotty B., Loren, and Carla Marie. The show also features Froggy
Froggy
Froggy may refer to:*Frog, especially a diminutive version* An ethnic slur to describe the French*Froggy Went a Courtin, an alternative title to an English language folk song...
, the Y100 Miami Executive Producer.
The Z100 Morning Show features "Danielle's "Sleaze Report,"
Carolina's "Rage Page," "Phone Taps" (prank calls to an unsuspecting friend or relative of a listener), stunts performed by Greg T, Song Parodies, various contests, news and traffic reports.
The show was simulcast on Max 106.3 WHCY
WHCY
WHCY, known as Max 106.3, is a hot adult contemporary class A FM radio station broadcasting on 106.3 FM. The format is now satellite programming along with some syndicated shows. The station is licensed to Blairstown, New Jersey and serves Sussex County and Warren County in western New Jersey, and...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
from early 2003 until Dec 23, 2008 and as of 10/10 is again carrying the show.
The show began syndication on May 22, 2006, starting with WHYI
WHYI
WHYI-FM, better known as Y-100, is a heritage FM Top 40 contemporary hit radio station that broadcasts at 100.7 MHz. Its city of license is Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Y-100 broadcasts at an effective radiated power of 98,000 watts from its 1,005 foot transmitter, which is located on the...
Y100 in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, followed by WIOQ
WIOQ
WIOQ, known as "Q102", is a CHR/Pop radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. The station appeals to a generally young demographic. WIOQ is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-WFIL-FM/Popular 102:The...
Q102 in Philadelphia on July 23, 2008, and Cleveland's Kiss FM on Aug 25th 2008.
Until May 2008 the show was known as "Elvis Duran and The (Y/Z) Morning Zoo". By July 2008, the "Zoo" references were later replaced with "Show". In March 2009, Clear Channel subsidiary Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
added Elvis Duran and the Morning Show to its blue-ribbon lineup of nationally syndicated radio programs and is now heard coast to coast on about 40 stations.
On Monday, March 22, 2010, John Bell announced that he would be leaving the Morning Show.
Notable show personalities
The following is a list of notable personalities associated with either The Morning Show or its predecessor, The Morning Zoo.- Elvis DuranElvis DuranElvis Duran is the host of the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in New York on Z100 and in syndication on Premiere Radio Networks.Duran's show is now heard live in over 40 markets including New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Cleveland, Tampa, Syracuse, Atlanta, & Des Moines.Before his current job at...
- Carolina BermudezCarolina BermudezCarolina Bermudez is a radio personality on Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in New York on WHTZ , which is also simulcast in Miami on Y100 , in Philadelphia on Q102 , and in various other markets around the country...
- Scott ShannonScott ShannonMichael Scott Shannon is a radio disc jockey, current co-host of the "Scott and Todd in the Morning" show on WPLJ, host of The True Oldies Channel, and the official voice of The Sean Hannity Show.-Early Radio Career:...
- Gary BryanGary BryanGary Bryan is a radio disc jockey, currently on the air in Los Angeles, California at KRTH 101.1 FM. With more than 30 years in broadcasting, Bryan's career includes major-market morning show duties, serving as host and producer of several syndicated programs, and ventures online and in...
- Elliot SegalElliot SegalElliot Segal is an American talk radio host. His Elliot in the Morning show is broadcast on WWDC in Washington, D.C. and WRXL in Richmond, Virginia.-Personal:...
Notable WHTZ personalities
The following is a list of notable personalities either currently or formerly associated with Z100.- John BellJohn Bell (radio personality)John Bell is a radio personality from Jersey City, New Jersey. He is widely known for his contributions as one of the original staff members on WHTZ and Elvis Duran and the Morning Show . John started his career with Z100 in 1983. He was known by Z100 staff and listeners as the, "Voice of Reason"...
- DJ SpinbadDJ SpinbadDJ Spinbad is a radio and club DJ, who formerly mixed on WWPR and WHTZ in New York City.-Career:DJ Spinbad was formerly heard on WHTZ in twenty-minute sets at 7:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on weekdays, Fridays at 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 7:00 p.m. He was also heard on WWPR at 10:00...
- Dawson McAllisterDawson McAllisterDawson McAllister is an American speaker, radio host, and author. He is the host of the radio program Dawson McAllister Live on Sunday nights from 10:00-12:00 pm ET, which has an average audience of 500,000 listeners a week, and for over seventeen years, he has been speaking out for and giving...
- Paul "Cubby" Bryant
- Sean "Hollywood" HamiltonSean HamiltonSean "Hollywood" Hamilton is an American radio personality. He is the host of the Weekend Top30 Countdown and the Remix Top40 Countdown heard in over 280 cities in the United States and throughout the world. He can also be heard live weekday afternoons on WKTU in New York City...
- Christine NagyChristine NagyChristine Nagy is an American radio broadcaster, of Hungarian ancestry. She is a morning radio personality at WLTW-FM , which is New York City's highest rated radio station. She is also an actress....
- Scott ShannonScott ShannonMichael Scott Shannon is a radio disc jockey, current co-host of the "Scott and Todd in the Morning" show on WPLJ, host of The True Oldies Channel, and the official voice of The Sean Hannity Show.-Early Radio Career:...
- Elliot SegalElliot SegalElliot Segal is an American talk radio host. His Elliot in the Morning show is broadcast on WWDC in Washington, D.C. and WRXL in Richmond, Virginia.-Personal:...
- Adam CurryAdam CurryAdam Clark Curry is a broadcasting and Internet personality well known for his stint from 1987 to 1994 as a video jockey on the music video channel MTV. In the mid-1990s, Curry was a World Wide Web entrepreneur and one of the first celebrities to personally create and administer a Web site...
- PriestlyPriestlyPriestly may refer to:* Alexander Priestly Camphor , American Methodist bishop* JB Priestley, author of An Inspector Calls* Joseph Priestley, discoverer of oxygen* Miranda Priestly, a character in the novel The Devil Wears Prada...
- Clarke IngramClarke IngramClarke Ingram is a United States radio personality and programming executive.Ingram is best known in his home market and hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, he was employed at Pittsburgh-area stations WKHB and WKFB , which program a mixture of talk shows and oldies...
- Gary BryanGary BryanGary Bryan is a radio disc jockey, currently on the air in Los Angeles, California at KRTH 101.1 FM. With more than 30 years in broadcasting, Bryan's career includes major-market morning show duties, serving as host and producer of several syndicated programs, and ventures online and in...
- Jimmy HowesJimmy HowesJimmy Howes is a radio disc jockey and talk show host, stand-up comic. New York City On-Air Radio Host under dozens of different synonyms. Morning Show Host on Jukebox Radio, New York City, Mid-Day host with WVNJ, Program Director and a morning show host of WGHT...
- Jo MaederJo MaederJo Maeder is an American writer and voiceover artist. She is the author of the memoir When I Married My Mother, published by Da Capo Press/Perseus. She has also written for the New York Times and More Magazine...
- Magic Matt AlanMagic Matt AlanMagic Matt Alan is an American radio personality best known for his stints at leading CHR/Top 40 stations Z-100 in New York and KIIS-FM in Los Angeles. He also performs as a magician, and is a former host on music video channel VH-1....
- Robby BridgesRobby BridgesRobby Bridges is an American radio disc jockey known best known for his time on top 40 station WHTZ New York and more recently as afternoon host at Providence's WCTK...
- Shadoe StevensShadoe StevensShadoe Stevens is an American radio host, voiceover actor, and television personality. He was the host of American Top 40 from 1988 to 1995...
Annual events
The station annually holds popular concerts featuring top-name acts: "Z100's Jingle Ball" at Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
during the winter holiday season, and Z100's Zootopia
Zootopia
Zootopia is an annual summer concert put on by New York top-40 radio station Z100. The show is usually performed in either New York or New Jersey and includes the artists who garner great airplay on the station in the year.- 2009 Zootopia performers :...
in late Spring. There has been no Zootopia
Zootopia
Zootopia is an annual summer concert put on by New York top-40 radio station Z100. The show is usually performed in either New York or New Jersey and includes the artists who garner great airplay on the station in the year.- 2009 Zootopia performers :...
since 2009.
From 1983-1991 and from 1997–2004, Z100 aired the "24 Hours Of Christmas" from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. Sometimes it began at noon, and other years it would be as late as 2pm. It was one of the first major-market Top 40 stations to play wall-to-wall Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
at the time. The music consisted of Christmas songs by the station's core artists mixed with well-known Christmas music by oldies artists and some traditional easy listening type artists. The station played about 125 songs in total, which were repeated over this 24 hour period. When Scott Shannon arrived at WPLJ, he began the same tradition there in 1991. Z100 discontinued the tradition in 1992 and during the "alternative years". By 1997, more core artists began creating Christmas music. As a result, Z100 reinstated the 24 hours of Christmas that year. It continued until 2004, when it was discontinued due to the desire to counter-program other co-owned stations as well as competitors.
On Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
at noon, the station airs a (pre-recorded) countdown show of the top 100 songs for the year, based on the total number of song spins, listener requests, and weekly playlist success (peak position, weeks on). The show is then repeated an average of once a day over the following week, with a final broadcast airing in January. Until 2004, the countdown began at Noon on Christmas Day after the "24 Hours Of Christmas". Until 2005, the countdown was hosted by Elvis Duran and Paul "Cubby" Bryant. In June 2006, Cubby left Z100 to co-host the nationally-syndicated "Wake Up With Whoopi" Goldberg program, heard in NY on Z100's sister station WKTU
WKTU
WKTU is a radio station based in New York City that plays an upbeat, gold-based CHR format. The station's broadcast transmitter is located on the top of the Empire State Building and its city of license is Lake Success, New York, with offices formerly in the "Newport" section of Jersey City, New...
. As of 2006, Z100's Top 100 countdown is hosted by Elvis Duran and new afternoon DJ JJ.
Songs that are released in the final quarter of the year can be problematic; if a song is very popular during the last three months of the year and is in high rotation, it will often peak higher than a song that had been in medium rotation for a number of months. However, if a popular song is only in low to medium rotation during the later part of the year, it will often chart very low or not at all on the year end countdown, only to appear very high on the countdown of the following year.
History of #1s
These songs hit #1 on Z100's Top 100 Songs from 1983 to 2010.- 1983: The PoliceThe PoliceThe Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
- "Every Breath You TakeEvery Breath You Take"Every Breath You Take" is a song by The Police on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity, written by Sting and Andy Summers . The single was one of the biggest hits of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the...
" - 1984: PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
- "When Doves CryWhen Doves CryA hit cover version by R&B singer Ginuwine was produced by Timbaland in 1996 for Ginuwine's The Bachelor album, Ginuwine's cover uses actual dove sound effects as texture for its jungle music-inspired instrumental track.-Charts:-Other cover versions:...
" - 1985: Wham!WHAM!Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
- "Careless WhisperCareless Whisper"Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time...
" - 1986: Patti LaBellePatti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
ft. Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
- "On My Own" - 1987: Atlantic StarrAtlantic StarrAtlantic Starr was a 1980s R&B band. Among their biggest hits were "Always" and "Secret Lovers."- History :The group was started in 1976 in White Plains, New York by trumpeter Duke Jones , drummer Porter Carroll Jr., bassist Clifford Archer, percussionist and flautist Joseph Phillips, and three...
- "AlwaysAlways (Atlantic Starr song)"Always" was the second single from All in the Name of Love, the seventh album from R&B group, Atlantic Starr. The song went to number one on both the Hot Black Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts in June 1987. The song also spent two weeks atop the U.S. adult contemporary chart...
" - 1988: George MichaelGeorge MichaelGeorge Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
- "One More TryOne More Try (George Michael song)"One More Try" is a U.S. number-one hit song written and performed by George Michael and released by Epic Records in 1988 as the fourth single from Faith.-History:...
" - 1989: Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
- "I'll Be There for YouI'll Be There for You (Bon Jovi song)"I'll Be There for You" is a song by American hard rock band Bon Jovi from their 1988 album New Jersey, was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora...
" - 1990: MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
- "Vogue" - 1991: Bryan AdamsBryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
- "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" I Do It for You" is a power ballad performed by Bryan Adams and co-written with Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, featured on the soundtrack album from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and on Adams' album Waking Up the Neighbours...
" - 1992: Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
- "End of the RoadEnd of the Road"End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross and Lionel...
" - 1993: Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
- "Dreamlover" - 1994: Melissa EtheridgeMelissa EtheridgeMelissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
- "Come to My WindowCome to My Window"Come to My Window" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Melissa Etheridge released in 1994 on her 1993 album Yes I Am. This was the first song to be released after Etheridge publicly announced her sexual orientation of being a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained a lot of...
" - 1995: Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
- "Better ManBetter Man"Better Man" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "Better Man" is the eleventh track on the band's third studio album, Vitalogy...
" - 1996: Alanis MorissetteAlanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
- "IronicIronic (song)"Ironic" is a song recorded by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette for her third studio album Jagged Little Pill . It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released it as the album's fourth single on February 27, 1996 in CD,...
" - 1997: Third Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
- "Semi-Charmed LifeSemi-Charmed Life"Semi-Charmed Life" is Third Eye Blind's first single off their self-titled debut album, released in 1997. It was a major hit of the 1990s, reaching number four in the U.S., number one on the Modern Rock Tracks and the Top 40 in the UK. Furthermore, it has had a pervasive cultural impact, being...
" - 1998: Goo Goo DollsGoo Goo DollsThe Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
- "Iris" - 1999: Sixpence None the RicherSixpence None the RicherSixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is...
- "Kiss MeKiss Me"Kiss Me" is a song recorded by Sixpence None the Richer and released on the 1997 album Sixpence None the Richer. It reached number two on the U.S...
" - 2000: Destiny's ChildDestiny's ChildDestiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
- "Jumpin', Jumpin'" - 2001: LifehouseLifehouse (band)Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
- "Hanging by a MomentHanging by a Moment"Hanging by a Moment" is a song by American alternative band Lifehouse. It was the first single released from their debut studio album, No Name Face . The track was written by Lifehouse lead singer Jason Wade, who said that he wrote the song in about five minutes without thinking about what would...
" - 2002: Linkin ParkLinkin ParkLinkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
- "In the EndIn the End"In the End" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song was released as the fourth single from their debut album Hybrid Theory....
" - 2003: EvanescenceEvanescenceEvanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
- "Bring Me to LifeBring Me to Life"Bring Me to Life" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges and produced by Dave Fortman. It also features guest vocals from Paul McCoy of the band 12 Stones. Wind-up released "Bring Me to Life" in 2003 as the lead single from Evanescence's...
" - 2004: UsherUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
ft. LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
and Lil JonLil JonJonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
- "Yeah!Yeah! (Usher song)"Yeah!" is a song by American singer Usher, released on 3 February 2004 as the lead single from his hit fourth studio album Confessions. The song was written by Lil Jon, Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Ludacris, Robert McDowell, and LRoc. It was produced by Lil Jon, who combined crunk and R&B...
" - 2005: Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
- "Behind These Hazel EyesBehind These Hazel Eyes"Behind These Hazel Eyes" is the third single from Breakaway, the second album by pop singer Kelly Clarkson.-Song information:...
" - 2006: ShakiraShakiraShakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
ft. Wyclef JeanWyclef JeanWyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
- "Hips Don't LieHips Don't Lie"Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop song based in a salsa and cumbia performed by Colombian singer Shakira and Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released in 2006 as the second single from Shakira's second English album Oral Fixation Vol. 2...
" - 2007: TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
ft. Keri HilsonKeri HilsonKeri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
- "The Way I AreThe Way I Are"The Way I Are" is a song by Timbaland, released as the second single from his second album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value. The song is known in part for its incorrect grammar. The song samples "Push it", a 1987 hit by group Salt-n-Pepa, and features R&B singer Keri Hilson and uncredited vocals...
" - 2008: Chris Brown - "ForeverForever (Chris Brown song)"Forever" is a song by American R&B singer Chris Brown. It is produced by Polow da Don. It is the first single from the repackaged Exclusive: Forever Edition, and is the fifth overall single by Brown from his second studio album, Exclusive with uncredited backing vocals from Keri Hilson...
" - 2009: The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
- "I Gotta FeelingI Gotta Feeling"I Gotta Feeling" is the second single from The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album The E.N.D., produced by the French DJ David Guetta. The song was released on May 21, 2009 and debuted at number two on the Canadian and Billboard Hot 100 on the week of June 27, 2009, behind the group's "Boom Boom...
" - 2010: B.o.BB.o.BBobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
ft. Hayley WilliamsHayley WilliamsHayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...
- "AirplanesAirplanes (song)"Airplanes" is the second official and third overall single from B.o.B's debut studio album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. The track features Hayley Williams and was produced by Alex da Kid with DJ Frank E receiving a co-production credit on the song. The music and chorus were...
"
- Kelly ClarksonKelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
was the first artist to hold the top two positions on the annual list, with "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Since U Been GoneSince U Been Gone"Since U Been Gone" is a song written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald for American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was released as the second single from her second album, Breakaway in the US and Australia and was released as the first single in Europe...
" in 2005. This achievement was equaled in 2007 when TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
held these spots with "The Way I Are" and "Give It To MeGive It to Me (Timbaland song)"Give It to Me" is a song recorded by Timbaland, with featured artists Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, for Timbaland's second solo album, Shock Value . It was released as the album's first single...
" at number one and two respectively.
- ShakiraShakiraShakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
was the first Latina singer to top the countdown.
- Third Eye BlindThird Eye BlindThird Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
, LifehouseLifehouse (band)Lifehouse is an American rock band from Los Angeles. The band came to mainstream prominence in 2001 with the hit single "Hanging by a Moment" from their debut studio album, No Name Face. The single won a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year, beating out Janet Jackson and Alicia...
, and EvanescenceEvanescenceEvanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
are the only artists to have their debut single top the countdown.
- Only five songs that topped the countdown were collaborations. In 1986 with Patti LaBellePatti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
and Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald (singer)Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
; in 2004 with UsherUsher (entertainer)Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, LudacrisLudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, and Lil JonLil JonJonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
; in 2006 with ShakiraShakiraShakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
and Wyclef JeanWyclef JeanWyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
; in 2007 with TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Keri HilsonKeri HilsonKeri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
, and D.O.E; and in 2010 with B.o.BB.o.BBobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
and Hayley WilliamsHayley WilliamsHayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...
.
- No artist as listed has ever topped the chart twice, though, technically George MichaelGeorge MichaelGeorge Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
has topped it twice (once with Wham! in 1985, and as a solo artist in 1988).