Billboard has shaken up the game again. On Tuesday, October 22, the music charts giant rolled out sweeping changes to its Hot 100 recurrent rules, rolling out new guidelines that decide how long a song can hold on before it’s cycled out.
Under the new policy, older hits will now exit the Hot 100 much sooner, no matter how well they continue to perform. This comes after years of Billboard struggling to keep up with the streaming era, where algorithms loop familiar songs endlessly, stretching their chart life far beyond what anyone imagined. It’s how tracks like The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights (90 weeks), Glass Animals’ Heat Waves (91 weeks), and Teddy Swims’ Lose Control (112 weeks) managed marathon runs that blurred the line between hits and heritage.
Previously, Billboard used a system that seemed balanced enough. A track would be pulled if it dropped below No. 25 after 52 weeks, or below No. 50 after 20 weeks; rules meant to make room for new music without punishing enduring favorites. But that still didn’t stop certain songs from clinging to the charts like a never-ending encore.
That all changes now. Starting this week, the thresholds have been redrawn and they’re tougher. If a song falls below No. 5 after 78 weeks, it’s out. Below No. 10 after a year? Gone. Below No. 25 after six months? Same fate. Drop below No. 50 after 20 weeks? Say goodbye.
The results were immediate. Teddy Swims’ Lose Control has finally bowed out after an incredible 112-week streak, still sitting within the top 20 when it was removed. Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things also made its exit after 89 weeks, while Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ Die With a Smile left the chart after 60 weeks despite a No. 1 peak and continued momentum.
The overhaul instantly knocked ten songs off this week’s chart, marking an end to an era of long-charting anthems. Billboard says the move is about keeping the Hot 100 fresh, more reflective of what’s trending right now, not what dominated a year ago. It’s a reset meant to give newer records a fairer shot at visibility and discovery.
Still, Billboard has reserved some flexibility. Certain tracks will be allowed to stay past those limits on a case-by-case basis. Billie Eilish’s Wildflower is one example; still rising in its 70th week, climbing from No. 63 to No. 50. And as always, the holiday classics like Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You will continue to make their seasonal returns unbothered by the new rules.