![]() When I checked with Billboard in early 2015, asking if it would retroactively allow “Uptown Funk” onto the chart, now that it was breaking on urban radio-in fact, by April 2015, the song actually ranked fifth at R&B/hip-hop stations-it affirmed it would not, saying it still considered the song “a pop hit that is crossing over to R&B radio.” Again, I could see why it was reluctant to grandfather it in: If it had reclassified “Uptown Funk” as R&B at that late date, it would have, bizarrely, debuted at No. This run by “Funk” would have preemptively beaten future record-setter “ One Dance” by Drake, an 18-week topper in 2016, and it would have beaten both “ The Honeydripper” by Joe Liggins and “ Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” by Louis Jordan, each of which spent 18 weeks on top in the 1940s, when this chart was called-I kid you not- Race Records. To be exact-based on my understanding of Billboard’s genre-charts methodology-had Ronson and Mars been allowed on that chart, “Funk” would have commanded it for 19 weeks, December 2014 through April 2015, an all-time R&B chart record. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart for a ridiculous period of time. Basically, “Uptown Funk” would have been No. Thinking like a chart analyst, however, I got why Billboard was making this category call-even if the reason seemed a bit cynical. Send me updates about Slate special offers. Speaking as a music critic, I thought not letting the song onto the R&B/Hip-Hop chart was almost indefensible. It’s so indebted to that sound that the Gap Band’s members actually made a legal claim against Ronson and Mars and won themselves a belated writing credit. As I wrote for Slate in early 2015, “Uptown Funk” is an unabashed, top-to-bottom homage to turn-of-the-early-’80s R&B, from Rick James to Zapp to the Gap Band. At the time, I found this decision bizarre. ![]() In late 2014, Billboard made a quiet but pivotal executive decision about a song that was climbing its charts and about to top the Hot 100: It was not going to classify Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “ Uptown Funk” as an R&B song or allow it to chart on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. This is the best way I know how to explain the socio-cultural pickle Billboard has gotten itself into-an own goal so messy, it has dragged the music-industry bible into headlines about race and genre in the mainstream press. Follow me back in time to a little more than four years ago. 1 hit since 1965-we need to talk about the chart it’s not on … well, this week, at least. 1 song on Billboard’s flagship chart-an irresistible pencil sketch of a ditty, the shortest No. What Is Going On With Diddy? Here’s What We Know.īefore I talk about the new No. If You Were Expecting This to Be a Country Album From Beyoncé, Think Again 1 That Proves the Diss Track Now Has Serious Chart Potentialīeyoncé Changed the Lyrics to “Jolene.” Here’s Why It’s So Controversial.
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