For the first time since 1990, the Top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart is completely devoid of any hip-hop and/or rap songs.
“No rap songs appear in the top 40 on the Hot 100 for the first time since February 1990,” the account for Chart Data announced on X. “Ending a streak of 35 years, eight months and three weeks (week of October 25, 2025).”
The first hip-hop song on the chart is YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “Shot Callin,” which is currently sitting at number 43.
The chart is overwhelmingly dominated by Taylor Swift, and each song from her latest record “The Life of a Showgirl” populates the top 40. The No. 2 song on the list is from the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack, and the top 10 is rounded out with songs from Justin Bieber, Olivia Dean and Morgan Wallen, as well as Leon Thomas.
In its assessment of the chart, Vice noted that the only music genre that appears to have “a firm idea of who its premier artists are” is country — and the rest of music is floundering, searching for an identity or artists to cling to.
The outlet also noted the genre may well be on the receiving end of a refresh soon.
“It would be dour if the 2020s were defined by a lot of familiar faces from the 2010s. But hip-hop could never truly die when the culture of it still holds weight. It could never truly die when it still has its role as the predominant form in which Black artists create. It could never truly die without a replacement,” writes Caleb Catlin.
“The worst that could happen is that it shares its space rather than outright holding the throne. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Every piece of media has experienced its turbulence after COVID. It makes sense that hip-hop would need a refresh,” Catlin also noted. “Rap has rested on its laurels as the dominant pop culture juggernaut and has become more preoccupied with commercialism than the art form. The right balance would restore the culture in a way that would allow a rejuvenated push back to the top.”
